{"id":6678,"date":"2026-10-23T15:27:55","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T19:27:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/?p=6678"},"modified":"2026-10-23T15:59:03","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T19:59:03","slug":"my-view-from-beyond-the-gates-welcome-to-your-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/my-view-from-beyond-the-gates-welcome-to-your-life\/","title":{"rendered":"My View From Beyond the Gates: Welcome to Your Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h5 id=\"h-welcome-to-your-life-a-beyond-the-gates-commentary-by-soap-central-founder-dan-j-kroll-for-the-week-ending-october-23-2026\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-background\"><em>Welcome to Your Life<\/em>: A Beyond the Gates commentary by Soap Central founder Dan J Kroll for the week ending October 23, 2026.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This was a week filled with tears and fears in Fairmont Crest. While Dani Dupree, her friends, and her family were taking a walk down memory lane, others in and around the DMV were wishing that they could forget certain things. Bill was once again faced with the realization that he single-handedly destroyed what could have been his happy ending. Naomi learned that her husband wants to shout every time the Duprees step in to upend one of his investigations. Jacob wasn&#8217;t alone in feeling that way. We also learned that Smitty&#8217;s dad isn&#8217;t exactly head over heels at the idea of being around Martin&#8217;s family. And Nicole might once again to try sowing the seeds of love with Ted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Have things reached a tipping point in this mad world otherwise known as <em>Beyond the Gates?<\/em> Like I do every week, I guess it&#8217;s time for me to break it down again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-luminous-vivid-amber-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Don\u2019t have time to read the entire <strong>Beyond the Gates<\/strong><\/strong> <strong>column? You can now stream an audio\/podcast version of this commentary \u2014 complete with off-script silliness, bloopers, interviews, and more. And it\u2019s totally free to download or stream. <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/2k5ZCYtYWgzYK4BYmTbpFw?si=Rtb4zl8zSBuHFcdDGHwBhQ\">SPOTIFY<\/a><\/strong> | <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/my-view-from-beyond-the-gates-by-dan-j-kroll\/id1894877704\">APPLE MUSIC<\/a><\/strong> | <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/music.amazon.com\/podcasts\/cd5dd480-df62-4109-9b84-4be80c57bc4b\/my-view-from-beyond-the-gates-by-dan-j-kroll\">AMAZON MUSIC<\/a><\/strong> | <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iheart.com\/podcast\/269-my-view-from-beyond-the-ga-330922612\/\">iHEART RADIO<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-everybody-wants-to-rule-the-world\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-1\" style=\"background-color:#dc2254\">Everybody Wants to Rule the World<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I might be in the minority, but I like a good standalone episode \u2013 if it makes sense. Here\u2019s why I think the Dani Dupree, <em>Welcome to Your Life<\/em> episode falls under the \u201cgood\u201d category. First and foremost, it was ridiculous. There were moments of absolutely, soapy, sudsy, absurdity. Second, the episode helped to establish some backstory and fill in some of the blanks that we\u2019ve had. Third, it also helped to advance storyline. And finally, it graced us with a couple of memorable guest appearances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now let\u2019s dig into each of those a little deeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 id=\"h-it-s-my-own-design\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">It&#8217;s My Own Design<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Soap operas are more formally known as daytime dramas. I could get into whole sidebar about why the term \u201cdaytime dramas\u201d came about, but I don\u2019t want the column to be unnecessarily long. There\u2019s a good chance that side story will make it into the podcast this week, so be sure to give it a listen. When you have the word \u201cdrama\u201d in your genre name, you have to expect that there will be a lot of dramatic stories \u2013 and <em>Beyond the Gates<\/em> has those.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What the general, non-soap-viewing public often fails to realize is that the cast members of soap operas are actually talented. It\u2019s not all hysterical crying and those weird glances into the camera at the end of a scene. Yes, we have those and we love them, but it\u2019s not <em>all<\/em> that. ABC was the first network I think to fully realize that. <em>General Hospital<\/em> had its annual Nurses Ball that allowed its cast members to sing, dance, play instruments, and all sorts of other things as part of the show\u2019s fictional HIV\/AIDS fundraising event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The network parlayed that into an annual charity event on Broadway that allowed their soapy stars to sing and show a side that fans didn\u2019t often get to see. Eventually, the various ABC soaps \u2013 <em>All My Children, One Life to Live, and GH<\/em> \u2013 found other ways to let their cast members flex their other types of performance skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 id=\"h-all-for-freedom-and-for-pleasure\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">All for freedom and for pleasure<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In having this talk show standalone episode, we got to see Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree) be <em>funny.