Since the format isn\u2019t broken, I decided to roll it out here on my personal web site as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though we didn\u2019t quite<\/em> get a full year of shows (there were just 200 episodes), there was still plenty to write about since Beyond the Gates<\/em> premiered on February 24, 2025. If you\u2019ve missed any of my weekly columns (and the fun graphics that I create to go with each one), you can check them out here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before the year ends, we’ll take a look back at things that didn’t work so that we can leave the negative energy in the old year. This week, though, it\u2019s time to focus on the good with a look at the Best of Beyond the Gates 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though this year-end column is only about one particular soap,<\/em> if I were writing a column that covered all of the soaps, there would be only one choice for Best Moment in 2025: the launch of Beyond the Gates.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n For nearly half of my time owning and operating Soap Central, I had the unfortunate responsibility of writing about the cancellation of soap operas. In 1995, the first cancellation article I wrote had to do with the morphing of Loving <\/em>into a retooled spinoff called The City. <\/em>Just two years later, I was writing about the end of The City. <\/em>In the years that followed, I\u2019d write about the end of Another World<\/em> in 1999, Sunset Beach<\/em> in 1999, Port Charles<\/em> in 2003, Passions<\/em> in 2007 and 2008, Guiding Light<\/em> in 2009, As the World Turns<\/em> in 2010, and the heartbreaking double-cancellation of All My Children<\/em> and One Life to Live<\/em> in 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2011, when pressed by fans to help save AMC and OLTL, media mogul Oprah Winfrey declared that \u201cfor all intent and purpose\u201d soap operas were dead. By 2013, there were just four soaps left on network television.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When word came in 2024 \u2013 on my birthday, no less — that CBS was planning to launch a new soap opera \u2013 a full quarter century after the last new network soap premiered \u2013 it seemed like an April Fool\u2019s Day joke or maybe a headline from the Onion<\/em>. What was even more unfathomable was that the new soap would be replacing The Talk<\/em>, a talk show that launched after ATWT\u2019s cancellation because talk shows were cheaper to produce than soaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But there was more shock and awe to follow. The new soap would be the first-ever hourlong soap opera featuring a predominantly Black cast. The show would also be co-produced by soap opera pioneers Procter & Gamble, a company that exited the soap world with the plug-pulling of As the World Turns<\/em> 15 years earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Add to that all the talk that linear\/network television was a dying industry and, at least on paper, it made no sense that a new soap opera would be hitting the airwaves in 2025. In fact, in 2026 I\u2019d like to sit down with all of the decision makers and ask all the \u201ctough\u201d questions to find out how this all happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From the moment the first notes of \u201cBest of My Love\u201d by the Emotions played, it was clear that Beyond the Gates<\/em> wasn\u2019t going to be like any other soap that we\u2019ve seen in my lifetime. Gone were the days of \u201cWinters Wednesday.\u201d In its place was a show with a diverse cast and inclusive storytelling. Beyond the Gates <\/em>hasn’t reinvented the soap opera. There are still heroes and villains, lovers and enemies, and families and those looking to belong. What it has done, though, is given the genre a much needed refresh by offering new perspectives and characters that we haven’t seen before on daytime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond the Gates<\/em> has been the only one of the five soaps that has made me want to tune in every day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I have always been reluctant to create \u201cBest\/Worst Actor\/Actress\u201d categories when I do year-end columns. One, I hate to have to pick just one performer because it seems unfair to other performers that also were firing on all cylinders. Picking more than one seems like cheating or something akin to handing out participation trophies. Second, what is the measure for declaring someone \u201cthe best?\u201d Some web sites clearly reward actors with whom they have close relationships or use as their inside sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that I am writing here on my own personal web site, it gives me the ability to reevaluate how I\u2019ve done things in the past. Think of this as establishing some new house rules \u2013 and since it\u2019s my house, these are my rules!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Karla Mosley is by no means new to the world of daytime dramas. She spent about a year as Christina Moore on Guiding Light<\/em> before moving to a longer run as Maya Avant on The Bold and the Beautiful<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was on B&B that Mosley really started to shine. She was part of a storyline that featured one of most jaw-dropping reveals in daytime history: Maya wasn\u2019t her sister Nicole\u2019s mother, as many suspected. No, Maya was transgender. The groundbreaking story and incredible work from Mosley should have landed her a Daytime Emmy nomination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With Beyond the Gates,<\/em> Mosley has been given the starring role that she has always deserved. The role of Dani Dupree has allowed Mosley to tap into her full repertoire of skills. We\u2019ve seen unhinged Dani shooting up a wedding, angry Dani throwing innocent and defenseless coffee mugs across her kitchen, silly Dani getting drunk and married in Las Vegas, ballsy Dani plopping herself down across from Joey Armstrong and warning him not to hurt her friend, self-destructive Dani losing herself in a bottle of booze, and sexy Dani getting lovey-dovey with plaything-turned-hubby Andre. There are lots of other Dani varietals, but hopefully you get the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seeing Mosley front and center, a spot other soaps were unable or unwilling to give her, has been one of the biggest joys of watching Beyond the Gates<\/em>. I\u2019ve seen articles refer to Dani Dupree as the \u201cBlack Erica Kane.