A Serious Case of Main Character Syndrome: A Beyond the Gates commentary by Soap Central founder Dan J Kroll for the week ending February 6, 2026.
It’s probably safe to assume that we all think of ourselves as the main character in our story. Whether we view ourselves as the hero, anti-hero, or villain is something entirely different. But what is our role in other people’s lives? This train of thought got me thinking about how some Beyond the Gates characters think of themselves as a little too important.
It was Chelsea who inspired the title of this week’s column. As she went on and on about how things were all about her, she forgot about how life was impacting those around her — particularly Grandma Anita and Girlfriend Madison. But this isn’t just a Chelsea thing, so please don’t think that I’m taking aim just at her.
There’s also Smitty who horned his way into Jacob’s not-so-secret undercover mission. Bill continues to find ways to insert himself into Dani’s life… and Dani always seems to be by Bill’s side instead of her new husband’s. Hayley, on the other hand, seems to want Izaiah to insert himself into her, um, life.
Then there’s someone like Vernon who wants nothing more than to be by his wife’s side during the toughest fight of her life, and Anita doesn’t necessarily want him there. It’s not because she doesn’t love him. It’s… well, Vernon is hovering when Anita wants nothing more than to think of anything other than cancer.
Sometimes when a minor character tries to exert main character energy you just have to remind them that you’re the EGOT-winning star of the country club.
The Real Housewives of Fairmont Crest
The showdown between Anastasia Belleclaire and Anita Dupree was legendary. It was so legendary and iconic that it absolutely needed its own section here in my column.
I stumbled across something on TwitterX about the confrontation before I had a chance to watch the Thursday, February 5, episode, so I promptly closed my browser window before anything was spoiled and headed to the media room to fire up Beyond the Gates. This was the correct decision.
The thing that grabbed me first was how disgustingly forward the folks at the table behind Anita, Jessica, and Samantha were being. They stared and ogled Anita for what seemed like five minutes. As they say, take a picture. It’ll last longer. Then Anastasia sauntered over and things went even more off the rails.
I was seated, perfectly upright, with my eyes wide.
Anastasia chose violence from the start of the conversation. She labeled Anita as “less than” because she’d never been a debutante at the cotillion. According to Anastasia, when Vernon “found” Anita she was “scraping and gyrating and hustling like a common…” Anita cut her off with the quickness and finished the sentence for her. “Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony-award winning quadruple threat.”
Timeca Seretti (Anastasia Belleclaire), Najah Jackson (Samantha Richardson), Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree), and Camryn Jade (Jessica)
Punch and Counterpunch
Even though I am fully, totally, completely, 100-percently Team Dupree, Anastasia did land a “well, damn” zinger. She stared right into Anita’s eyes and said, “My family was giving to charities since you were still one.” She also took a jab at the cultural institution that was Showtime at the Apollo.
Proving that she truly is a vile person, Anastasia made a crass remark about Samantha not having a “drop of Dupree blood” in her body. That comment was elitist, homophobic, and insulting to anyone who lives with an adoptive or chosen family.
The funniest moment was when Anita moved her hand toward her head and Anastasia jumped out of the way because she thought Anita was going to clobber her. Also funny was watching Samantha’s face as Anita was, as the kids say, reading Anastasia for filth. I also chuckled when Samantha scurried over to sit next to Jessica so that Anita could get a few steps closer to Anastasia.
For a moment, I held my breath because I thought that Anastasia might take a jab at Anita’s shorter hair and I wasn’t sure how Anita would respond to that.
I do want to take a moment to acknowledge how wonderful actress Timeca Seretti is as Anastasia. She is giving the same energy as the saleswoman in Pretty Woman who wouldn’t tell Julia Roberts’ character how much a dress cost, saying instead that it was “very expensive.”
There was a weird moment in all of the greatness, though. There was scene where Anita told Anastasia that they needed to “get a few things straight.” The scene was less than two-seconds in length that immediately pitched to a commercial. It was a weird, free-floating scene that could have easily been tacked on to the previous one.
Blood In the Water
Theories abound about who might be the head of the red market (blood and plasma) ring. It would seem that at least one of those theories has been shot down… or has it?