<\/em> Over-the-top funny is probably a better description. I don\u2019t know about you, but when everyone kept talking about a secret guest coming to town, I had absolutely no idea who it would be. [<strong><em>NOTE<\/em><\/strong>: <em>Thankfully, I didn\u2019t watch the credit scroll earlier in the week or the surprise would have been ruined.<\/em>] By the time the first mention was made, we\u2019d already seen the show\u2019s other special guests. I\u2019ll have more on that in a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Jackie Tyree waltzed into the country club singing an Articulettes song, I nearly lost my mind. I laughed myself silly. It never occurred to me that Jackie would be the special guest. I assumed her Las Vegas appearance was a one and done. Things got even zanier from there, like when Jackie pulled a flyer out of who knows where to promote her one woman show in Las Vegas. Things were capped off with a hilarious Anita Williams Dupree observation: \u201cJackie\u2019s a doll, but I still don\u2019t see the resemblance.\u201d Ma\u2019am.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I suppose I shouldn&#8217;t judge the comment <em>too<\/em> hard because I did stumble across several Facebook posts in various <em>Beyond the Gates<\/em> groups that asked if the same actress played both Anita and Jackie. In case there is any doubt remaining: Yes, Tamara Tunie played both roles. The magic of television allowed her to be on-screen at the same time in both roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My only gripe about Jackie? Somewhere between Las Vegas and the DMV she picked up that same weird accent that Pamela has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 id=\"h-acting-on-your-best-behavior\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Acting On Your Best Behavior<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now on to the second point \u2013 and if I am being honest with you, I had to scroll back to see what my second point was because it was so long ago that I forgot. To make sure that doesn\u2019t happen again, I\u2019m going to lump points two, three, and four together and hope that I don\u2019t go on another safari into the soap opera wilderness. My second reason for liking the standalone episode was that it filled in some holes that we had about Dani\u2019s past. The third was that it helped advance story. And fourth was that fun use of special guest stars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We learned a little more about how Dani and Pamela became BFFs. When Dani started modeling, she had a manager who didn\u2019t really do all that much. Pamela was able to swoop in and poach Dani away. For reasons that I cannot possibly understand, someone decided it was a good idea to have that still-bitter former agent, Kalista Kilroy, be a part of Dani\u2019s walk down memory lane. Kalista was played deliciously by Kandi Burruss of Grammy-winning, chart-topping music fame and, of course, the <em>Real Housewives of Atlanta<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I will admit that I knew less about Kandi\u2019s acting experience than I did of her singing and <em>RHOA<\/em> stint. I was pleasantly surprised. Now, to be fair, Kalista seems like she\u2019d fit in fine on the <em>Real Housewives of Fairmont Crest<\/em>. She had it all &#8212; the peek-a-boob dress and the bombshell reveal for the reunion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 id=\"h-married-with-a-lack-of-vision\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Married With a Lack of Vision<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The latter \u2013 that Bill bedded Kalista \u2013 is the part that advanced story. Ever since the tornado-aided elevator sex, nearly every <em>Beyond the Gates<\/em> viewer has been convinced that Dani and Bill will get back together sooner rather than later. Well, my friends, it seems like it will be later. Much later. Any closeness that had developed in the wake of Dani thwarting Hayley\u2019s plan to poison Bill went down the drain once Dani learned that there was another notch on Bill\u2019s bedpost that Dani didn\u2019t know about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s what I don\u2019t quite get. What difference does that make? Dani already knew that Bill had been unfaithful. She\u2019s no longer married to him. So why does it matter that Bill slept with Kalista? Dani getting upset about this is a lot like Nicole calling her entire marriage a lie because she found out that Ted had stepped out on his marriage twenty years earlier. It\u2019s done. It\u2019s in the past. At least in Ted\u2019s case, he went back to being faithful after his dalliance with Leslie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But I digress. Dani\u2019s reaction was almost as if she were still married to Bill and had just found out that Bill cheated on her. I suppose that some of Dani\u2019s devastation had to do with the affair being announced <em>Real Housewives<\/em> style on national television.