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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWhile there are many things that I love about Beyond the Gates<\/em>, I am surprised by how much I am invested in the Hamilton v. Hamilton<\/em> saga. <\/em>What’s even more fun about this is trying to figure out exactly why<\/em> I am loving it so much. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Naomi isn’t necessarily my favorite character and Bill, definitely a villain, isn’t necessarily a character that I dislike. With BTG<\/em> having launched less than two months ago, we haven’t gotten to see Naomi and Bill’s history play out on-screen. We haven’t had a chance to see father and daughter in happier times, fall in love with their mock legal battles, or experience the pain of watching their family fall apart. Instead, we’ve had to hear about it through exposition, something that is typically widely planned by soap fans. Here, though, it really works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Timon Kyle Durrett (Bill) and Arielle Prepetit (Naomi) have very quickly been able to develop a mesmerizing on-screen chemistry that some seasoned soap opera actors would kill to have with their scene partners. That said, it would have been a jaw-dropping plot twist if Bill had dropped dead from a heart attack in his office while arguing with Naomi. It would have been totally <\/em>unexpected. Kind of like billed-as-the-star Ryan Phillippe dying in the very first episode of Big Sky<\/em>. Oops. Spoiler alert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is very telling that Bill thinks the sexual harassment case is all about him. When he asked Naomi, “Do you really hate me that much?” implying, of course, that she only agreed to represent the three women because of her personal animosity toward him, my eyeballs nearly rolled right out of my head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The will-they-or-won’t-they accept the settlement offer was interesting. I liked that Naomi allowed the women to talk things out amongst themselves after she noted all of the loopholes that existed in the settlement. Had Naomi strong-armed them in a particular direction it would have brought her objectivity into question. At least for me. However…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMomma\u2019s getting\u2019 a new pair of shoes. All. The. Shoes.\u201d Ma’am, I cannot take you seriously right now. And please do not<\/strong> say anything like that if you get called to the stand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, why in the world did Becky agree to sit down with Hayley? As a paralegal, she should have known that was not a good idea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I might be the only one to think that Tom\u00e1s is sleazy. He pretty much admit to Naomi that he knows Mike has crossed the line on more than one occasion. So you’ll vaguely ‘fess up now to save your own behind, but you didn’t say anything or do anything when Mike was actually being pervy? Not cool. Plus, his asking Kat to try to get Naomi to drop the lawsuit was also a major turn off. He wants to be part of a prestigious law firm but his actions are no better than the stereotypical “ambulance chaser.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n I am glad that we got some clarification about Vanessa and Doug’s marriage this week. I couldn’t remember if it was public knowledge that they have an open marriage. I’m still not sure if everyone<\/em> knows, but it does put Vanessa’s public displays or horniness in a little better context. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I am not here to judge the McBride’s marriage or whatever arrangement they may or may not have worked out. I will admit to grimacing when Vanessa said of her husband, \u201cWhatever game he once had has long since ended. The audience has left the bleachers and gone home.\u201d Ouch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Actually, now that I think about it, do we know if Doug<\/em> knows that he is in an open marriage? He’s too busy playing poker to even know what his wife is up to. Poker? He hardly sees her! I’m here all week, folks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sexual banter and tension between Vanessa and Joey was on full display this past week. Who knew the word tortellini could be so naughty? Is this<\/em> Joey’s end game? Is he trying to tank Doug so that he can have some sort of Indecent Proposal<\/em> moment with Vanessa? No offense, but I suspect Vanessa would ante up her kitty for free. There’s has to be something else that I am missing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One thing I didn’t miss? I knew Joey’s mom wasn’t alive and wanting a house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I like Chelsea, but at times she comes across as a spoiled brat. I think Chelsea should be celebrated for wanting to capitalize on her Insta-celebrity and launch a fashion line. What I don\u2019t get, though, is how someone who claims to be an influencer was so blind to the opportunity that the fashion show presented to launch her line with Kat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay, girl, I get it. You don\u2019t want to be a model any more. You don\u2019t like that your \u201cmomager\u201d has dictated your life for however many years. But you didn’t want to do one more high profile show in a super rare Smithsonian dress in order to get the eyes of the world looking at one of your handbags? You can’t agree to do one show with a big pay day per year for three years? Seems petulant and very short-sighted. I am glad, though, that something changed her mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As someone who operated a successful business since before Chelsea was born, I will be the first to admit that sometimes you have to do things that you might not want<\/em> to do in order to be successful. Chelsea will need to keep that in mind moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Duprees have a secret — okay, probably more than one secret. All we know is that it has something to do with Martin and that Bill somehow figures into said secret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have no idea what this bombshell Dupree family secret is, but it had better be good. We\u2019ve almost gotten to the point where the cloak and dagger teasing runs the risk of overhyping the secret. I think it\u2019s safe to say that a good portion of the audience is yelling, \u201cTell us what the secret is already!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since I haven\u2019t had an All My Children<\/em> reference yet in this week\u2019s column, I\u2019ll make one now. Back in 1999, Erica Kane suffered severe facial injuries when she was involved in a car accident. Show dialogue talked about how horrific the injuries were for days and weeks. Since the injury had been touted as so severe, show execs didn\u2019t think the show\u2019s makeup department could create a special effect that would match the audience\u2019s expectation. As a result, the injury was never shown and Erica wore a mask\u2026 for weeks\u2026 and weeks\u2026 and fans derided the plot as \u201cThe Phantom of the Soap Opera.