A perp commonly targeted by social media is Carlton. Yes, the same Carlton that has been hoisting Nicole into the air and sexing her against the wall. I’ll admit, Carlton as “the Impaler” would make for juicy – make that j-u-i-c-y – story. I think it would also lead to Nicole and Ted getting back together. But that doesn’t matter because Carlton isn’t the head honcho.
How can I say that with such certainty? I can’t, really, because soaps will soap and do whatever they want. Jacob has met the boss, and I’d have to assume that he’d instantly recognize Carlton. Then again, maybe there is some weird circle where they’ve never been in the same room. Another possible way to keep the Carlton theory alive? The boss that Jacob is meeting is more of a Super Mario boss. He’s a boss, but not the boss. You have to go through eight more worlds before you get to see him.
No matter who is calling the shots, they clearly don’t play around. Max, the informant that Smitty (and Jacob?) have been working with was terrified about how the organization’s courier was beaten to near-death over suspicions that he was a leak. I am now more concerned than ever that someone we’ve come to care about is going to be in some serious trouble.
I Am Not My Hair
Doomsoaping scenarios: Since there is still a foot of snow on the ground and I can’t go outside to garden and clear my mind, my brain compensates by crafting possible storyline outcomes. Here’s what it’s come up with for the blood theft operation.
Jacob gets critically injured while working undercover. He lands in the hospital and a grief-stricken Naomi reveals that she has the BRCA mutation. Someone overhears and drama unfolds. In a soapier twist, Jacob hears the news and wakes up.
“The Impaler” finds out that Max is really the mole and demands to know who Max has been talking to. In this version, Smitty is the one who ends up on the receiving end of a world of pain.
The third I talked about in last week’s column, which you can read here. In short, Kat is like a dog with a bone and follows after Jacob and/or Smitty to see what they’re up to. Ultimately, she doesn’t follow advice to stay away and she ends up being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
There’s More To the Story
Soap operas are a unique creature. They’ve told nearly every story under the sun, many with varying degrees of success. For example, both All My Children and The Bold and the Beautiful have both told stories that involved someone who was transgender. On B&B, it was Karla Mosley’s Maya Avant who, after a lengthy time on canvas, was revealed to be a transgender woman. On AMC, the story followed rocker Zarf and his transition to become Zoe. B&B’s story wasn’t meant to be informative or educational, it was played solely for the jaw-dropping twist. AMC’s, on the other hand, was meant to be “educational,” but the storyline came off as cartoonish at times and it ultimately missed the mark.
Why bring this up in a Beyond the Gates column? I have been wondering for several weeks if the show would address Anita losing her hair due to the chemotherapy treatments. Part of me wondered if viewers were supposed to assume that Anita wore wigs and wouldn’t be that concerned about hair loss.
It seems like a small detail, but there was a character on One Life to Live who had brain surgery, and her head was never shaved. And if it was and somehow obscured by bandages, the hair had regrown to shoulder-length in under a month. Meanwhile on All My Children, Emmy winner Jacob Young shaved his head when his character, J.R. Chandler, was diagnosed with cancer.
I’d imagine a lot of these decisions have to do with what an actor will and will not do.
Hair-Raising Drama… and Comedy
Since Beyond the Gates is a soap opera based in reality – no weather machines, brain-mapping memory implantation, or dolls that come alive – it did seem like only a matter of time before it addressed the hair loss. With apologies to India Arie, we might not be our hair, but that’s something easier said than felt.
I liked that Dani was able to have a candid conversation with her mother about how sometimes we are inextricably tied to things that shouldn’t be so important — like our physical appearance. It might seem shallow to be concerned about one’s looks, but Dani noted that her livelihood quite literally depended on what she looked like.
What I appreciated was how the show was able to turn a devastating moment in Anita’s life into something celebratory. The humor continued when Chelsea showed up at the Dupree manse and, upon seeing her newly coiffed grandmother from behind, thought that there was an intruder in the house.
Beside, Behind, and Beyond The Gates: Speed Round
Here are some of the thoughts and observations about other things happening on Beyond the Gates.
The Cat’s Out of the Bag
Hayley “accidentally” showing Izaiah a naughty photo of herself was hilarious. If the “accidentally” hadn’t been in quotation marks, I’d be devastated for her – but Hayley clearly wanted Izaiah to see her mountains and valleys. Bill’s little niece is all grown up. (#IYKYK)
The Land of the Midnight Sun… Tulips… Legos?
