{"id":4929,"date":"2026-04-10T18:35:41","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T22:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/?p=4929"},"modified":"2026-04-11T02:08:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T06:08:28","slug":"my-view-from-beyond-the-gates-like-ketchup-on-crab-legs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/my-view-from-beyond-the-gates-like-ketchup-on-crab-legs\/","title":{"rendered":"My View From Beyond the Gates: Like Ketchup on Crab Legs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-background\" id=\"h-like-ketchup-on-crab-legs-a-beyond-the-gates-commentary-by-soap-central-founder-dan-j-kroll-for-the-week-ending-april-10-2026\">Like Ketchup on Crab Legs: A Beyond the Gates commentary by Soap Central founder Dan J Kroll for the week ending April 10, 2026.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-luminous-vivid-amber-background-color has-background\"><strong>Don&#8217;t have time to read the entire column? You can now stream an audio\/podcast version of this commentary &#8212; and it&#8217;s totally free. To download or stream it, <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/08EWk3sdKHsufdsyeCtMuu?si=0OWk7IXSR_Sa130JJ4Ysrg\">check out my Spotify page<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we inch closer to May, <em>Beyond the Gates<\/em> seems to be setting the stage for a lot of its ongoing plots to explode. In the bygone heyday of soap operas, fans might have to wait a year or more for a storyline to reach its peak. It was all about building the drama and having fans anticipate the payoff. Nowadays, though, the TikTok attention span has viewers wanting resolution immediately &#8212; if not sooner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After months of talk, the cotillion is just weeks away. Jacob and Smitty are getting ever-so-closer to getting the goods on the &#8220;red market&#8221; blood theft ring. Hayley is on the verge of being revealed as a scammer. And there&#8217;s yet another person in the DMV that would love to tell Leslie where she can stick her trust fund.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To help set the stage for the impending dramatic escalation, we got a little backstory on characters &#8212; how they met their partners, what inspires and motivates them, and where they hide their passwords. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-ba5eccbb8a85c4c411d75d3fe0381484\" id=\"h-do-you-know-what-today-is\" style=\"background-color:#dc2254\"><strong>Do You Know What Today Is?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The week opened with a standalone episode that marked Jacob and Naomi\u2019s undisclosed-year anniversary. I saw some complainers on social media call this a throwaway or skippable episode. I wholeheartedly disagree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of all the couples that we met or learned about in the first few episodes of <em>Beyond the Gates, <\/em>I think we knew the least about Jacob and Naomi. At least until this week. Prior to the standalone episode, we knew that Jacob and Naomi enjoyed a healthy sex life and both had (at least at one point) agreed that they did not want to have any children. When Naomi left her rings in the restroom at Orphey Gene\u2019s, we also learned that Naomi\u2019s wedding ring had partially been crafted using Jacob\u2019s grandmother\u2019s melted-down necklace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other than that? It was all pretty much a mystery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to some newly created flashbacks, we got to learn the origin story of \u201cJacobi.\u201d That\u2019s apparently the smoosh name that folks have given the couple on social media. Since <em>Beyond the Gates<\/em> didn\u2019t exist yet when Naomi and Jacob met\u2026 Whoa. That\u2019s very \u201csound of one hand clapping\u201d meta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyway, before I get metaphysical and start asking people to \u201c<em>Kahl mee nowww<\/em>\u201d for psychic advice let me get back on track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BTG_263_SG_0008b-1920x1080.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4955\" srcset=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BTG_263_SG_0008b-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BTG_263_SG_0008b-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BTG_263_SG_0008b-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BTG_263_SG_0008b-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BTG_263_SG_0008b-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Arielle Prepetit as Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne and Jibre Hordes as Jacob Hawthorne. <br>Beyond the Gates | Photo: CBS \u00a92026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-picture-it-dmv-2000something\">Picture It&#8230; DMV&#8230; 2000something<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>The show cleverly used Naomi visiting with bestie Ashley and momma Dani and Izaiah dropping by Jacob\u2019s undercover hotel room to get both sides of the story told. It would appear that it was love at first sight for both Naomi and Jacob, but that doesn\u2019t mean their getting together was simple. There was a mention