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That might not be the case here, but I don’t know if dragging the secret out until May “Sweeps” (or longer) is a good idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I am hoping that the writers are not planning to go too far down the road with a Derek\/Ashley\/Andre love triangle. It’s just not working for me. It’s not just because I personally think Andre is the obvious choice here. I think it’s more that Andre is by far the most interesting character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fun fact: I recently learned that a friend auditioned for the role of Andre and made it aaaall<\/em> the way to the final cut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ashley kind of bores me. Even her first-day emergency delivery in the elevator lacked the excitement that I wanted. I’d rather see more Grey’s Anatom<\/em>yesque stories for her. The angsty torn between two lovers thing isn’t working. I’ve said it nearly every column, but Derek was at his most interesting when he was hospitalized. I obviously don’t wish harm to any first responder, but in a fictional world built around drama things are a bit different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It would have been powerful to see Ashley caring for a man she loves, a man who from moment to moment might not remember who she is. Or perhaps a man who was physically unable to love her in return. I think in that<\/em> scenario the love triangle angle might have worked because it wouldn’t have been the typical “Oh dear! Who do I choose?” type of story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Someone on one of the social media platforms remarked that Derek and Andre have more chemistry than either man has with Ashley. I agree. Perhaps Derek has a little bro crush on the photographer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Random side story: one of my best friends in life Pam had “a thing” for firemen. When we would go places together, I’d often make it a point to drive by a firehouse so that she could ogle the mens.<\/em> I’m pretty sure she once “accidentally” put a metal fork in the microwave so that firefighters would be dispatched to “rescue” her when her apartment filled with smoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From the moment Procter & Gamble was announced as one of the companies involved in producing Beyond the Gates<\/em>, I wondered if there would be any product placement within the show. Maybe it\u2019s more accurate to say I wondered how long it would take before product placement became a part of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The answer? 28 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be clear, I don\u2019t have an issue with product placement. I\u2019m for whatever helps generate revenue to keep any and all soaps on the air. What I don\u2019t like is clunky product placement. I thought that Ashley and Derek\u2019s laundry detergent plug worked better than Nicole\u2019s overspraying of room deodorizer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Product placement doesn\u2019t have to be the equivalent of an ACME anvil falling on Wile E. Coyote\u2019s head. Simply have the label of a product visible in a scene \u2013 perhaps disinfectant wipes at the hospital or a bottle of dish detergent on someone\u2019s sink. And surely there\u2019s a liquor company out there that wants to be placed on Dani\u2019s home bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this era of influencers, why not have actual brand names place their clothing or other products in the hands of the show\u2019s influencer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some rapid fire thoughts on other action from the week gone by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I need someone to run a DNA test on Garland Memorial nurse Shanice. There is a strong chance that she is related to principal Ava Coleman from Abbott Elementary<\/em>. Both seem more interested in their social lives and gossiping than actually doing their jobs. Don’t get me wrong: it’s hilarious. I kind of want Shanice to lean even more into the silliness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They almos<\/em>t got me when Police Chief Hawthorne told Jacob that Marcel wasn’t crooked — he was just working undercover to get a bigger fish than Joey Armstrong. I so wanted to believe that. Now, though, I am wondering if that might have been a better storyline twist. I just hate that Jacob’s dad is also on the take. Is Jacob’s big story going to be that he has to take down his own dad? Yikes! That’s super juicy drama, but I feel bad for Jacob.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the second time in as many weeks Hayley’s jealousy was on full display. If Hayley is so confident that Bill has moved on from Dani, why was she so upset that Bill went to visit Dani? Maybe she’s like me and suspects that Bill still has feelings for his ex-wife. Maybe she’s heard the old adage, “Once a cheater, always a cheater.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n Does it really<\/em> matter that Andre is Dani’s sister’s nephew? It’s not like there is any biological or genetic link. If they wanna have sex, let them have sex. If they wanna date, I say let them date. Sure, it might make Thanksgiving dinner a little awkward, but aren’t all <\/em>Thanksgivings borderline awkward anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that I don’t have to dress up like a Tide Pod, it will be even easier for me to continue spying on the residents of Fairmont Crest. I’ll continue to share my thoughts on all their antics are long as you’re interested in reading them. Thank you for reading and, as always, please feel free to share your thoughts on my column or Beyond the Gates<\/em> in the Comments section below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’ve enjoyed my column this week and want to see what I have written about Beyond the Gates<\/em> in previous weeks, you can check those out in the My View From Beyond the Gates<\/a><\/strong> archive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have a penchant for gardening, interior design, or fixing up old houses? Check out my Manor Makeover series<\/a><\/strong> where I write about all of the things I’ve been up to here at Kroll Manor in Allentown, PA, over the past decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To keep up with all of the shenanigans I engage in on social media, please consider giving my a follow on Bluesky<\/strong><\/a>, Instagram<\/strong><\/a>, Threads<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, and TwitterX<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My former Two Scoops columnists Liz Masters and Tamilu have joined me here on my personal web site — and they are still writing about General Hospital. Check out Liz’s latest GH column, April fools<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nObjections and sustained<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019re looking particularly edible today<\/h3>\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nQuarter-life crisis<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Shh! It’s a secret<\/h3>\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThree alarm snoozer<\/h3>\n\n\n
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And now a word from our sponsor<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Beyond the Gates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I just took a DNA test<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
I’m 100% that snitch<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Truth hurts<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
We are family<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Closing the gates<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Follow my Random Acts of Dan<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Life outside the gates<\/h5>\n\n\n\n