\u201d That\u2019s high praise, but also a disservice to Mosley and her fictional character. Dani is her own woman. Neither she nor her portrayer need to be measured by someone else\u2019s yardstick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It brings a smile to my face to know that when soap fans talk about the divas of daytime \u2013 like Viki Lord, Sami Brady, Brooke Logan, Phyllis Summers, or any of the others \u2013 they can now add Dani Dupree to the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It has to be difficult being new to the soap opera genre and being immediately thrown into a front burner story. Getting a handle on the voluminous pages of daily dialogue that soaps require is one thing. Having to do it in a very small window of time? That\u2019s another. Entire storylines have sputtered along because a novice hasn\u2019t been up to the challenge given to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That has not been the case with Ambyr Michelle, who has been absolutely brilliant as Eva Thomas. As Ambyr gained her footing in the fast-paced world of soaps, she took Eva beyond the words that were written on the page. Through glances, glares, and intonation, the newcomer put her stamp on a character that honestly seems like it was created just for her.<\/p>\n\n\n You don\u2019t have to like the character \u2013 and my social media feeds are brimming with people who do not \u2013 to admit that the Ambyr Michelle has brought an undeniable energy to the show. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve seen different incarnations of Eva over the past 10 months and, as was the case with Dani Dupree in the last category, I\u2019ve tried to collect them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was Chip-On-Her-Shoulder Eva who rolled into town convinced that the dad she\u2019d never met, Ted Richardson, wanted nothing to do with her. She worked with her mom to take down Ted (and by association wife Nicole). We\u2019ve also seen Steal Ya Man Eva, who slept with Tomas just microseconds after he and Kat ended their relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s Bitchy Eva who doesn\u2019t hesitate to go toe-to-toe with half-sister Kat Richardson, Auntie Eva who comes complete with a bag full of salon products to do niece Samantha\u2019s hair, and Cotillion Eva who dresses in pink to join her dad at the country club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For me, though, Ambyr Michelle came into her own after the events at the anniversary party, which I talk about later in this column. Eva had lived most of her life with anger and resentment fueled by a belief that her biological father, Ted Richardson, wanted nothing to do with her. In reality, that was just a(nother) lie Leslie had told her. Ted didn\u2019t even know Eva existed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Eva learned the truth, it was like eating a whole box of assorted chocolates and emotions. Anger. Self-Doubt. Heartbreak. That weird maple cream filling that no one wants. Ambyr Michelle delivered big. It\u2019s no wonder other publications, like TVLine, have named her one of the performers to watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Any time Colby Muhammad is on screen I can\u2019t help but smile. The actress has a natural effervescence that just draws me in. Kat is the character that I would want as my friend. She is fiercely loyal, has incredible business acumen, displays a great sense of humor, and she\u2019s also kinda bitchy \u2013 but in the best possible way.<\/p>\n\n\n One of the best rivalries in all of soaps is the (half-)sisterly feud between Kat and Eva. From the moment the two young women met, and Kat looked down her nose at Eva, I knew these two would provide me with a lot of entertaining moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, as I said, it isn\u2019t just the bitchy moments that Muhammad does well. When Chelsea was kidnapped, Muhammad\u2019s Kat was visibly and convincingly distraught. I truly believed that this woman was worried about the fate of her best friend in the world. I\u2019ve also believed the pain that Kat feels over suddenly having another sibling, though I know she would want me to clarify that Eva is only her half-<\/em>sister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is also introspect, though it might have come a little later than some had hoped. It took Kat\u2019s teenage niece to point out that Kat was no longer the happy person she\u2019d been. It prompted Kat to question if her \u201cmuchness\u201d might be too <\/em>much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kat somehow made bad sex funny. When Tomas failed to satisfy her but he still wanted to go another round, Kat asked, \u201cYou wanna do that again? Already?!\u201d I\u2019m sure this was funny on paper, but Muhammad spun it into gold. The delivery. The facial expressions. It was clear to viewers, if not to Tomas, that Kat wanted no mas of Tomas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was also another burn that sticks out in my mind. When Kat and Tomas were having an argument over their sexytimes being less than enjoyable, Tomas started to imply that it might be Kat who was the problem. That led to Kat zinging Tomas with, \u201cNews flash! Maybe you\u2019re the one who\u2019s not so great in bed!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Colby Muhammad is one of the best finds in daytime in a long time. My fear is that others will realize this and try to lure her away for daytime. While I always want bigger and better things for our daytime family, selfishly I need her to stick around Fairmont Crest for many more years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we first met Vanessa McBride, she was flittering about having special workout sessions with Diego at the country club. It became clear early on that Vanessa was the stereotypical blonde trophy wife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That perceived ditzy socialite persona got turned upside-down when hubby Doug dug himself a sizable hole with local loan shark and casino owner Joey Armstrong. The solution? Joey planned to use Vanessa\u2019s real estate business to launder money. Rather than quaking in her Louboutins, Vanessa did the unthinkable: she stood up to Joey. Vanessa made it clear that any \u201cpartnership\u201d with Joey would be on her<\/em> terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through her association with Joey, we learned why Vanessa had been stepping out on her marriage. It wasn\u2019t that she didn\u2019t love Doug. It was more so that the marriage had gotten familiar. She and Doug had drifted apart when their kids left for college. Vanessa decided to chase after the excitement and companionship with other (sometimes hired) lovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Doug unexpectedly died (with a lot of help from Joey), Lauren Buglioli delivered a heartbreaking performance of a woman who regretted that she was in bed with another man when her husband needed her most. The spiral continued and Vanessa has been drawn even deeper into Joey\u2019s web.