My View From Beyond the Gates: When the Anger Feels Louder Than Love

Have you ever said or done something that you immediately regretted? Love can make us do crazy things. Here’s what to do When the Anger Feels Louder Than Love: A Beyond the Gates commentary by Soap Central founder Dan J Kroll for the week ending October 9, 2026.

Hate is a powerful emotion. It can bring out the absolute worst in us. Here’s something that the people who write fairytale won’t tell you: so can love.

Hayley’s love of material things has led her to a life of crime. Her love of money made her willing to take a life. Deanna’s heart was broken when her father died. She loved him so much that she developed an anger toward her mother. Vernon loves his family so much that he’s willing to do some things that might have seemed unthinkable just a few months ago.

If all the t-shirts, yard signs, and social media posts are to be believed, love always wins. What all those things don’t tell us is that sometimes it takes a little longer than we might like for love to come out on top.

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How Do You Solve A Problem Like Hayley?

If you read last week’s column, you might remember that I wondered if Hayley might soon become the victim in a whodunnit. There are certainly enough people who might want her gone to make for an entertaining murder mystery.

This week, I thought we were about to have a “Who Kidnapped Hayley?” mystery instead. Just about everyone that might want her eliminated would also have reason to want to make her disappear. That idea of a mystery was quickly shot down when we saw that Marcel was the gloved assailant. That has me wondering… what exactly is next for Hayley Hamilton, Val, Blythe Fairbrook, or whatever name she wants to use.

I think it’s still possible that Hayley doesn’t make it to see 2027. Even if she does, I can’t see how she’d do it in the DMV. It just doesn’t seem plausible that after all Hayley has done, she’d stay in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. But this is a soap and stranger things have happened.

The only possible scenario that I’ve come up with is that Leslie somehow convinces Hayley to stick around so that they can be festies – that’s another Krollism that I’ve come up with. It’s short for “faux besties.” LSD, speaking of Krollisms (that’s Leslie/Sherry/Dana), convincing Hayley to go shopping with her was great comedy. Hayley wanted no part of it – until Leslie revealed that she’d be picking up the tab. The way they linked arms, I thought they were about to go skipping down the Yellow Brick Road. The only thing that would have made it better was if there was an actual shopping montage à la Pretty Woman.

Forget Reese’s Pieces… Try Barely Hayley

I don’t like to think the worst of people – but we are talking about a con artist and attempted murderer. There is nothing to prevent Hayley from blabbing what she knows about “that night” even after getting paid. It was nice to hear Joey be the voice of reason and point out that KKKenneth was also paid off and still caused problems. There is also no way to definitely prove that Hayley will have destroyed every copy of the incriminating recordings. So how do you convince someone who appears to be so unflappable that you are deadly serious?

You bring out a sketchy cop with a reciprocating saw and march him into in a plastic-covered room.

The Man, the Myth, the… Murderer!?

For the past 19ish months, we’ve heard about how Vernon Dupree is a peaceful man, a man who understands that violence begats violence. He’s the patriarch of the Dupree family, a lecturer, a former Senator, and an activist. And, in another life, he was also a pastor. I don’t know who the man was that we saw on Wednesday, October 7, but he was a sight to behold.

On social media, I referred to that incarnation of Senator Dupree as “Evil Vernon.” It wasn’t necessarily implying that he was an evil man, but more of a nod to the old evil twin trope of soaps. Whatever you choose to call him – one person who replied to my tweet called him “Vernil” – it seems that not-playing-by-the-book Vernon was a big hit with fans. I’ve posted some of what viewer were saying in the Feedback section at the end of the column.

There’s Never Too Much Clifton Davis

When the Daytime Emmy nominations were announced earlier this year, a lot of Beyond the Gates viewers expressed their disappointment, among other emotions, that Clifton Davis did not receive a nomination in the Lead Actor category. At the time, I said that I wasn’t necessarily surprised because Vernon had not really had any big story moments in the entirety of Season 1. Yes, there was the storyline about “that night,” but that was more Martin’s story. I suppose you could also count the secret music lessons made to look like an affair.

Even in Season 2 of Beyond the Gates, Vernon has yet to be given a storyline of his own. He might be the only character on the show to have not had that sort of featured performance. I’m not sure why that is. There are any number of reasons that could explain it – and social media has crafted quite a few of them. Whatever the reason, I know that I always enjoy getting to see Davis shine in the moments when he is front and center.

Vernon “Hacksaw” Dupree

Did we really think that Vernon was going to allow Marcel Malone to chop up Hayley into even littler bite-size pieces? In hindsight, I don’t think I did… but in the moment I wasn’t absolutely certain. It’s 2026. The world is a crazy place and I think Vernon would have been forgiven for snapping for a few moments. His entire family was being threatened by Hayley. Everything that he helped build was on the verge of crashing down.

