Mona Kane Croft

Understood. But if TPTB wanted to have both Dupree daughters in troubled marriages, why not make one a cheating husband, and the other a cheating wife??? Two cheating husbands in the first three-weeks of the show does seem a bit lazy -- or at least unimaginative. Without getting political -- it sort of makes black wives seem like victims and black husbands incapable of monogamy. Neither are good messages to send to an audience in 2025, in my opinion.

The only disappointing thing is a bit of lazy writing. So now both Dupree daughters are/were married to cheaters, and both are revealed in the first three-weeks of the show. It's a shame one of the daughters' marriages could not have been sound. At least for a while. Actually, I would have preferred the (now disputed) twin brother angle. Friggin' believe it or not, black husbands are capable of monogamy. Why not demonstrate that???

Damn... Peter is hot as Hell in these scenes. He always was my type -- thin blonde hair, moderately hairy chest, average height, unconventionally handsome. These days he's probably pushing 80. But I bet I'd still jump him in a hot minute. Watch out, Courtney. LOL...

Could it be Drucilla?

Maybe I'm nit-picking -- but do individuals own casinos in Maryland? Where I come from casinos are owned by big multimillion dollar corporations. And of course in some places they are owned by Native American tribes. But I've never heard of a casino being owned by an individual. They could just as easily have made this guy a loan-shark, since that's essentially what he's doing. There is no need for him to actually own the casino -- at least not yet. And please don't use they "it's just a soap" response. That is insulting to the entire genre. A soap opera is not "just" a soap.

Am I old fashioned to say, the only thing BTG is missing is a couple of smoldering young-love stories? We need a couple of Angie/Jesse or Nina/Cliff romances. Fundamentally, soaps are about romance and family -- everything else is just entertaining filler. Soap fans like to have characters they can root for. BTG is doing great with family, but lacking on romance. Just my old fashioned opinion, but it's hard to argue that soaps did not get higher ratings when they featured romance.

I'd love to see this scene. Mary Stuart could read the phone book, and I'd be entertained.

Does anyone remember who Forbes March played on ATWT? Apparently he played a gay character late in the show's run. But I was watching at that time, and I don't remember him at all. Can anyone remember the character, his storylines, and which other characters he interacted with? I'm drawing a complete blank...

If I recall correctly, Meta talked vaguely about her past -- mentioning mistakes she had made as a young woman. But she didn't mention any names or particular storylines. This was soon after her return in the late-90s, when Michele was struggling with her feelings for the "angel" man who had died, I think. After that, I don't think Meta ever referenced her own past in any way at all.

Understand. But they are allowing Chelsea to have a 3-way with a straight married couple. What's conservative about that??

Does anyone think perhaps the actors playing Martin and Smitty have been directed not to touch? Otherwise, I would think two gay actors (assuming they are gay) would naturally touch one another more naturally in a scene between to married gay characters. I realize the relationship is struggling, but still they have said tender lines to one another, but almost never touch. Something is fishy here, if you ask me. And if Chelsea ends up having a three-way with a married couple, I would assume that would be far more potentially offensive to the audience than a married gay couple showing genuine affection. Hmmm. So it's okay for a straight married couple to invite a 3rd person into their bed, but not okay for a gay married couple to be at least moderately affectionate. Again, something's fishy...

Does anyone have any idea how many months per year the actors are expected to be in Atlanta? Have some of them moved there full-time? Or do they have enough lengthy periods of time-off to live elsewhere, and just stay in Atlanta when they are needed? Some of the actors already lived in Atlanta, I assume. I realize none of us likely have definitive answers to these questions, but can anyone speculate?

I really enjoyed today's episode. Now that a couple of exciting events have occurred, the characters have settled down for some day-to-day scenes, which I found refreshing. Now we are seeing what a "normal" episode of BTG will be like, and it was great! Very interesting to have a low drama day. Great episode!!

Did Gary Pillar leave the role when Mike returned from Bay City? Did Pillar ever play Mike on Guiding Light?

Thanks for sharing the news, Errol!! Happy there is so much positivity in the soap opera world these days. It's been a depressing decade. . .

OMG. This is genius. Somebody send this to CBS and Sony!!

Thank you! That's great. I'm glad it's not a day behind.

Does anyone know what time BTG is posted on Paramount+ on weekdays? Is Paramount+ a day behind, or do they always have the new episode on the same day it airs on CBS?

How is any adult expected to invest in the lazy (to say the least) writing?? We now have a character who has been kidnapped a month after her last kidnapping. Gotta love a believable storyline. . . LOL And before anyone asks why am I watching a show if I dislike it so much -- well, I guess I'm watching because of the characters.

Well Contessa, at least on this thread -- Beyond the Gates won the February sweeps!! Nancy Hughes, Bert Bauer, Mary Matthews, and Nancy Karr are smiling down on us. The P&G soap goddesses are happy. No doubt about that. P&G is back in the soap opera business.

BTG is, in my opinion, the best written and best produced soap opera on daytime. It makes the other four look like amateurs. How do others feel about this? But the budget appears to be huge -- extravagant sets, wardrobe, hair, and other production values. Is anyone else concerned that this type of budget may not be sustainable on daytime TV in 2025? What if CBS renews the show in a couple of years, but demands huge cuts in the budget??

Does anyone know why BTG has so many executive producers? I noticed the list in today's opening scene -- wow! I didn't count them, but there must be at least six EP's. I don't recall a soap opera that ever had more than two, and nearly all soaps have had only one EP (one at a time, I mean). What is the purpose of having so many people with the same title? It certainly must be hard to make a decision, if all those people are expected to agree on things. Is it possible that only one person is the "real" executive producer, and all the others are just figure heads with little to no influence? I realize MVJ is referred to as the show-runner. But in the credits, she is just listed along with all the other EPs. Having this many EPs is a real change for the genre, so there must be a reason for it.

Oh yes. Plenty of meaty human drama in the family dynamics, and outsiders creeping in. The writing on BTG is compelling and makes me want to tune in tomorrow. No need to take anything over the top or campy. Keep it real (or at least believable).

If that's the case, why didn't he just stay in the car? He was handed something, and then he got out of the car and started walking somewhere.

What was going on with the two guys in the car? Any speculation??