of some other guy and a Manassas Monster truck rally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Darlene Hawthorne seems to be a very tough nut to crack. She doesn\u2019t like Eva (more on that later) and she also didn\u2019t seem to like Naomi all that much either. I wonder if it\u2019s just a case of an overprotective mother thinking that no one is good enough for her baby. Either way, she pressed Naomi on every aspect of her life. In her later meeting with Eva, (again, more on that in a bit), Darlene held the Dupree family up as the wonderful family that everyone aspires to be. When she first met Naomi, however, Darlene seemed to think the Duprees were full of themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Did I miss exactly what went down to get Darlene and Naomi on the same page? Whatever it was, the two women are now lunching at Orphey Gene\u2019s together and bonding over their mutual concern for Jacob and his undercover mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My favorite moment in the flashback was the proposal. Jacob had an entire Dupree-worthy proposal in place, but Naomi didn\u2019t want to leave the house. In a moment of improvisation and possible annoyance, Jacob tossed rose petals on the bed with Naomi still in it. Lumpy, but still effective. He then dropped to one knee and professed his love to his bonnet-wearing wife-to-bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-anniversary-massacre\">The Anniversary Massacre<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>As the happiness and lovey-doveyness wound its way through the episode, I admit that I could not fully enjoy it. I was anxious the entire time, convinced that something bad was about to happen. Even as the episode ticked into its final seconds, I just <em>knew<\/em> that we were going to hear the sound of a gunshot or see someone shank Jacob.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wait\u2026 do you hear that? Is it? It is! It\u2019s the hypocrite alarm!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was really glad that nothing bad happened in the anniversary episode. Let\u2019s face it, the last time <em>Beyond the Gates<\/em> had someone celebrating an anniversary everything went to hell in a handbasket. I do think that there was a small part of me that was annoyed that the episode ended without anyone getting hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-a778194e76a5f08329301f267f160d5f\" id=\"h-another-week-another-double-date-debacle\" style=\"background-color:#dc2254\"><strong>Another Week, Another Double Date Debacle<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I like when a soap opera gives us a little something more than what we expected. That was the case with Eva\u2019s \u201cMeet the Parent\u201d luncheon with Izaiah and Darlene. Since we\u2019d seen the \u201cflashback\u201d episode the day before and learned how Darlene handled meeting Naomi, I had a pretty good feeling that this wasn\u2019t going to go smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the most part, Eva was respectful. She told Darlene that she wanted their meeting to be at the country club so that they could have a nice meal. Darlene came in\u2026 what\u2019s the next level above coming in hot? Rather than comment on the meal, Darlene commented that it \u201cmust have been nice\u201d to be able to pay for the meal with the money Anita Dupree put into the blind trust. Yikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eva looked absolutely terrified \u2013 and Darlene wasn\u2019t done. After blasting Eva and LSD (that\u2019s Leslie\/Sherry\/Dana) as a modern-day George and Weezie, Darlene brought up the debacle that transpired at Ted and Nicole\u2019s anniversary party. Eva tried to explain herself, but she didn\u2019t get much of a chance because at that exact moment Leslie showed up unexpectedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eva tried to politely get rid of her mother, but Leslie morphed into Jennifer Holliday and made it clear that she was not going anywhere. As LSD griped about anything and everything, Eva tried to turn the heat down by putting a positive spin on things. There was a brief moment when it <em>seemed<\/em> that Eva might have scored some points, but that was all shot to hell when LSD referred to Ted as her \u201cTeddy bear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-photos-01.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4956\" srcset=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-photos-01.png 1920w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-photos-01-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-photos-01-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-photos-01-1536x864.