Even after Hayley was kidnapped and threatened with being turned into a human jigsaw puzzle, I wondered if she was really, truly scared. We’ve seen Hayley’s theatrics before. Any doubt that I had was quickly wiped away when we saw how jittery and panicked she was after being released.

Powerful or Powerless?

One of the common complaints I see on social media is a grumble that the Duprees have yet to be shown as the powerful family described to us in the show’s logline. After all, they haven’t even been able to prevent Leslie from building her “shouse.”

I agree and disagree with that. Yes, I think that a powerful family probably could have gotten Leslie booted out of Fairmont Crest. I also think that there are different levels and different interpretations of what “powerful” means. There are plenty of real-world examples of supposedly powerful people being taken down by “regular” folks. I also believe that there would be little drama if the Duprees were always easily able to squash any threat that was headed their way.

The Honeymoon Is Officially Over

For the first time in their marriage, Andre gave Dani a piece of his mind. I kind of have to wonder what’s taken him so long. He has been more than accommodating regarding Dani’s attachment to Bill. I don’t know many married folks who have been this understanding.

What I thought was the most interesting part of their spat… actually, let me wind that back. The least surprising part of Dani and Andre’s spat was that they ended up in bed. I love that they have a healthy sex life, but I wish it didn’t seem to be a bandage for all of their marital woes.

Now, back to what I thought was the most interesting part of their disagreement. It was Andre asking Dani if she wanted to go back to Bill now that he was free. If you have been anywhere on social media over the past year or so, you’ll have noticed that there is a general consensus that it’s only a matter of time before Dani and Bill get back together again. And if you’ve read any of my columns in that same timespan, you’ll have seen that I am totally against the idea.

I don’t think it’s ever a good idea to get back into a toxic relationship. Can people change? Absolutely and that’s amazing for them. Would a hypothetical Round Two for Bill and Dani be blissful because there’s no longer a miniature matricidal maniac milling about? Perhaps. But how long before Bill’s manparts get wanderlust – with heavy emphasis on the lust?

The Fly In The Ointment

The thing that sucks about my stance is that there is no denying that Dani and Bill have sizzling chemistry. It’s been on display ever since Dani stormed Bill’s office and cleared off his desk with a golf club. This being a soap, I don’t think we’re supposed to care about all of the proverbial water under the bridge. Viewers like certain characters together and they are willing to overlook lots of things. We need look no further than General Hospital’s Luke and Laura.

The second thing that is less than great is that I actually like Dani and Andre as a couple. I don’t really think their relationship has a lot of substance, but I like the “safeness” of it. Not every couple needs to have oodles of drama and excitement. There’s something to be said about curling up in the comfort of your own home on a comfy sofa that you paid for and watching a movie on a streaming service that keeps raising their prices. Of course, that makes for a terribly boring soap opera.

Can Dani and Andre Make It?

I do think that the “safeness” that I mentioned is only an illusion. Both Dani and Andre are keeping whopper secrets from each other. I am now wondering which one will be exposed first. I am inclined to think that the Aerosmith secret will be the one to stay a secret. What’s the Aerosmith secret? “Love In An Elevator,” naturally. I think Heather poses an imminent threat to Dani and Andre is going to have to say something – especially since he seems to have already figured out that Heather was responsible for Vanessa’s carjacking.

Unless I am completely missing something, there is no reason why Andre can’t tell Dani about his past with Heather. Does he really think that Dani will be upset that he had a relationship before they got together? It’s not like Dani thought he was a virgin when they met. I’m sure I’ll be dragged in the comments, but I think Andre not telling Dani about the danger posed by Heather is far worse than Dani not telling Andre that she had sex with Bill.

Homecoming

Beyond the Gates has once again made history. The Banneker University Homecoming episode(s) marked the first time that a soap showed an HBCU Homecoming. Now, there are some viewers who have said that this was more of a “Homecoming lite.” I’m sure that Beyond the Gates would have loved to have shown an actual football game, with marching bands and a dance line performance. We do have to be practical and think about how much money that would have cost. I’m sure the Banneker-branded bus cost a pretty penny. Or nice nickel, since pennies aren’t a thing anymore.

What I liked about the Homecoming episode is that it provided a singular spot for a bunch of different stories to come crashing together. There was the tension between Martin and Smitty and Jacob. The interesting dynamic of Kat and Izaiah’s relationship was on full display. We had Deanna talking about the strained relationship she has with Vanessa. And there were also select members dealing with the fallout from Hayley’s secret recordings.

On top of that, we learned that Tyrell and Francesca are dating. I’m sorry, what? I did not see that coming and I can’t imagine that anyone who stays spoiler-free would have predicted it either. Talk about sleeping with the enemy. It was a cute bit to have Deanna walk in when Tyrell announced that he had a new girlfriend. My jaw dropped. Then Deanna chuckled and said she wouldn’t even think about dating a lowly freshman – or someone that was practically family.