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thankfully, Tia Allen (played by Emmy-winning lifestyle guru and author Tabitha Brown) promised that the Kalista segment would be scrapped and never see the light of day. Brown was a great choice as an Oprah-adjacent talk show host. Obviously, the entire episode was scripted, but, at times, Brown\u2019s delivery really made me feel like Tia was coming up with her questions on the fly. Maybe that\u2019s something that I pick up on because I can pull from my decades of interviewing and knowing how I sound or what I do when I ad lib or otherwise go off-script.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I wouldn\u2019t mind having both Kandi and Tabitha come back again in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 id=\"h-holding-hands-while-the-walls-come-tumbling-down\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Holding Hands While the Walls Come Tumbling Down<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since the first heyday of Dani\u2019s modeling career happened long before <em>Beyond the Gates<\/em> was a glimmer in Michele Val Jean\u2019s eye, we never got to see what sort of shenanigans Dani and Pamela got into. Now, thanks to a little reminiscing before the interview, we learned that Pamela once convinced Dani to shave off her eyebrows for a modeling gig. Pamela also once sprayed furniture polish on Dani when she\u2019d run out of bronzer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There were a few other observations that I made during the standalone episode that I also want to discuss. I thought having Andre stand by the wall of monitors while Dani and Bill appeared together during the segment and later having Bill stand by the same monitors when Dani and Andre were being interviewed was a really smart move. I watched intently to see how each man reacted. Andre was visibly uncomfortable and seemed to border on furious. It was obvious that he didn\u2019t like Dani and Bill\u2019s past being featured on the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When it was Bill\u2019s turn to watch, his demeanor was totally different. He was clearly saddened to see how happy Dani was with Andre. The remorse he felt for blowing up his marriage was written all over his face. And that was only amplified by the end of the episode when Bill realized that his new \u201cfriendship\u201d with Dani was similarly torpedoed by the revelation of yet another of his extramarital affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bill\u2019s story has become one of a hot shot lawyer with a supermodel wife to one of a high-powered lawyer who got conned (and nearly killed) by a trophy wife and now has no prospects of love and no real friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the bright side, it looks like he might have a new son or daughter on the way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-turn-your-back-on-mother-nature\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-2\" style=\"background-color:#dc2254\">Turn Your Back on Mother Nature<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The drought is over! After more than 20 months, we\u2019ve finally gotten to meet at least one of Smitty\u2019s family members. In <a href=\"https:\/\/danjkroll.com\/blog\/my-view-from-beyond-the-gates-so-much-for-our-drama-free-day\/\">last week\u2019s colum<\/a>n, I\u2019d given the Smiths until this week to either show up in person or be shown on a telephone call with their son. Ask <em>Beyond the Gates<\/em> and you shall receive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For some time, I\u2019ve wondered if Jenny and Smitty\u2019s still-unnamed father were missing in action because they had a problem with Smitty\u2019s marriage. That\u2019s not <em>quite<\/em> the case, but we did learn that Smitty\u2019s dad has \u201cnever felt comfortable\u201d around the Duprees because of their wealth and high-profile status. I\u2019m not trying to look for trouble where it might not exist, but that sure sounds like a coded message to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At least Jenny from <s>the block<\/s> Ohio was able to make the trip to DMV and be with her son in his time of need. Before I knew her name, I referred to Smitty&#8217;s mom as &#8220;Smommy.&#8221; It&#8217;s not as catchy as some of the other nicknames I&#8217;ve come up with, but it gets the point across.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 id=\"h-there-s-a-room-where-the-light-won-t-find-you\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">There&#8217;s a Room Where the Light Won&#8217;t Find You<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Smitty was getting some love, Martin was out kissing hands and shaking babies. Or at least that\u2019s how he was received by Miss Edmonia. She\u2026 had a lot to say about the Congressman that she\u2019d reluctantly voted for two years earlier. There were things about Martin\u2019s life that gave her and others reason to \u201cpause.\u201d After revealing that the only reason she and her fellow church members had voted for Martin was because he is Vernon\u2019s grandson, Edmonia clarified that Martin\u2019s choice of partner was the thing that had given everyone that \u201cpause.