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Eva&#8217;s meet the parent luncheon with Darlene&#8230; didn&#8217;t go as expected. | PHOTO: Screenshot\/CBS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-location-location-location\">Location, Location, Location<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>I was waiting, <em>waiting<\/em> for Darlene and Leslie to go at it. Darlene doesn\u2019t seem to be one to hold her tongue, so I thought for sure that things were about to go off the rails. Based on what we saw of how Izaiah and Elon got into it at Jacob and Naomi\u2019s wedding, I am guessing that Darlene didn\u2019t want to make a scene at the country club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was another mini-interaction between LSD and Darlene a few days later at Orphey Gene\u2019s. Again, Darlene mostly took the high road. Whatever road she takes, though, I hope she keeps an eye in her rearview mirror for a psycho on a motorcycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Darlene was totally wrong for her insinuation that it was noble of Ted to allow Eva to call him \u201cdad.\u201d Like Leslie pointed out, Eva <em>is<\/em> Ted\u2019s daughter so there is no reason why she shouldn\u2019t be permitted to call him dad, daddy, pops, father, or whatever other title she might want to give him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I know Darlene and LSD will cross paths again. So I will just continue to wait for the pressure cooker to explode. It&#8217;s coming&#8230; I can feel it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-ff4ddf0f17aebe909c4d955b140883dd\" id=\"h-she-said-she-said\" style=\"background-color:#dc2254\"><strong>She Said, She Said<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In year two \u2013 sorry, Season Two \u2013 of <em>Beyond the Gates<\/em>, you can tell that the producers and editors are settling into their positions. While there was a bunch of pressure last year to get the show off the ground, in 2026 the creative teams are now perfecting their craft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What specifically am I talking about? Nicole and Vanessa telling Kat and Dani, respectively, about how the big double date went.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The back-and-forth editing of the Wednesday, April 8, episode was spectacular. This wasn\u2019t just a case of having segments of scenes showing the two women talk about the date. The edits were done so that the scene split when Nicole and Vanessa were using the same word &#8212; often the scene flipped mid-word. It also provided a nice juxtaposition of how each woman assessed the double date from hell. Truth be told, they both seemed to be on the same page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t think the scenes would have worked nearly as well if they had been shown separately or in a less \u201cspliced\u201d way. This was a perfect example of how a director or producer can make a creative choice that greatly enhances the viewing experience. I think it was very well done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-and-then-it-all-fell-apart\">And Then It All Fell Apart<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>What wasn\u2019t so great was the confrontation between Nicole and Vanessa at the end of the week. Vanessa was way out of line for saying the things that she said. She accused her best friend of going \u201cDupree\u201d on Joey and judging him for not being as educated or coming from a pedigreed background. Where did <em>that<\/em> come from?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I like Vanessa so I want to give her some grace, but that hasn\u2019t been easy. I still think Vanessa\u2019s actions are all being driven by grief. She couldn\u2019t save Doug, so she\u2019s now trying to overcompensate. She was with Joey when Doug died, so now Vanessa feels she needs to do everything she can to legitimize her relationship with Joey. If the relationship isn\u2019t as great as she says, then Vanessa was out of the country having meaningless sex when her husband died. I don\u2019t think Vanessa wants that to be the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-yes-or-no\">Yes or No<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, Deanna is back in town. Instead of going to patch things up with her mom, she headed to casino for a little chat with Joey. Remember in<a href=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/my-view-from-beyond-the-gates-just-enough-recklessness-to-keep-life-interesting\/\"> last week\u2019s commentary <\/a>when I said that Deanna didn\u2019t have a \u201cchill\u201d setting? Well, I was wrong. Deanna was decidedly low-key when she dropped by the casino. She agreed to give Joey a chance to prove himself \u2013 even though I think that was mostly Deanna trying to set him up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the end of the episode, Deanna did get closer to that 100% setting by asking Joey if he and Vanessa were having sex before Doug died. She told him she didn&#8217;t want a story or explanation. She wanted only a one-word response: yes or no. Will Joey know this is a trap and lie like Vanessa did\u2026 or will he tell the truth and score points with Deanna while torpedoing any chance of Deanna and Vanessa reconciling?