Room to Move

Oh! And let me not forget the most earthshattering development of the entire episode: Anita and Vernon have a dining room. They still don’t have a bedroom and we’ve yet to see the study Vernon talked about, but the Duprees now have an actual room with a table and chairs where they can eat.

I am thinking that we might see the Duprees all gathered at Anita and Vernon’s house for Thanksgiving, though I am not sure if the room is big enough for all those people. Sets are rarely created for just one episode, so I have to imagine that this room will be back on our screens before the year ends.

I am thinking that we might see the Duprees all gathered at Anita and Vernon’s house for Thanksgiving, though I am not sure if the room is big enough for all those people. Sets are rarely created for just one episode, so I have to imagine that this room will be back on our screens before the year ends.

The Mom Was Momming

On a more serious topic, I absolutely loved the conversation that Dani had with Deanna. Normally, I’d expect Nicole to have the deeper, heavier conversations.  Dani is good for telling people to smash ceramics. The key to solving the arguments was to remember that they loved each other.

Dani opened the conversation by sharing that she could relate to how both Vanessa and Dani were feeling because she’d been the angry daughter in fights with Anita and the protective mom in squabbles with Chelsea. Deanna asked an incredibly eye-opening and deep question that would become the title of this week’s column: “What do you do when the anger feels louder than love?”

Take a moment to really think about that. I think it’s something that we can all relate to. Has there been a time when you should have kept quiet and not said something that didn’t mean? Have you sent a nasty text or email when it your fingers could have been doing something productive and positive?

Now, before this turns into an Oprah podcast, let’s get back on track and talk about some soapiness. Here’d what really made this whole Dani mentoring/mothering scene extra special. The moment Dani finished her conversation with Deanna, she sensed that something freaky sneaky was going on behind her — without having to turn around. Dani put an end to Tyrell and Chessie’s sexytimes before it even started.

Beside, Behind, and Beyond The Gates: The Speed Round

Here are some of the thoughts and observations about other things happening on Beyond the Gates.

Too Little, Too Late

Bill revealed that he was having his private investigator do a “deep dive” into Hayley’s past to see if there was anything that could be used as leverage. So… mister big bad attorney was so sprung that he didn’t have his bride-to-be checked out when they first started dating?!

You Say the Sweetest Things

The residents of Fairmont Crest give people nicknames almost as much as I do. This week, Joey got in on the action of creating a witty little nickname for Hayley. He referred to her as Bill’s “con artist child bride.” Meanwhile, Leslie has taken to calling Izaiah her “future tender roni-in-law.”

Life Goes On

I like Shanice. I like Ted. For whatever reason, I do not like them together. Is it because part of me wants Ted and Nicole to get back together? Maybe. I agree with a take Greg had to one of my tweets. He said, “Derek was a better fit for Shanice.”

There is no one perfect formula to love. I know a couple who got married about less than a month of being together. They were married for over 20 years. I know people who have been together for 20 years and are still not married. Get ready to sound the hypocrite alarm… I think it’s way too soon for Ted and Shanice to be engaged.

As the Friday, October 9, episode played out. I had all sorts of unprintable thoughts when Nicole also produced a jewelry box. Was she about to propose to Kial?! Thankfully, she didn’t, but she did give him the key to her house, heart, and panties.

Now both couples are planning December getaways. I sure hope they don’t book nonrefundable tickets to the same tropical paradise.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

It’s funny to me that Shanice’s fear of birds still pops up in conversation. This week, Ted psyched her out by telling her that he had something serious he wanted to ask her. I kept thinking, “This man cannot be about to propose.” He didn’t. Instead he asked Shanice if she knew that there had been over 200 different species of birds reported in Central Park.

BTG: Behind the Graphic

Are you wondering what the artwork from this week’s column means? You need not get down on one knee to ask for answers. The saw is fairly obvious. That’s what Marcel was allegedly going to use on Hayley. The guitar popped up when Noah worked on his new song with Anita. The bottle opener was mentioned when Ashley had to concoct a lie about what she and Ted were looking at on his phone. Hayley called Marcel a “worker bee” as an insult.

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).

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“The Articulettes was my higher education.”
Anita explaining that she didn’t go to an HBCU because she found her path in music.

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“Men like Joey hear a problem and they start digging graves.”
Vernon Dupree

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“So it’s chivalry [that’s] keeping you from resorting to murder?”
Vernon to Joey

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“You? The woman who runs to danger like its cardio?”
Nicole

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“Things would be a lot less ‘conflicted’ if people just minded their business.”
Amen, Kat! Amen!

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“There’s no better distraction from one’s trouble than music.”
Anita Dupree

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“The best family is the family you choose.”
Joey, dismissing going into business with Heather and her desire to move to the DMV.

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 folks agreed with my assessment that Evil Vernon was hot. Here’s a look at what other viewers had to say:

On the matter of Ted popping the question to Shanice…

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, Sonny Days in Port Charles.

To read more thoughts, opinions, rants, and raves about daytime television, be sure to check out our Editorial section.

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