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe can look at your partner and tell that he doesn\u2019t sing the same kind of songs that we do,\u201d Edmonia continued. Martin tried to assure his constituent that he shared the same values of her, but that wasn\u2019t going to fly with Miss Edmonia. \u201cMy values don\u2019t include marrying a murderer,\u201d she fired back, asking how Martin could be expected to make things better for his constituents if he couldn\u2019t even keep his own house in order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While a lot of people might take issue with the things that Edmonia had to say, I think she was portrayed brilliantly by actress Sharon Ishman. Edmonia didn\u2019t come across as some over-the-top \u201cBible thumper.\u201d The dialogue wasn\u2019t written in a way to be overly sensational or as a sanitized <em>Afterschool Special<\/em>. It came across as <em>very<\/em> real because it sounded like a conversation I\u2019ve witnessed in real life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 id=\"h-when-they-do-i-ll-be-right-behind-you\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">When They Do I&#8217;ll Be Right Behind You<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was what I considered to be a really, really funny counterpoint to Miss Edmonia in the form of J.B., another constituent. J.B. told Miss Edmonia that Martin Richardson was the same person they\u2019d both voted for. Unlike Edmonia, J.B. planned to vote for Martin again \u201ceven if his husband did kill that lady.\u201d I don\u2019t know if it was <em>supposed<\/em> to be funny, but it made me laugh. It sounded like any number of conversations I\u2019ve heard in the barber shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was also another amusing line, one uttered by Edmonia as she sashayed into the distance. She stated that the venerable, luminary Vernon Dupree would never, never, <em>ever<\/em> get mixed up in something dirty. Ma\u2019am, if you only knew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 id=\"h-nothing-ever-lasts-forever\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Nothing Ever Lasts Forever<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Edmonia and J.B.\u2019s take on the Smitty situation weren\u2019t really all that surprising. They were two characters that we\u2019ve never seen before and probably will never see again. What <em>did<\/em> come as a shock was Jacob\u2019s explanation about why he felt so passionately about the case against Smitty. In short, he was tired of working hard to build up a case against suspects only to have Naomi\u2019s family swoop in and get all the charges dismissed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was no sign that Jacob was relieved that members of his extended family were cleared of charges. No, there was nothing but resentment\u2026 and Jacob has felt that way for quite a long time. He argued that he was the one who \u201cconstantly has to compromise\u201d in his marriage. He then trotted out a bone of contention from the past: Naomi\u2019s decision not to have a baby. This time, though, he chose to reframe history. He left out that he and Naomi had both previously agreed that they did not want children. This time? \u201cI accepted the fact that we\u2019re never gonna have kids because that\u2019s what you want,\u201d Jacob snapped. Then it was time for another golden oldie: Naomi didn\u2019t tell him about her BRCA gene mutation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jacob claimed to be okay with both of those things, but he accused Naomi of not being able to similarly roll with the punches. Smitty\u2019s arrest was, according to Jacob, the first time that the Duprees were not able to make a problem go away. He even went as far as to compare Smitty\u2019s (alleged) actions to Hayley\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moments later, Jacob proclaimed that he just needed to let off a little steam and was feeling much better. I\u2019m not sure that Naomi felt the same way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-there-s-no-turning-back\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-3\" style=\"background-color:#dc2254\">There&#8217;s No Turning Back<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We are getting closer and closer to Ted and Shanice\u2019s wedding day, and I am more convinced than ever that the two will never get to the \u201cyou may now kiss the bride\u201d portion of the ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think it\u2019s weird that Ted thought it would be fun to move into Fairmont Crest with his bride-to-be. He never seemed to consider that Shanice might not want that. No, he seemed more interested in getting out of his hotel room and back into the poshness of the gated community that he\u2019s gotten to know over the past few decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Ted learned of Shanice\u2019s reservation, he assured her that he\u2019d get Nicole\u2019s blessing. Not surprisingly, Nicole told Ted that he was free to live wherever he wanted. I now realize that there is such a thing as trying too hard to be the better person. Of course Nicole doesn\u2019t want Ted starting his new life in her backyard! But why not say that? Nicole is putting her own mental health in harm\u2019s way because she\u2019s\u2026 too polite to say no? Doesn\u2019t want to look like she\u2019s hurt and upset?