Beyond the Gates has made me a faithful viewer of soaps, not just out of habit or to hate watch.
I love that the characters range from grounded (Nicole, Naomi) to regal (Anita) to downright messy (Silk Press Sheila 😂⠀, Dani, and Bill). There are so many shades of Black POVs.
That said, it's not perfect. I wish the show would pull back from Dani, who is exhausting. I actually like her and get why the writers have anchored the show around her. But every episode so far has been about her and everyone reacting to her stunt of the day. Today was no different, but the silly plot point of having the ex and her family show up at the wedding did make me feel bad for her. But I also see why Bill had enough of her. (Karla looked great tho).
I wish one of the daughters was conflicted about Bill, torn between their parents. But lol at Chelsea's phone being perfectly positioned to catch her mom crashing out.
Martin still doesn't do much for me as a character. He's just there.
I love Black Amy Vining. She's my new fave, gossiping about everyone at the hospital.
Derek does seem to have a hint of something being off about him. I'll take anything since he and Ashley are boring.
I hope the Ted/Leslie story develops into a strong B story. I think he's been in three scenes so far. Also, wouldn't Ted have formed a friendship with Bill? That's an easy conflict with Nicole if he still wants to be cool with him.