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-c0ecb6f6a37f6c0209dcf2a2538ee018\" id=\"h-wise-ing-up\" style=\"background-color:#dc2254\"><strong>Wise-ing Up<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, well, well\u2026 A week after reminding all of you how you\u2019d labeled Bill a big, clueless dummy he\u2019s proved you wrong. He isn\u2019t completely clueless after all. Just <em>mostly<\/em> clueless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last week when they showed the preview of Tomas turning in his resignation, I was wondering how Bill would respond. I\u2019m not surprised that Bill didn\u2019t want to lose his newest junior partner. As Bill said, he invested a great deal of time mentoring and teaching Tomas how to be a better lawyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What was a surprise was Bill blurting out that he was beginning to believe that Tomas was right about Lynette being up to no good. And you could have knocked me over with a feather when Bill stated that he thought the mugging might have been staged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bill was <em>sooooooo<\/em> close. He was teetering on the edge of making all the <s>naysayers <\/s>dummysayers have to eat their words. But alas, Bill believes that his loving wife is the victim. <em>Technically<\/em>, I suppose he\u2019s right since Lynette <em>is<\/em> sort of blackmailing Hayley. Bill just hasn\u2019t put the pieces together to realize that Hayley is also conning him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-con-con-dance\">The Con-Con Dance<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>It has been kind of fun watching the wheels fall off of Hayley\u2019s scheme. She thought she\u2019d be done with Lynette once she got the embezzlement charges tossed. Nope. Lynette now wants an even bigger pay day \u2013 one that seems to be in the seven digits. I should have known that Lynette gave in way too easily when she agreed to take Hayley and Bill\u2019s money and exit the DMV. But as soon as Vanessa started talking about penthouses with someone who wasn\u2019t immediately being shown on-screen\u2026 I knew it was Lynette.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-9fe32ad51582299ef595c3725d672bbe\" id=\"h-mama-said-knock-yourself-out-with-garlic-and-ginger\" style=\"background-color:#dc2254\"><strong>Mama Said Knock Yourself Out with Garlic and Ginger<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Um\u2026 that lawsuit filed against Madison sure did come out of nowhere.&nbsp; The interesting thing is that it didn\u2019t <em>really. <\/em>The stage was set for this months ago \u2013 back around Thanksgiving \u2013 when Madison and Chelsea got into their first real fight over Madison\u2019s mom, Willow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Madison mentioned how her mother would invoke her name when giving out her \u201cwoo woo\u201d medical advice. It seemed innocuous at the time. I guess that proves the old saying that everything happens on a soap opera for a reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I can\u2019t imagine that Madison and her mother are going to see their relationship get fixed any time soon. Madison\u2019s reaction was&#8230; interesting. She was understandably worried about her career, but her mind first went to postponing her wedding so that Chelsea\u2019s assets wouldn\u2019t be part of any settlement or judgment. That would not have been my first thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think I might be more angry about the situation than Madison. It\u2019s infuriating that someone can post something on the Internet, say that so-and-so said this, and the person being wrongly quoted is on the hook rather than the person who made the false post in the first place. Secondly, it is maddening that anyone would read a random blog post and take it as sound professional advice. My third cousin\u2019s ex-wife\u2019s aunt said that\u2026 <strong>No. Just no.<\/strong> Are we so lost that we just believe everything someone says without doing any kind of critical thinking? That\u2019s rhetorical so you don\u2019t have to answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-i-object-withdrawn\">I Object! Withdrawn.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>When Bill and Naomi debated the best way to handle the lawsuit, I found myself getting a little sad. I realize that this was probably as close as we will ever get to seeing father and daughter square off in a courtroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then an unexpected miracle happened: Bill asked if he could be Naomi\u2019s co-counsel. I still don\u2019t think we\u2019ll ever see a courtroom set, but a boy can dream, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-43a121ff5499066dd9b746424a5765e1\" id=\"h-june-bloom\" style=\"background-color:#dc2254\"><strong><strong>June Bloom<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re a longtime reader of this <em>My View From Beyond the Gates<\/em> column, you\u2019ll know that June was not one of my favorite characters when she first showed up on the canvas. Since that time, though, she\u2019s grown on me and I now look forward to every June sighting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jasmine Burke continues to impress me. She\u2019s such a versatile actress. She does silliness and seriousness equally well. I often rewatch her scenes when she\u2019s in the background because I like to watch her facial expressions as she listens in on other people\u2019s conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Friday, April 10, episode was some of Burke\u2019s finest work. I liked watching June go from adamantly opposed to going to the cotillion, to calmly explaining why she didn\u2019t want to go, to eventually agreeing to go because it meant so much to Samantha. There was an entire story arc in just one episode. It was hands down something that Burke needs to have on hand when Daytime Emmy season rolls around next year. [<strong>NOTE<\/strong>: <em>All material that airs in 2026 will not be eligible for Emmy consideration until 2027.