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or has she? Buglioli has even managed to play Vanessa in such a way that viewers couldn\u2019t really tell if Vanessa\u2019s affection for Joey was legit or part of some FBI sting to take down one of the DMV\u2019s most wanted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The many layers of Vanessa McBride have been a very welcome surprise and so has her on-screen relationship with another one of the year\u2019s bests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jon Lindstrom has been part of the daytime community for more than 40 years. Since his 1985 debut on NBC\u2019s Santa Barbara,<\/em> fans have gotten to see his work on four other soaps, As the World Turns<\/em>, Generations<\/em>, and both General Hospital<\/em> and its spinoff Port Charles<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lindstrom\u2019s journey in soaps has seen him play a homicidal sociopath, a businessman with a penchant for arson and explosives, and a psychiatrist who just happened to love a vampire slayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Joey Armstrong, Lindstrom has given a masterclass in the complex and complicated world of soap opera bad guys. On the surface, Joey is a mobster-slash-casino operator who engages in all sorts of shady dealings. He blackmails, he orders murders, and he\u2026 gives cooking demonstrations on YouTube?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joey is not some mustache-twirling baddie. Yes, he can be incredibly menacing when he needs to be \u2013 and Joey often does that without even raising his voice. But there\u2019s this weirdly compassionate side that almost almost<\/em> makes Joey likeable. Instead of roping the police chief\u2019s son into his underworld fold, Joey ordered Izaiah Hawthorne to go to college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then there\u2019s Joey\u2019s very real affection for Vanessa McBride. Boy meets Girl and uses Girl to further his criminal empire. Boy develops feelings for Girl. Girl plans to leave husband for Boy. Boy gives girl control of his high-priced escort service. Boy and Girl declare their love for one another. It\u2019s practically <\/em>a Hallmark movie \u2013 I mean, if you leave out the escorts and the fact that Boy had Girl\u2019s husband killed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I think Joey’s antics would have grown stale under any other performer. Jon Lindstrom has been able to tap into the best aspects of all of previous daytime characters and deliver a one-of-a-kind, devilish baddie that daytime needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every soap opera needs a villain. One could argue that Beyond the Gates<\/em> has a couple, depending on how exactly you describe Joey Armstrong and Leslie Thomas. But there was another evil force lurking in Fairmont Crest, one whose sinister nature was initially masked by carnal desires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Played deliciously by Brianna Roberts, Alison Bailey was initially introduced as one half of a couple that Chelsea occasionally liked to join in their bedroom activities. When Chelsea caught feelings for Alison, Alison rejected Chelsea. Alison said that she loved her husband, Craig, and that he was the jealous type who wouldn\u2019t want her and Chelsea having any one-on-one time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Chelsea moved on and started dating Dr. Madison Montgomery, suddenly Alison was everywhere. It quickly became clear that Alison Bailey was n-u-t-s nuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There were immediate comparisons to a certain movie, but as the parent of a bunny, I do not mention its title. Social media conjured Whoopi Goldberg\u2019s Ghost<\/em> role and warned, \u201cMaddy\u2026 you in danger girl.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But it wasn\u2019t Madison who needed to watch out. Alison snuck into Fairmont Crest, chloroformed Chelsea, and toted her to a cabin somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Things got even creepier when Chelsea woke up chained to the bed. Alison had concocted this twisted fantasy that she and Chelsea were going to get married. Alison had gotten wedding gowns, baked a cake, and even planned to officiate the wedding herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was clear and present danger as Alison threatened to sexually assault Chelsea or even kill her. Thankfully that didn\u2019t happen and Chelsea was rescued. Alison, however, wasn\u2019t done. She arranged to call into Chelsea\u2019s livestream and inflict even more terror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Roberts was perfectly cast as Alison. With the tilt of her eye or the widening of her eyes, Roberts definitely let us know that Alison was clearly a whackado. Her time on Beyond the Gates<\/em> might have been short-lived, but it sure was memorable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I can\u2019t think of another Beyond the Gates<\/em> character that can pull the focus away from any other character on screen better than Shanice Johnson. I don\u2019t know that actress Ernestine Johnson sets out to do this, but somehow she always does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shanice is\u2026 oh, what\u2019s the term\u2026 what\u2019s the term\u2026 nosy as hell. If someone is having a conversation near the nurses\u2019 station, you can count on Shanice to be somewhere in the background listening in. To be fair, everyone knows<\/em> that Shanice does this