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 id=\"h-help-me-to-decide\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Help Me To Decide<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Everyone knows that Nicole still has feelings for Ted. Anita, Dani, Kat, and Vanessa have all clocked it. I think Nicole knows it, too, but she just doesn\u2019t want to admit it. Is she thinking that she might not have tried hard enough to save her marriage before it totally collapsed? Is she worried that Ted will tell her it\u2019s too late if she does admit to still loving him? Could she feel bad that admitting her feelings for Ted might hurt Kial? It could be any, all, or none of those things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Something I\u2019ve learned over the past decade or so is that life is too short. Things are gone in the blink of an eye. Nicole nearly lost her mother to cancer, her sister to a gun-wielding con woman, and her son to a racist thug. If she is really still in love with Ted she needs to tell him. I\u2019d hate for her to have to live the rest of her life with what-ifs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 id=\"h-so-sad-they-had-to-fade-it\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">So Sad They Had to Fade It<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Nicole doesn\u2019t bust up the wedding, there\u2019s always crazy ol\u2019 LSD. That\u2019s Leslie\/Sherry\/Dana, if you\u2019re a new reader. Kat made an interesting observation about Leslie\u2019s obsession with Ted. She matter-of-factly stated that Leslie might never have wanted Ted at all \u2013 she just didn\u2019t want Nicole to have him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or perhaps Leslie is making everyone <em>think<\/em> that she\u2019s okay with Ted moving on. That will give her enough time to go to her lair and craft a wedding day surprise. She can\u2019t brandish a Smith and Wesson because that\u2019s already been done. She can\u2019t trot out another long-lost child. I guess she could try to run Shanice off the road on the way to the wedding venue, but I can\u2019t see Leslie\u2019s attempted murders going into reruns this soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The wedding could also face a threat from the ongoing war that we keep hearing people say is over. No, not <em>that<\/em> war. The one between Kat and Eva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a true, classic soap moment, Shanice lured both Kat and Eva to Orphey Gene\u2019s under false pretenses. Somehow, Shanice got Eva and Kat to agree to a ceasefire. Both young women agreed that they wanted their dad to be happy and that they didn\u2019t want their ongoing beef to take away from his magical day. Will this ceasefire lead to further talks where Eva and Kat both realize that Ted and Nicole are still in love? I am practically drooling from all the soapy rom com possibilities that are racing through my mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-beside-behind-and-beyond-the-gates-the-speed-round\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-4\" style=\"background-color:#dc2254\">Beside, Behind, and Beyond The Gates: The Speed Round<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Here are some of the thoughts and observations about other things happening on Beyond the Gates<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 id=\"h-momma-mia-culpa\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Momma Mia Culpa<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re a long-time reader of my column or listener to the podcast, you\u2019ll remember that several times I floated the idea that Grayson was lying about his mother\u2019s situation. To be fair, most of that doubt came as I was trying to figure out the identity of the Impaler. My rationale then was that Grayson was hiding in plain sight as a small fish in the red market operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well, that can be put to rest now because Ashley has met Grayson\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 id=\"h-this-has-slasher-movie-written-all-over-it\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">This Has Slasher Movie Written All Over It<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m someone who, despite living in the sprawling Kroll Manor, enjoys camping. I haven\u2019t done it in ages, but I have toyed with the idea of putting up a small tent and sleeping somewhere in the backyard. What\u2019s prevented me from doing that? Knowing that my neighbors enjoy mowing their lawns way too early in the morning. That and I don\u2019t think the foxes and raccoons that call my backyard their vacation home would appreciate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What I cannot figure out is why Eva believes that camping in the Virginia wilderness in late October would be better than wintertime camping. Yes, camping in December would be f-f-f-frigid. But who would want to go camping for Halloween? Has Eva never seen a scary movie? Nothing good can come to two people, alone in a rented cabin in the middle of nowhere on Halloween.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 id=\"h-quick-takes\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quick Takes<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I really wish I had kept a log of all the insults hurled at Hayley over the past 22 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was a cute wink to Kandi&#8217;s musical career by having her refer to Pamela as a &#8220;scrub.&#8221; Kandi is one of the song writers of TLC&#8217;s number one smash &#8220;No Scrubs.