<\/em>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I will admit that I got a little in my feels when June started crying and she and Samantha hugged. But then I thought to myself, \u201cI hope nobody is sitting at Orphey Gene\u2019s waiting to place a food order.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-c97f0bef3e7fe52c841f8e0e96096078\" id=\"h-beside-behind-and-beyond-the-gates-the-speed-round\" style=\"background-color:#dc2254\">Beside, Behind, and Beyond The Gates: The Speed Round<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Here are some of the thoughts and observations about other things happening on Beyond the Gates<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-chelseakat-fight\"><strong><strong>ChelseaKat Fight<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>I was wildly entertained by Chelsea and Kat squabbling over their perceived belief that they didn\u2019t land the Fenmore account. They rapid-fire blamed each other for all the things that they thought tanked the deal. To Chelsea, Kat\u2019s yawn-inducing financial report was the reason. Kat, on the other hand, thought Chelsea\u2019s PowerPoint presentation wasn\u2019t on point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fast forward a few scenes and Naomi (with Anita in tow) broke the news that the two young entrepreneurs had, in fact, landed the deal. After some celebratory dancing and screaming, there was a messaging shift. Chelsea praised the spectacular financial report that Kat had delivered. Kat downplayed her role and applauded Chelsea\u2019s stellar PowerPoint presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Later, most of ChelseaKat\u2019s family gathered at Uptown to celebrate the big business deal. The celebration also provided a few messy moments, some sass, and\u2026 maybe a tease or two. Moments after Kat gave Bill a piece of her mind, Hayley got an(other) eyeful of Dani and Bill being unusually friendly. Across the room, another pair of former spouses, Nicole and Ted, looked happier than ever as they took in their daughter\u2019s big moment. It didn\u2019t take long for social media to predict that a Richardson reunion was on the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All of this was a really nice example of the range viewers can expect in any given episode of <em>Beyond the Gates. <strong>And<\/strong><\/em> this wasn\u2019t even the only storyline shown on the show that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-do-as-i-say-not-as-i-do\"><strong>Do As I Say, Not As I Do<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember when Martin and Smitty\u2019s seemingly solid marriage nearly fell apart because of all the lies Martin told and the secrets that he kept? Less than a year later, the roles have been reversed. This time around it\u2019s Smitty who is doing the lying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I understand that Smitty has been out of work for a bunch of years while he stayed home to take care of the kids, but that doesn\u2019t give him permission to throw himself in harm\u2019s way because he wants to break what could be an award-winning story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It will be interesting to see how Smitty defends his actions when it inevitably comes time for him to talk about what he\u2019s been up to for the past three-ish months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-you-might-need-a-few-more-cotillion-etiquette-classes\"><strong>You Might Need a Few More Cotillion Etiquette Classes<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Samantha\u2019s got a mouth on her. We heard it before when she wished that she\u2019d never been adopted by Martin and Smitty. Now, June is on the receiving end of all that lip. I understand that Samantha wants her mom to be at the cotillion, but it was shocking to hear how she tried to get her point across.&nbsp; \u201cFor once, can you stop thinking about yourself and just be there for your kids?\u201d she snapped. <em>Damn.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Was Samantha\u2019s mouthiness a result of Donnell admitting that he once had a big crush on Chelsea? It\u2019s been clear that Samantha has a crush on Donnell since she first learned that the Banneker Man would be her escort to cotillion<em>.<\/em> Is this unrequited crush enough to get Samantha to spiral or is there something more going on?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those were my thoughts when I first started making notes for this week\u2019s column. When Friday\u2019s episode aired, we got a little more insight into why Samantha went off thanks to Grandma Nicole\u2019s \u201chead shrinking.