and yet they still choose to have their private conversations near her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This fall when Carlton and Ted were having their heated conversation about Nicole, I could not take my eyes off of Shanice. Her facial expressions took me out. I had to rewind the scene and watch it again so that I could focus on the action that was supposed to capturing my attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It isn\u2019t just the comedic relief that Shanice brings to the table. Shanice\u2019s brief pseudodating of Derek resuscitated his lifeless character and, for the first time, made him interesting. Ditto for the mopey, locked away in a hotel room Ted Richardson. For the few scenes that Shanice and Ted were stuck in the elevator, Ted became wildly more interesting and I started to see what Nicole saw in him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also like that Shanice has a tough side. She takes no mess from anyone at the hospital. I suspect that if Leslie talked to Shanice the way she does outside <\/em>of the hospital, Leslie might find herself getting cussed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s always a dilemma with recurring characters that are popular. Do you give them more story and risk that their novelty wears off, or do you keep things as is and potentially annoy fans who want to see more of the character?<\/p>\n\n\n\n For me the decision is easy. I don’t think I could ever get tired of seeing Ernestine Johnson on my screen. So please give Shanice more story — STAT!<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we think of soaps, we tend to think of the stars who headline the show\u2026 the Eric Braedens, the Maurice Benards, and the Deidre Halls. With apologies to Eleanor Roosevelt, behind every great contracted cast is a team of great recurring actors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It doesn\u2019t quite roll off the tongue, but that should not diminish in anyway the incredible roster of \u201cB players\u201d on Beyond the Gates<\/em>. Two of show\u2019s non-contracted actors \u2013 Ernestine Johnson and Jon Lindstrom \u2013 have already been mentioned in this Best Of 2025 column.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A day doesn\u2019t go by without seeing a post on social media from a fan wanting to know more about one of the show\u2019s recurring characters. Recently, fans have been abuzz about Nicole\u2019s romantic prospects, Carlton and Kial (played by Robert Christopher Kelly and Greg Vaughan). Fans have been debating which man Nicole should date. Why should she limit herself to just one option? Baskin Robbins will let you sample as many flavors as you\u2019d like, though after the fourth taste they do start to give you some serious side-eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another character that has generated a lot of interest is June. June was a little annoying in the beginning, but I still found myself wanting to know her story. Now she provides comic relief, offers overdue motherly advice to her kids, and even served as a temporary foil for LSD (That\u2019s Leslie\/Sherry\/Dana in case you\u2019re a first-time reader.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n For me, I am always happy when Karan Kendrick (Mona Wilson) pops up on-screen. She’s not seen nearly as often as I would want, but when she does show up she always seems to be the voice of the viewer. She, unlike others, have not given Leslie a pass. Oh, and her side-eye game is legendary. Mona hasn’t really had a whole lot to do and we don’t know all that much about her, but I still find her oddly fascinating. I am sure there is untapped story to be told.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also really like Jerri Tubbs (Jan Morgan). There are moments when I’d rather hear about Jan’s life than daughter Ashley’s. I had really hoped that Ashley would turn out to be Joey Armstrong’s daughter, but that seems more like a pipe dream at this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve also seen a lot of This list just scratches the surface of the folks who live beyond the gates, but it definitely proves that you don’t need to live in Fairmont Crest to be interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first TV soap opera, These Are My Children<\/em>, premiered in January 1949. It took 51 years \u2013 nearly 52<\/em> \u2013 before General Hospital <\/em>made history by hiring the first Black head writer of any American soap opera. That writer? Michele Val Jean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Few soaps have wanted to address the issue of racism. So it makes sense that the first hourlong, Black-led soap opera in American television history, one done in partnership with the NAACP \u2014 and created, written, and executive produced by Val Jean \u2014 would be the show to take it on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Beginning all the way back in Beyond the Gates <\/em>first week, Anita and Vernon Dupree referenced something that happened to Martin “that night.” In the months that followed, Martin was plagued by nightmares, but we only got drips and drabs of information about when “that night” was and what exactly happened. It wasn’t until Martin recognized a server at the country club that all of the details of “that night” came flooding out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On a trip home from a fundraising event, Martin and Vernon’s car got a flat tire. After they pulled over to the side of the dark, deserted, country road, a truck pulled up behind them. Two white men got out of the truck, hurled racial epithets and tried to shake down Vernon for money. Things escalated when one of the men put their hands on Vernon. Martin snapped and used the tire iron to fend off the attack. One man was fatally wounded and the other was severely beaten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The use of black-and-white for the flashback scenes was a really great decision. I don\u2019t know if there was an implied metaphor or if it was simply done to differentiate between the current day and the past. I had asked at the time if anything about the initial script had to be changed based on notes from the network or production companies. I was told by a show source that no changes were made, and the story was told as it was originally conceived. A coordinated coverup took place and the incident was