Poor Denmark. They’ve been getting way too much attention in the real world and now Chelsea and Kat keep calling it “the Land of the Midnight Sun.” Also, why is everyone saying that Denmark is “halfway around the world”? I will admit that I find it really, really funny. It leans into so many stereotypes, but does so in a fun and silly way.
Danish Twist: When Chelsea and Madison first mentioned Copenhagen, I hopped right on the Internet to see if there were direct flights from the Washington, D.C., area and how long the flight would take. Understandably, I was tickled when Chelsea mentioned that she’d also hopped on the Googlemachine and found that there was a direct flight from Dulles to Copenhagen.
Isn’t She Lovely?
Last week I talked about all the different ways that Kat had referred to her mother’s dating life. Well, this week it was Mona’s turn to weigh in on the new chapter of Nicole’s life. Mona first referred to the refresh as Nicole’s “new, come hinter look.” From there, she tried to make a mythological comparison, saying that Nicole had risen from the ashes of her failed marriage “like some sexually liberated phoenix.” Later, Mona mused that Nicole was “out on the loose” following all the “lies, cheating, and baby momma drama.”
I screamed when Kial, with Nicole and Ted standing nearby, thanked Shanice for fixing him up with Nicole. So messy!
Derek Baldwin, Undercover Agent
We have learned more about Derek now that Ben Gavin is off-contract than we did when he was on-contract during the entire first season of Beyond the Gates. We knew then that Derek realized his lifelong dream to become a firefighter and that he and Ashley were longtime boyfriend and girlfriend.
Now we’ve learned that in addition to being a firefighter, Derek is also a registered EMT, he knows how to work as a dispatcher, and he has a commercial truck driving license. No, this isn’t some life-changing revelation, but it offers some insight into how Derek might still be a part of future story.
If you ask me, he should be the one that goes undercover in the plasma theft ring. He’d have a great – and real – cover story: He lost the only job he ever wanted and now needs to find a way to make some money. If he were to get involved, it might also confirm (fulfill?) my fears that someone isn’t coming out of this storyline alive.
Quick aside: I don’t like Grayson at all, but I don’t think he’s “The Impaler.” After his quick skedaddle out of Ashley’s bed and Derek’s previous warning, it seems a little too convenient. I have more on this in the Quick Takes section further down the column.
Life Imitating Art Imitating Life?
Remember how shocked we all were when we found out that Hayley wanted to kill Bill and take all of his money? Well, it turns out that poisoning your partner is part of an alarming national trend. According to an ABC News report, the Department of Homeland Security recently issued a warning to law enforcement agencies that domestic partners (both married and unmarried) “are ‘increasingly likely’ to use chemical and biological toxins to kill or harm their partners.”
Scattered Pictures
I love that Beyond the Gates uses real-life photos of its actors on air. We’ve seen them in Dupree living room since day one, but they’ve been more meaningful as Anita has taken her walks down memory lane. The most recent set of throwback photos showed Anita in some of her – and Tamara Tunie’s — more memorable looks. It’s a really small detail, but it makes the show so much more personal.
Shameless plug for myself: If anyone at the show is reading this column, I’d be more than happy to open up my archive of Red Carpet photos if you need any of them for the official Anita Williams Dupree on-air archive.
Collect the Whole Set
If you’re someone who likes to keep score, the number is now four. Four what? With the February 5 addition of Joey Armstrong’s house complete with that beautiful linear fireplace, we now have four new Beyond the Gates sets in 2026.
Other new sets for the new year include: Naomi and Jacob’s living room (January 19), Nicole’s bedroom (January 26), and Bill and Hayley’s bedroom (January 27).
Quick Takes
I hate to be picky, but Ted lives in a four-star hotel. Wouldn’t the housekeeping staff have found those panties during one of their cleaning sessions?
Speaking of hotels, is there only one suitable hotel in the entire DMV area? Ted lives there, Tomas and Kat plan trysts there, and it’s the go-to place for Chelsea to pop the question to Madison.
I love love, but I think it’s way too soon for Chelsea to be asking Madison to marry her.
After Anita finished gathering Anastasia she had a lightheaded spell. I was worried that when she said she needed to go to the ladies room that the stage was being set for someone to find her unconscious on the bathroom floor.