\u201d It seems that June rejecting the invitation to the cotillion brought back a whole wave of feelings of abandonment for Samantha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That surprised me a bit, since it seemed like Samantha had been able to close that chapter in her life by reuniting with June. I guess you never know when a past trauma will rear its head and turn your world upside down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-grandpa-s-pipe-game\"><strong>Grandpa\u2019s Pipe Game<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking on how I was raised, I cannot imagine any world where I asked my grandfather to sit down so I could get advice about my sex life. But that\u2019s exactly what Martin did with Vernon. It got even more cringey when Martin assured his gramps that he was gettin\u2019 it in, but wondered how to free up even more time in his schedule so that he could get to sexing even more frequently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I love that Martin is able to discuss his relationship openly. However, I have to think that there were <em>other<\/em> people that Martin could have had that discussion with. Actually, now that I think about it\u2026 does Martin have any friends? I feel like we\u2019ve only ever seen him with family or work colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This could be a record, but\u2026 I hear that noise again. It\u2019s a record-setting second hypocrite alarm!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For as much as I was uncomfortable hearing Martin ask Vernon for romantic advice, I laughed loudly when Anita told Dani about the \u201ctoe-curling\u201d sex that she and Vernon used to have after being apart from each other due to their work schedules. She even stepped it up a notch by asking Dani how she thought she and her sister had come to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before anyone comes at me with the pitchforks, I think the hangup for me here is the generation gap. Maybe the kids nowadays (or at least those younger than me) don\u2019t see age limits on who you can talk to and what you can say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-btg-behind-the-graphic\">BTG: Behind the Graphic<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are wondering what on earth the header image for this week&#8217;s column means, you&#8217;re in luck. I know the guy who put it together. And yes, &#8220;the guy&#8221; is me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Fenmore bag is a nod to ChelseaKat landing a deal to get their products in the department store. The crab leg (with ketchup!) refers to June&#8217;s comment that she&#8217;d be out of place at the cotillion like ketchup on crab legs. The garlic and ginger are the &#8220;miracle cures&#8221; that Madison&#8217;s mom touted on her blog. And the flower is a pansy&#8230; or is it a petunia? Either way, June can&#8217;t tell the difference between them. (In case you <em>really<\/em> want to know: it&#8217;s a pansy.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-quick-takes\">Quick Takes<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>It was a nice touch having Martin, Smitty, and the kids talk about how Ted used to hide the passwords to his various accounts because he could never remember them. Later in the week, Smitty was able to find the password to Nicole\u2019s work computer because she, too, hid the password in case she ever forgot it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking of Ted, his shellfish allergy was mentioned again. As I said earlier in the column, nothing on a soap gets mentioned without reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was hilarious to see Samantha get herself worked up at the idea of having a hot bodyguard. When she put that wish into the universe, she should have told it that she wanted a hot <em>male<\/em> bodyguard. She took it about as well as Leslie did when the city inspector turned out to be a woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Does Grayson&#8217;s mom exist? It would make sense that his mother&#8217;s medical expenses made him turn to the dark side. But could that be a lie? Maybe he&#8217;s just a bad person doing bad things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Was anyone else surprised that Joey dropped the &#8220;sneaky link&#8221; term when taking to Randy about his dalliance with Lynette? I was equally amused when Randy approved of Joey&#8217;s knowledge of current slang by saying that Joey was invited to the cookout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-347407cf33dc3d60fb61f8f41bb117c9\" id=\"h-beyond-the-gates-lines-of-the-week\" style=\"background-color:#359d92\">Beyond the Gates: Lines of the Week<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>Beyond the Gates<\/em> 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&#8217;t already mentioned in this column).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cYou&#8217;ve got it made behind the gates.\u201d<\/strong> <br><em>Obviously Lynette does not know what the name of the show is.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cThat&#8217;s how I Dupree.\u201d<\/strong> <br><em>Naomi explaining that she chose to use her family&#8217;s privilege and legacy to defend those <\/em>less fortunate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cI have the rhythm and the moves where it counts.