never spoken of again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps one of the best aspects of this storyline was that it involved so many of the male characters. Oddly, you don’t often get soap storylines that involve multiple male characters, unless it’s some sort of love triangle. This story roped in characters that didn’t even seem to travel in the same circles — in addition to Martin and Vernon, there was Joey Armstrong, Marcel Malone, Elon Hawthorne, Bill Hamilton, Ted Richardson, and, eventually, Randy Parker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the men, Kenneth (or KKKenneth, as I’ve called him in this column) showed up two years later to extort money from Martin. KKKenneth even started stalking Martin’s children. In the end, Kenneth became the victim of a “mugging” and was found dead in a local park. While that seemingly ended the nightmare, with so many people knowing what happened… there is always a looming possibility that the matter could again rear its ugly head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve watched soaps for any length of time, you know that anytime there is a party or gathering something dramatic will happen. It\u2019s this reason that I typically RSVP \u201cNo\u201d when people invite me to functions. But enough about me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As part of Leslie Thomas\u2019 plan to expose her affair with Ted Richardson, she had Eva plant the idea in Nicole Richardson\u2019 head that she and Ted needed to have a big anniversary party. When Nicole agreed, the stage was set for Leslie to drop her very public bombshell: Not only did Ted cheat on Nicole, but he\u2019d fathered a child \u2013 Eva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eva began to have second thoughts about blowing up Ted and Nicole\u2019s marriage, but it was too little, too late to stop Leslie\u2019s plan. As the anniversary party got under way, Leslie made her presence known. Nicole originally thought she was \u201cSherry,\u201d a woman whom she stopped from jumping off the roof of the hospital. That, though, was all part of Leslie\u2019s mindscrew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trisha Mann-Grant was stellar as Leslie stood in the center of the room and announced her news. I sat transfixed in front of the television. I didn\u2019t even want to blink because I was worried that I would miss something, some nuance of this unhinged woman venting her anger. It was riveting to watch it all play out \u2014 how Leslie had played cat-and-mouse with the various members of the Dupree family. We knew she did \u2014 we watched it happen. But when she recounted what she\u2019d done it just seemed so much more sinister. She even dragged Bill and he wasn\u2019t even at <\/em>the party.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n There was even a moment of levity as partygoers referred to the gatecrasher as Leslie, Sherry, Dana, or Ana. I laughed loudly when Nicole asked, \u201cHow many names does she have?\u201d I refuse to acknowledge \u201cOn-uh\u201d (Ana) as one of Leslie\u2019s personas, which is why I refer to Leslie as LSD \u2013 Leslie\/Sherry\/Dana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Things took another twist when Eva learned the truth about why Ted wasn\u2019t a part of her life growing up. Leslie had led Eva to believe that Ted wanted nothing to do with her. In reality, Ted didn\u2019t even know that Eva existed. Learning the truth caused Eva to question her relationship with her mom \u2013 and Leslie didn\u2019t take too kindly to it. She kicked Eva out of their shared apartment and iced her out of her life for weeks. That provided Eva with an opening to begin questioning all of her mom’s antics. Having friction between mother and daughter is far more interesting than Eva just being Leslie’s “yes (wo)man.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a twistier twist, we’d learn months later that Leslie was actually the daughter of Barbara Mitchell, one of the founding members of the Articulettes. With Barbara’s death, Leslie became the sole beneficiary of a hefty trustfund — one that Anita Dupree had set up to take care of Barbara’s family before <\/em>Anita knew that LSD was Barbara’s daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s hard to surprise a seasoned soap opera viewer. In the era of social media, it\u2019s even harder. No matter what twist the writers throw viewers\u2019 way, it\u2019s guaranteed that someone<\/em> will take to social media and proclaim, \u201cI knew that would happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was, however, a Beyond the Gates<\/em> twist that no one seemed to telegraph: Hayley is a professional con artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There were clues all along, but they were cryptic. When Hayley seemed to suffer a miscarriage at Uptown, she asked a random fellow diner for help getting to the hospital. The stranger? Randy Parker, Joey Armstrong\u2019s former strongman who had fled town after trying to steal money from Joey. More curious? Randy claimed that his name was \u201cSammy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I came close to unraveling the mystery back in August when I asked, \u201cAre [Hayley and Randy] sibling grifters who will try to kill Bill for his fortune or otherwise bilk him out of his money? Is Hayley the wife that Randy once spoke of? If so, where\u2019s the child that they supposedly have?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It took several months to get the full story: Randy and Hayley are cousins who have worked in tandem as they\u2019ve traveled across the country swindling rich, older men out of large sums of money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hayley seemed to be good at her, um, job. No, there were no performance reviews on LinkedIn. The mere fact that she managed to avoid being locked up speaks to her… skill?