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanks to everyone on social media who explained to me what Grayson meant when he remarked that Shanice was getting four stepkids. I knew three &#8212; Martin, Kat, and Eva &#8212; but was stumped on the fourth. Apparently, Andre is an honorary stepson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> I really, really did not like the outfit that Dani wore to her interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The way Bill was moping around on the Friday, October 23, episode, I feel like an <em>It&#8217;s A Wonderful Life: The Bill Hamilton Edition<\/em> might be on its way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 id=\"h-btg-behind-the-graphic\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">BTG: Behind the Graphic<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you find yourself wondering what the artwork for this week&#8217;s column and podcast are all about, don&#8217;t knock yourself out. I have answers. The Tree Hugger t-shirt represents that gift that Eva gave Izaiah. The boxing glove is one of a pair of gloves that Caroline gave to Bill for his birthday. The bottle of furniture polish is a take on what Pamela used as bronzer. And the &#8220;Welcome To Your Life&#8221; sign is the title of the column and the logo of Tia&#8217;s talk show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bonus points in you realized that all of titles and section headers this week reference Tears For Fear&#8217;s 1985 chart-topping hit, &#8220;Everybody Wants To Rule The World.&#8221; The title of the column &#8212; and Tia&#8217;s show title &#8212; is also a lyric from the song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"h-beyond-the-gates-lines-of-the-week\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-5\" style=\"background-color:#359d92\">Beyond the Gates: Lines of the Week<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cNo one expects realism from a rom com.\u201d<\/strong> <br><em>Naomi, defending her movie choice to hubby Jacob.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cI have a PhD in Nicole Dupree.\u201d<\/strong> <br><em>Dani, workshopping the title of her Dr. Seuss inspired memoir.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cI refuse to be the Hayley Hamilton of our happily ever after.\u201d<\/strong> <br><em>Shanice, expressing doubt about moving in a home in Fairmont Crest with Ted.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cWhen one branch shakes, we all feel the breeze.\u201d<\/strong> <br><em>Nicole explaining that the Dupree family tree sticks together.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cI don&#8217;t think I could let my ex flaunt his new woman in front of me everyday. <\/strong>I<strong>t might make me murderous.\u201d<\/strong> <br><em>Heather Armstrong<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cI didn\u2019t know that Leslie knew where that high road was.\u201d<\/strong> <br><em>Ashley, after learning that Leslie didn\u2019t make her usual spectacle upon learning that Ted and Shanice were engaged.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cHere\u2019s to hoping that Leslie and her cop ride off into the sunset, sirens blaring. Best case scenario? Eva\u2019s in the backseat.\u201d<\/strong> <br><em>Kat daydreaming about Leslie and Marcel spending their life&#8230; somewhere else.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cThe second you allow anyone to treat you as second-rate, you&#8217;ll start to believe it, too.<strong>\u201d<\/strong> <br><\/strong><em>Pamela, explaining why she so fiercely fought for Dani.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"h-gatecrashers-reader-and-viewer-feedback\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-vivid-purple-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-6\">Gatecrashers: Reader and Viewer Feedback<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 id=\"block-7b155270-3639-4d18-8f36-5f25ea122ce3\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-7\" style=\"background-color:#006699\">Follow my Random Acts of Dan<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" 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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" 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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" 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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" 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 id=\"block-3e2d2bbd-679c-4ba6-9545-b3b514c5a7b7\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-8\" style=\"background-color:#469156\">Life outside the gates<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" 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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" 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-9 wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-10a4b5f6-c493-49f1-9b8e-cbf3a0b47373\" style=\"color:#006699\"><strong>dan<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to Your Life: A Beyond the Gates commentary by Soap Central founder Dan J Kroll for the week ending&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6710,"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-6678","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 v28.7 (Yoast SEO v28.7) - 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