\u201d<\/strong> <br><em>Martin defends his lack of dancefloor skills by saying he makes up for it in the bedroom<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cI don&#8217;t know a pansy from a petunia.\u201d<\/strong> <br><em>June, when Samantha asked if she should wear a corsage.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cNegate the Negative Nellies.\u201d <br>\u201cAre you really quoting RuPaul?\u201d<br><\/strong> <em>Dani and Vanessa<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cSomewhere between Bathsheba and King Midas.\u201d<\/strong> <br><em>Darlene Hawthorne&#8217;s description of Leslie Thomas.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cI&#8217;m gonna check my ID, but I&#8217;m pretty sure I wasn&#8217;t born yesterday.\u201d<\/strong> <br><em>June&#8217;s response when Samantha and Tyrell tried to team up to ask her to attend the cotillion.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cI&#8217;ve never seen Hayley as one with too much of the milk of human kindness.\u201d<\/strong> <br><em>Joey to Randy as he tried to figure out why Hayley was doling out so much money to Lynette.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cThere&#8217;s a special place in hell for scammers.\u201d<\/strong> <br><em>I have no idea how Hayley could say this with a straight face &#8212; but she did!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cThis is better than sudoku.\u201d<\/strong> <br><em>Joey&#8217;s deciding that unraveling the Hayley\/Lynette connection would be fun without Randy&#8217;s help.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-vivid-purple-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-08f5256cee385658ccce4a357a98fdaf\" id=\"h-gatecrashers-reader-and-viewer-feedback\">Gatecrashers: Reader and Viewer Feedback<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I love interacting with other Beyond the Gates fans. So I thought I\u2019d create a section to share some of the comments I\u2019ve received on my columns and social media posts. If you\u2019d 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&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:5doexz5iyqssy6tbpegkjuzj\"><strong>Bluesky<\/strong><\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/danjkroll\"><strong>Instagram<\/strong><\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.net\/@danjkroll\"><strong>Threads<\/strong><\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/danjkroll\"><strong>Facebook<\/strong><\/a>, and\/or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/danjkroll\"><strong>TwitterX<\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s another viewer who believes it was worth the wait to meet Darlene Hawthorne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1051\" height=\"322\" src=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-01.png\" alt=\"Like Ketchup on Crab Legs: Viewer Feedback\" class=\"wp-image-4947\" srcset=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-01.png 1051w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-01-300x92.png 300w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-01-768x235.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1051px) 100vw, 1051px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Thankfully, I am not the only one that cringed when Martin talked sex with Vernon. But this viewer&#8217;s Nana sounds like a LOT of fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1051\" height=\"322\" src=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-02.png\" alt=\"Like Ketchup on Crab Legs: Viewer Feedback\" class=\"wp-image-4946\" srcset=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-02.png 1051w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-02-300x92.png 300w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-02-768x235.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1051px) 100vw, 1051px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I wasn&#8217;t the only one doomsoaping during the Jacob and Naomi anniversary episode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1051\" height=\"322\" src=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-03.png\" alt=\"Like Ketchup on Crab Legs: Viewer Feedback\" class=\"wp-image-4945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-03.png 1051w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-03-300x92.png 300w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-03-768x235.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1051px) 100vw, 1051px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Conspiracy theories abound!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1051\" height=\"322\" src=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-04.png\" alt=\"Like Ketchup on Crab Legs: Viewer Feedback\" class=\"wp-image-4944\" srcset=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-04.png 1051w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-04-300x92.png 300w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-04-768x235.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1051px) 100vw, 1051px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Dani making fun of Hayley&#8217;s age will never go out of style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1051\" height=\"322\" src=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-05.png\" alt=\"Like Ketchup on Crab Legs: Viewer Feedback\" class=\"wp-image-4943\" srcset=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-05.png 1051w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-05-300x92.png 300w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-05-768x235.