<\/p>\n\n\n\n In spite of sexytimes apparently being really<\/em> good with her latest mark, Hayley\u2019s scheme took an unexpected shift when a $10 million bounty was placed on Bill\u2019s head in the form of a life insurance policy. Hayley then crafted a plan to slowly poison Bill, take his money, and retire to an island home in St. Barts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Things got messier when Hayley decided to go off-script and up the dosage of poison that she\u2019d been giving Bill. This coincided with Lynette, one of Hayley\u2019s former partners in crime, showing up in the DMV. It also led to one of the most shocking admissions in BTG<\/em>\u2019s short history. Hayley looked Bill right in the face and told him that she was going to kill him and take all his money. What did Bill do? He laughed and gave his loving wife a big hug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In real life, people will often remember where they were when major events happened. Since we typically watch soaps from the same spot every day, it\u2019s harder to tie certain soap moments to a specific moment in time. When a soap moment does manage to break through, it\u2019s usually one that fans talk about for years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are some of the moments from the first year of Beyond the Gates <\/em>that fans are still buzzing about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After being caught about to have sex with a boy from school, Samantha was grounded. Her phone was taken from her and her extracurricular activities were canceled. When Martin learned that Samantha got the idea to sleep with her not-quite-boyfriend in order to keep him from a conversation she\u2019d overheard between Kat and Chelsea, Samantha was also no longer permitted to work at ChelseaKat. That didn\u2019t sit well with Samantha and led to one of the most memorable moments of the entire year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wish you would\u2019ve just left me where I was, and maybe I\u2019d be happy somewhere else,\u201d Samantha snarled before walking out of the townhouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After Eva tried to stop Leslie from dropping her bombshell at Ted and Nicole\u2019s anniversary party, Leslie responded by packing up all of Eva\u2019s things and telling her she had to move out. It was always Leslie and Eva against the world \u2013 and now Leslie was kicking her own daughter to the curb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eva, her makeup smeared from having had to sleep in her car, found herself in the VIP area of Joey\u2019s casino. She reached out to Mona and when Mona showed up, Eva poured her heart out to Mona. She explained how Leslie had kicked her out and how she had nowhere to go. Mona gently reached out and placed her hand on Eva\u2019s arm. The general expectation was that the kind, churchgoing woman would offer words of comfort or advice. That wasn’t the case. \u201cGood,\u201d Mona said icily. The delivery by Karan Kendrick (Mona Wilson) was superb. There were no crazy outbursts. No raised voices. It was absolute perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the sillier side, when Jackie Tyree strolled into the wedding chapel in Las Vegas, I was convinced that it had to be some sort of dream. It wasn\u2019t, but having an Anita impersonator marry Dani and Andre was absolutely ridiculous in the best kind of way. The show easily could have found a drag performer or someone with a vague resemblance to Tamara Tunie, but having Tamara Tunie parody herself was an unexpected stroke of genius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A lot of what goes into making a great moment falls onto the production and directing teams. That was very much the case with another of the more powerful moments of the year. For quite a while we were told that there was more to the Articulettes story than we were being told. We knew that the group had broken up because In a series of brilliantly crafted scenes that aired in the June 3, 2025, episode, Anita pulled a letter that had been tucked into a drawer in an armoire. We first heard the voice of a young woman reading the words on the page. We would learn that her name was Barbara Mitchell, the woman who started the Articulettes. When Dante Green swooped in to manage the group, he deemed that Barbara didn\u2019t have the right image \u2013 and couldn\u2019t be groomed or trained to be what he wanted her to be. Barbara was cast aside \u2013 fired \u2014 and the Articulettes became a trio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a short time, Anita began to speak the words of the letter aloud, her voice sounding in tandem with Barbara\u2019s. Barbara\u2019s voice eventually faded away. Anita folded up the letter, but she continued recite the words contained in the letter. It became painfully clear that Anita had read the letter many times and committed the words to memory. It was chilling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo if you\u2019re reading this, sister, I\u2019ve left this world for what I hope is a better place. And that\u2026 that is on you,\u201d Anita said stoically before the emotions she tried to wall off started washing through. She buried her head in her hands and cried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Barbara would get a chance to \u201crejoin\u201d the Articulettes in another of Beyond the Gates\u2019 <\/em>memorable moments. Anita, Sharon, and Tracy rehearsed and rehearsed (and managed to set aside repeated conflict) for a special one-night only concert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The concert was fun filled and featured three original songs. Sadly, none of the songs is available to stream or download. That hasn\u2019t stopped me from occasionally breaking into, \u201cI\u2019ve been watchin\u2019 you, watchin\u2019 me from across the rooooooom<\/em>. And you\u2019ve been staring a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The show hasn\u2019t really talked about how they filmed the concert, but it must<\/em> have been a good time because the actors \u201cwatching\u201d the concert seemed to be having the time of their lives \u2013 no acting required. It was a joyful celebration, one that I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve ever seen on daytime before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the concert, Anita honored Barbara by telling her story. We even got to see real-life photos from the actors\u2019 past to really make the trip down memory lane complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond the Gates <\/em>is at its best when Dani Dupree is being Dani Dupree. Things in her world weren’t so great back in February 2025 when we first met her. Her husband had left her and he decided to move back into Fairmont Crest with his new Hayley assumed that she and Dani could find a way to maybe, sorta, kinda be friends. In the words of Julia Roberts, “Big mistake. Big. Huge!” Dani didn’t want to be close to Hayley in any way. Actually, that’s not entirely sure. Her left hand really<\/em> wanted to be close to Hayley’s right cheek. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of the very first episode of Beyond the Gates<\/em>, Dani’s hand got it wished. With the eyes of the community watching, Dani slapped the hell out of Hayley in the dining room of the country club. It probably wasn’t the welcome wagon gift that Hayley had expected, but it definitely was memorable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fast forward a few days, the presence of the entire Dupree family was requested at Bill Hamilton and Hayley Lawson’s wedding. Even Dani, who had planned to go to Paris to avoid the spectacle, was there. Why would you want people who hate you at your wedding? It all had to do with Bill’s part in keeping quiet about what happened “that night” with Martin. I get the blackmailing and using secrets for leverage, but I still don’t think I’d want ill-will-wishers sitting in the spectator area of my wedding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the ceremony stretched on, Dani had heard and seen enough. She suddenly reached into her purse and produced a small handgun. Dani waved it around for a few moments before firing it to prove that she meant business. Thankfully, no one was hurt, though a poor floral arrangement was a casualty of Dani’s rage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now normally I would not condone such behavior, but this being a soap opera… it sort of comes with the territory. Dani has since mellowed and settled into a happy marriage with Andre, but I suspect that her slap-’em-and-shoot-’em-up side still lingers just beneath the surface. Only time will tell if she comes back out to play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It might seem like a simple thing, but it\u2019s been refreshing to have Beyond the Gates <\/em>exist in the real world. Instead of using made-up social media sites like \u201cFacespace,\u201d BTG <\/em>dares to acknowledge the existence of Instagram and TikTok. Characters routinely mention real world designers like Versace and Louboutin. The show has even referenced real-world restaurants like Washington, D.C.\u2019s Obeslisk and New Orleans\u2019 Dooky Chase. By not hiding in a fully fictional world, BTG<\/em> makes itself more engaging.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n That doesn\u2019t mean that the show doesn\u2019t also acknowledge the multiverse where other fictional things exist. Beyond the Gates<\/em> has referenced The Bold and the Beautiful<\/em>\u2019s Forrester Creations on numerous occasions, had The Young and the Restless<\/em>\u2019 Devon Winters show up at the country club to talk music contracts with Anita Dupree, and there was even a mention of Fenmore department stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dialogue on Beyond the Gates<\/em> is some of the sharpest on television. It’s funny, insightful, and often very memorable. Each week I like to pick out some of the lines that stuck out to me. For this column, though, these are the lines that ranked as the best of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Welcome to Fairmont Crest!” <\/strong>— said by Karen Huger (Grande dame of The Real Housewives of Potomac<\/em>) in an unannounced cameo after Dani slaps Hayley at the end of the very first episode of Beyond the<\/em> Gates<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI suddenly became the bitch-slap first, think later type\u201d <\/strong>\u2014 Anita, regretting her slap-happy encounter with Leslie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow many names does she have?\u201d <\/strong>— Nicole upon learning that the woman she knew as “Sherry” also went by the names Leslie, Dana, and Ana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnhand me, demon!\u201d <\/strong>— Leslie, as Bill picked her up and forcibly removed her from the Dupree house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo matter how far from the tree the apple falls, it\u2019s still an apple.\u201d<\/strong> \u2014 Jacob, explaining to Izaiah that Eva would always be her mother’s child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019d hate to add an Ass Tax of, say, a hundred grand.\u201d<\/strong> — Joey Armstrong when a defiant Doug argued about the gambling debt he owed Joey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re bursting with happiness. You\u2019re seconds away from from planning my coming out party and wrapping yourself in a couture pride flag with rainbows dancing all in your head.\u201d<\/strong> — Chelsea after coming out to mom Dani.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo downtrodden women appeal to your Captain-Save-A-Ho instincts?\u201d <\/strong>\u2014 Kat, reading Tom\u00e1s for the way he stood up for Eva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cChemistry gets you into the bedroom, but communication gets you to an orgasm.\u201d<\/strong> \u2014 Chelsea dishing out advice about Kat and Tomas\u2019 bedroom fizzle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Why don\u2019t we think of it as\u2026 oh, what\u2019s the stupid term you people use? Right. Reparations.\u201d<\/strong> — Kenneth as he blackmailed Martin Dupree. Obviously not one of the show’s funny lines, but his menacing taunting set the stage for one of the show’s top storylines of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Skankaroni!”<\/strong> — Nicole’s “naughty” word of choice as she threw coffee mugs at Dani’s house in an attempt to feel better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow does \u2018Bare Minimum Boulevard\u2019 sound?\u201d<\/strong> — Nicole suggesting that Fairmont Crest name a street after Ted, in response to him wanting credit for getting Leslie to give up on buying the Jarvis house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I don’t do menages. I do management.”<\/strong> — Vanessa, when Diego mistook her sending him to another woman’s home as an invitation for a little threesome action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA man like Andre could destroy Ashley\u2019s uncomplicated mind. It\u2019s like climbing Everest and thinking it\u2019s just a pretty hill. There is Andre miles above and the poor kid would die of altitude sickness before she even dug her feet in good.