Errol

Agreed! and I said I liked them in suits:

BTW, hot guy I think should have played Derek instead is named Max Bickelhaup.

All three are on contract.

Mike Manning is 37, turning 38 this year.

I love that this is the same day even though it's episode two and we're on outfit number three for Dani -- I'm including the undergarments she wore before changing into the blue suit.

Totally understand but let's keep in mind he is married to a Black man and has Black children, or mixed race depending on where they are going with the story, so I wouldn't be surprised if that's where "Smitty" is primarily used/referenced. We'll see how he's referred when he interacts with non-Dupree-related individuals like people from work. Yes, she is. When I saw her she kinda reminded me of Tamara Clatterbuck from The Youn and the Restless in terms of looks. Glad you saw what I saw. I like suits and glasses. That is all.

Smitty's official name is Bradley “Smitty” Smith, with "Smitty" being a derivative of his last name.

They have: Tyrell (Jaden Lucas Miller) and Samantha (Najah Jackson) are Martin and Smitty's adopted children.

After being upped to contract status in February 2022, actor Tajh Bellow (TJ Ashford) is now off contract at “General Hospital.” According to an update to the show’s end credits on Friday, February 21, Bellow’s name was removed from the contract cast list after previously appearing between cast members Kristina Wagner (Felicia Scorpio) and Tanisha Harper (Jordan Ashford). The change in status for Bellow doesn’t come as a surprise considering the actor seemingly gave an indication early last week when he took to his Instagram, saying, “I know a lot of my fans are wondering what’s next for TJ, but before I speak to that I wanted to celebrate all that we’ve accomplished together.” Bellow’s post highlighted his appreciation for all the support he received during last year’s tumultuous storyline which saw TJ and Molly (Kristen Vaganos) lose their daughter following a traumatic accident involving their surrogate, Molly’s sister, Kristina (Kate Mansi), that also stirred an initial rift in TJ and Molly’s relationship before they came together much stronger. “Playing Dr. TJ Ashford has been a groundbreaking experience for my career. Pouring into TJ as he poured into me has been illuminating in many regards,” Below further said in his post, which also saw him acknowledge several media outlets that have covered his daytime career since making his debut on the series in 2018, including Soap Opera Network. “I want to acknowledge and thank these great sources … that have credited me with honorable placement amongst my peers over the course of 2024,” said Bellow. “Grieving such immense loss took everything in me and I’m blessed that my work resonated with you all.” Last seen on the series in episodes aired in December 2024, Bellow is the third actor to portray TJ on the series since the character’s introduction in 2012 – after a brief portrayal by Krys Meyer, Tequan Richmond (“Everybody Hates Chris”) played the role from 2012-2018 before Bellow took over soon after. Before being cast as TJ, Bellow appeared in episodes of “The Middle,” “Girl Meets World,” “K.C. Undercover,” “Bosch,” and “Bunk’d,” among others. More recently the actor appeared in such shows as “NCIS” and “9-1-1: Lone Star.” Note: The post Tajh Bellow Off Contract at ‘General Hospital’; Actor Has Portrayed TJ Ashford On Soap Opera Since 2018 appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website. Read More

Without giving anything away, I will say that Nicole's storyline is the one I'm most looking forward to. You'll see why in the coming episodes, but damn my interest is piqued. Anvil, Cliffhanger, "OMG. What the hell? How?" All the above quotes were my thoughts when I watched—I'm looking forward to seeing what you all think.

Technically this is version #1 since it's the first to have aired on TV accompanying episode 1 of Beyond the Gates. The previous opening shared would theoretically be considered version #2. Let's see what version #3, etc looks like. Love that we get to discuss opening credits again!

As I have now unpinned the legendary Beyond the Gates announcement to fruition thread, from here on out the BTG Discussion thread should be specifically about the episodes. Any/all news and information about the series should be posted in the BTG: History, Behind the Scenes Articles & Photos thread (the new name for the first-ever discussion thread about the show). Spoilers, Casting news and the like should be posted within the Discuss the Soaps: Previews and Spoilers forum and/or related BTG thread.

Michele Val Jean posted this and this was my reply to her:

With the show finally making its long-awaited premiere, I have officially unpinned this thread. It will continue to exist and receive ongoing discussions about the behind the scenes world of Beyond the Gates and its historical impact, but it will no longer be the place to discuss episodes or spoilers. News can continue being posted here, as long as it isn't spoiling anything for any particular episode. Casting news, breaking news and episode discussion, and related topics, should now take place in their respective discussion threads on the SON Community.

Right. It confirms that P&G is a producer for the show and not just an advertiser, showing they have as much influence in the direction of the series as CBS does. Surprised they didn't have a CBS Studios/NAACP Venture-type logo since this is the first series to come off of that joint agreement/venture. Here's a better version (in terms of size) of that title card btw: A treasure. I'm telling you. That explains the candle, but I'm still curious if that's the official reason or just a coincidence (likely the former).

For CBS Studios, I was able to get this (it's blurry though):

Here are the title cards: Mandatory made in Georgia P&G Studios NAACP Couldn't get the CBS Studios logo, which is the main studio behind the show and the only one with their theme playing, because the were immediately trying to force me to watch "Watson." And she wasn't wearing her seatbelt as the "no seatbelt" signal was displayed on her digital dashboard.

Remember, CBScontracted with NuTime Media to sell ads for BTG: https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2024/07/cbs-nutime-media-ad-opportunities-the-gates This would explain the new ad companies for the show. In related news, I made another mistake. I said Nicole was driving a Mercedes S-Class. No baby, she was driving a Mercedes-Maybach S-Class with a base value of $203,000, nearly 100k more than the regular S-Class. BTG getting PAID!

Nearly five hours since the East Coast broadcast ended, Beyond the Gates is till trending, this tie at #12 on X/Twitter:

While I'll never be the one to use the phrase under any circumstances, the person I watched the show with this weekend called it the DEI aspect of the show. Take what you will from that.

Speaking of which...

Ashley's story will make more sense tomorrow. Still boring, but sense. Vanessa is a weirdo, funny, and a gossiper. I love her. I didn't think I would initially but the more she was on screen with the one-liners, I grew to like her. Lauren is a find!

Right. Y&R is about 34-35 minutes. BTG is 36-37 minutes.

Ted Richardson, Nicole's husband, is a doctor. More action will happen in the hospital in the next couple of days. I love the SON Community. Only we seem to give a damn about things like the first lines of soap characters. This is what I live for! Y'all are amazing! No worries. LOL