Am I the only one that wished Anita had jumped on top of a grand piano with a live peacock? That photo would have been epic.
Should Jacob be telling everyone that he is working an undercover case?
What if Grayson is also dating Ashley’s mom. Wasn’t Grayson just getting back from being out of town when we first met him? Perhaps he was on a cruise ship…
Do Pamela and Dani have any models for their modeling agency?
Will we learn Jessica’s last name before, during, or after the ball? [Note: Dre Johnson sent me a message on TwitterX to say that Jessica’s last name is listed as “Harris” in the show’s closing credits. Thanks, Dre!]
I have no idea what Kial’s random dishwasher comment was, but it was the most awkward sexy (?) comment in the history of soaps.
Did I sense a little something going on between Mona and Randy? Their smoosh name will have to be Mandy because Rona is already taken and nobody wants that.
Bill Hamilton bought Caroline a Mercedes. A Mercedes.
Somebody’s Watching Me
A quick detour from reel-life to real-life before I wrap up this week’s column. For the final week of January, Beyond the Gates recorded its highest ratings ever. Yes, higher than its premiere back in February 2024. A whopping 1.859 million viewers tuned in to the CBS daytime broadcast that week. The numbers do not include streaming.
It was also a good week for all of the other soaps, which notched their most-watched weeks in years. You can check out all the details from our friends over at Soap Opera Network.
Beyond the Gates: Lines of the Week
The Beyond the Gates writing team seems to be having a little too much fun. Here are some of the lines of dialogue that tickled my funny bone or that I found memorable over the past week (and haven’t already mentioned in this column).
“You don’t miss the water until another man’s at the well.” — Vernon telling Andre that Bill had admitted that divorcing Dani was a mistake.
“Think of it as God opening up a hair window for you to peek through and pick something new.” — Dani as she tried to convince Anita that a new hairstyle was a good thing.
“Does this face look like I care where the damn flowers are?” — Kat after Chelsea pointed out the tulips Kat was raging about where in the Netherlands, not Denmark.
“I’m gonna have you get an Airtag for you if you keep showing up on all my dates.” — Nicole to Ted
“I thought you were avoiding me.”
“I’d have to think about you to do that.” — Hayley flirting with Izaiah, and his less flirty response.
“It’s interesting what you regret when you feel the darkness closing in.” — Anita
“You could definitely be a ‘Before’ model.” — Jacob clowning his little brother about Dani’s offer for Izaiah to be a model.
“I haven’t been completely relaxed since I was a kid.” — Joey talking about the challenges of living his not-straight-as-an-arrow life.
Since the Anita versus Anastasia face-off was so epic, here are some of the standout lines. All are from Queen Anita, unless otherwise notated.
“I don’t dabble. I dominate.”
“We might not have passed your 23 and Me purity test…”
“I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth, or up my butt like you.”
“My family was giving to charities since you were still one.” — Anastasia
With Valentine’s Day coming up, here are a few lines about love.
“Love makes people want to fix things.” — Naomi
“Love should meet you where you are.” — Anita
Gatecrashers: Reader and Viewer Feedback
I love interacting with other Beyond the Gates fans. So I thought I’d create a section to share some of the comments I’ve received on my columns and social media posts. If you’d like to see your comments shared here, you can scroll down to the Comments section below this column and post away. You can also chat with me on Bluesky, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, and/or TwitterX.
A lot of the feedback this week had to do with Anita and Anastasia.
Follow my Random Acts of Dan
That’s all I have for this week’s My View From Beyond the Gates column. Thank you for reading and, as always, please feel free to share your thoughts on my column or Beyond the Gates in the Comments section below.
If you’ve enjoyed my column this week and want to see what I have written about Beyond the Gates in previous weeks, you can check those out in the My View From Beyond the Gates archive.
Have a penchant for gardening, interior design, or fixing up old houses? Check out my Manor Makeover series where I write about all of the things I’ve been up to here at Kroll Manor in Allentown, PA, over the past decade.
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Life outside the gates
Two of my former Two Scoops columnists from Soap Central, Liz Masters and Tamilu, have joined me here on my personal web site — and they are still writing about General Hospital. Liz is on deck with week with a new column called, How To Get Away With Murder.
To read more thoughts, opinions, rants, and raves about daytime television, be sure to check out our Editorial section.
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