\u201d<\/strong> — Dani explaining why Ashley and Andre would never work as a couple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t think I summoned you so I could witness your piss-poor attempt at a pimp walk?\u201d<\/strong> — Vernon, upon seeing that Bill Hamilton was walking with a cane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was like a rollercoaster on top of a skyscraper. I was the ride of his life\u2026 and not just in bed.<\/strong>\u201d \u2014 Dani, telling Hayley that Bill would soon tire of her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIs Hayley your niece?\u201d<\/strong> \u2014 Izaiah to Bill upon seeing the much younger woman by his side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was always open to adopting another child. You didn\u2019t have to marry one.\u201d<\/strong> \u2014 Dani zinging Bill\u2019s marriage to Hayley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGo home to your child bride. I\u2019m sure she\u2019s waiting for someone to slice bananas into her Frosted Flakes<\/strong>.\u201d \u2014 <\/strong>Dani to Bill (about Hayley, of course)<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the line of the year for 2025 is…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have broken penises dancing in my head.<\/strong>\u201d \u2014 Martin when Smitty tried to initiate sexytimes after Martin had heard the story of Kat injuring Tomas’ manhood during sex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each week, I create a graphic for this column that, in some way, was inspired by the show. I don’t know if anyone looks at them that closely, but here are a few of my favorite and some that readers told me that I needed to feature in my year-end column.<\/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<\/strong><\/a>, Facebook<\/strong><\/a>, and TwitterX<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBest In Class: Beyond the Gates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You Are Such A Character: Best Actors and Characters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
BEST ALLOW ME TO REINTRODUCE MYSELF: Karla Mosley (Dani Dupree)<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3069002_0434b-1619x1080.jpg\")
Photo: Francis Specker\/CBS <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nBEST NEWCOMER: Ambyr Michelle (Eva Thomas)<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3054025_0055b-721x1080.jpg\"){kind=spacer}
BEST ADDITION TO ANY SCENE: Colby Muhammad (Kat Richardson)<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3071896_0297b-834x1080.jpg\")
Photo: Quantrell Colbert\/CBS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nBIGGEST CHARACTER SURPRISE: <\/strong>Vanessa McBride<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/BTG.074_SG_0003b-1920x1080.jpg\")
Beyond The Gates | Photo: CBS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nBEST USE OF A SOAP VETERAN: <\/strong>Jon Lindstrom (Joey Armstrong)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
BEST VILLAIN: <\/strong>Brianna Roberts (Alison Bailey)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3085197_0322b-1617x1080.jpg\")
Beyond the Gates | Photo: Quantrell Colbert\/CBS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nBEST SCENE STEALER: <\/strong>Ernestine Johnson (Shanice Johnson)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
BEST BENCH:<\/strong> The Recurring Players of Beyond the Gates<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
thirsty<\/s> viewers say that they want to see more of Diego Sanchez (Carlos Enrique Palacio<\/a>), Vanessa\u2019s former plaything, and Randy Parker (Maurice P. Kerry<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\nYou Are Making A Scene: Best Storylines <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
BEST: What Happened “That Night”<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBEST BOMBSHELL WE KNEW WAS COMING: The Anniversary Party<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3064114_0883b-1617x1080.jpg\")
Beyond the Gates | Photo: Quantrell Colbert\/CBS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nBEST TWIST<\/strong>: Hayley Isn’t Just a Homewrecker, She’s a Life Wrecker<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
A Moment Like This: Most Memorable Moments<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS: Little Miss Mouth<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS: A Not-So-Helping Hand<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-6-1024x580.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nMOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS: Married By the Mom<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3087994_0351b-1617x1080.jpg\")
Beyond the Gates | Photo: Quantrell Colbert\/CBS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nMOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS: The Letter<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-2-1024x576.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDiana<\/s> Beyonc\u00e9<\/s> Anita had chosen to go solo.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS: The Concert<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3083484_2559b-1617x1080.jpg\")
Beyond the Gates | Photo: Quantrell Colbert\/CBS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nMOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS: The Shot and Slap Heard ‘Round the Club<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3045191_1538b-1617x1080.jpg\")
Beyond the Gates | Photo: Quantrell Colbert\/CBS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nchild<\/s> bride.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOther Bests<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Beyond, Behind, and Beside: Best BTG Lines of the Year<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
WARNING: Graphic Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Skankaroni](\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/250613-btg-1024x538.jpg\")
![\"Doomsoaping:](\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/250419-btg-1024x538.png\")
![\"At](\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/250815-btg-b-1024x576.jpg\")
![\"Blue](\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/251219-btg.png\")
![\"Run,](\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/250315-btg-02@2x-1024x538.png\")
Life outside the gates<\/h5>\n\n\n\n