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1051px) 100vw, 1051px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Pia tracked me down on Bluesky to let me know that she didn&#8217;t agree with my assessment that Lynette was too much for Kat to handle. She has some great points &#8212; and I want to reiterate that you don&#8217;t have to agree with everything I say for me to enjoy interacting with you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1051\" height=\"322\" src=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-06.png\" alt=\"Like Ketchup on Crab Legs: Viewer Feedback\" class=\"wp-image-4942\" srcset=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-06.png 1051w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-06-300x92.png 300w, https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260410-btg-comments-06-768x235.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1051px) 100vw, 1051px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-6a32952d7c6541a8f205843396dc20e8\" id=\"block-7b155270-3639-4d18-8f36-5f25ea122ce3\" style=\"background-color:#006699\">Follow my Random Acts of Dan<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-569505e0-c240-4fde-a234-90c0fdb95dc5\">That&#8217;s all I have for this week&#8217;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 <em>Beyond the Gates<\/em> in the Comments section below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-42edb15a-e9ae-4dd3-90b3-506e3756e95e\">If you&#8217;ve enjoyed my column this week and want to see what I have written about <em>Beyond the Gates<\/em> in previous weeks, you can check those out in the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/tag\/beyond-the-gates\/\">My View From Beyond the Gates<\/a><\/strong> archive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-5e616ee1-3271-4dcc-b26b-17d55c22f542\">Have a penchant for gardening, interior design, or fixing up old houses? Check out my <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/tag\/kroll-manor\/\">Manor Makeover series<\/a><\/strong> where I write about all of the things I&#8217;ve been up to here at Kroll Manor in Allentown, PA, over the past decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-a0cc6b3e-7e83-44b3-91b7-251741b03d5d\">To keep up with all of the shenanigans I engage in on social media, please consider giving my a follow on <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:5doexz5iyqssy6tbpegkjuzj\"><strong>Bluesky<\/strong><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/danjkroll\"><strong>Instagram<\/strong><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.net\/@danjkroll\"><strong>Threads<\/strong><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/danjkroll\"><strong>Facebook<\/strong><\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/danjkroll\"><strong>TwitterX<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-458c8942883ab00afbe920044c81d255\" id=\"block-3e2d2bbd-679c-4ba6-9545-b3b514c5a7b7\" style=\"background-color:#469156\">Life outside the gates<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-593b5be3-9969-4482-8730-80c958457c62\">Two of my former Two Scoops columnists from Soap Central, Liz Masters and Tamilu, have joined me here on my personal web site &#8212; and they are <strong><em>still<\/em><\/strong> writing about <em>General Hospital<\/em>. Liz is on deck with week with a new column called, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/general-hospital-commentary-all-tied-up\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/general-hospital-commentary-bang-bang-sidwells-silver-bullet\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=3714&amp;action=edit\">Dial K For Killow<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-f0ef96ff-8371-4ae4-90b2-b2b6ea06be4a\"><strong>To read more thoughts, opinions, rants, and raves about daytime television, be sure to check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/category\/editorial\">Editorial section<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-x-large-font-size wp-elements-84b21e654bd550fb2b7eab18d0c232da\" id=\"block-10a4b5f6-c493-49f1-9b8e-cbf3a0b47373\" style=\"color:#006699\"><strong>dan<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like Ketchup on Crab Legs: A Beyond the Gates commentary by Soap Central founder Dan J Kroll for the week ending April 10, 2026. Don&#8217;t have time to read the&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4941,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,16,5],"tags":[118,13,14,69,3],"class_list":["post-4929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial","category-entertainment","category-soaps","tag-118","tag-beyond-the-gates","tag-commentary","tag-soap-opera","tag-soaps"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Like Ketchup on Crab Legs (My View From Beyond the Gates)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Some of the residents of Fairmont Crest and the surrounding area are an acquired taste. 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