3 minutes ago, Errol said:

So...

  Hide contents

Mike Manning wearing glasses is just swoonworthy. OMG!

He wears them for the first couple of scenes he's in, but has them off while at the wedding.

 

Omg....

Spoiler

men in glasses?! Yeah. Give me that Clark Kent kind of vibe...

 

2 minutes ago, Liberty City said:

Omg....

  Hide contents

men in glasses?! Yeah. Give me that Clark Kent kind of vibe...

 

And he's a journalist, too!!!

1 hour ago, All My Shadows said:

Tamara Tunie is playing Anita Dupree as if this show's been running for 30+ years. Stepped right into that role and owning it completely from Day 1.

Yes! Tunie is playing Anita to the hilt! Sometimes actors who soap hop seem to play the same character on every show, that is definitely not the case here. Anita could not be more different from Jessica. I can also see how Tunie is drawing inspiration from classic divas like Lena Horne and Diahann Carroll.

I had a wonderful time watching the premiere of Beyond the Gates!

I'm happy that Nicole was the first character we saw to introduce us to the show. Dani may be the firecracker, but it's Nicole who I have my eyes on. I actually wrote down who was introduced in chronological order and the first five main characters we saw were all women. As a gay man, I couldn't be happier that it feels like women will be at the center of this soap. And as a gay man, Jacob and Martin are gorgeous, but it's my man Andre - who gives me Shemar Moore vibes, who I'll be crushing on the most. He's is perfection. 

But, I enjoyed everyone. I didn't have a problem with the white people like you all did. I watched their scenes with interest wondering how they'll figure into the story. I noticed Ashley had one of those ominous, "I'm never going to lose you" lines to her husband , which made me think he's going to die sooner rather than later. She instantly connects to Naomi/Jacob and Andre, who we know from the promo will soon connect with Dani so if Ben does die (maybe grasping at speculative straws), Ashley could be embroiled in Dani's chaotic life quite easily. It makes me wonder if MVJ will take the Bill Bell or Agnes Nixon approach when it comes to integrating the cast.

I'll reiterate that Karla Mosley gave me Vicky Wyndham vibes, especially in her scenes with Haley. And though I'm sure MVJ got her inspiration elsewhere, the way Vernon called Dani his "best and brightest" was exactly what Grandpa Shawn Brady called Kim, much to Kayla's chagrin on Days of our Lives.

I actually thought Haley was the greenest actor of them all, Martin seemed a bit robotic, and Chelsea's voice needed to be less mousy, for lack of a better word. But again, I'm well aware people need time to adjust, especially the newcomers. Especially true in the actors finding chemistry with each other because some of the dialogue didn't flow as naturally, coming off stilted. The perfect example of this is when Dani told Haley "Shut up, I'm talking," but it felt like Dani had been silent for ages by that point. Once the actors become more familiar with each other and find a comfortable rhythm things will pop more successfully.

I stayed home to watch and I'm glad I did. There's just something about watching a soap at midday that just brings with it so much nostalgia.

I'm going to start with a few low points:

- The opening was disappointing. I didn't love it when I watched the clip on here and watching on TV did nothing to change my mind. I love the idea of it, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired.

- Some of the acting was rough, but I also understand that this will take time especially with such a large and fairly green cast. The seasoned players were great.

- I feel like the opening needed to be more grand and faster paced to set the stories into action. Besides a lot of exposition, it felt like a standard soap episode. I feel like Dani's scene throwing the coffee mugs needed a flashback to her catching her husband having an affair in their bed and as the episode progressed it's revealed this woman was actually her daughter's friend. 

Some of the positives for me:

- The sets were beautiful. The costuming was great. 

- The soap vets were phenomenal.  Daphnée was so good. 

- The end of the episode with Dani finding out her ex husband has decided to take residence in her community was solid soap. 

 

I'm excited to see how it all develops and what this first week has in store. 

 

11 minutes ago, BetterForgotten said:

They should just ask Lynn Herring to play Vanessa’s mother eventually, lol

I was thinking of Barbara Crampton.

1 minute ago, Soapsuds said:

I was thinking of Barbara Crampton.

Yess!!!!

Also, with Martin's embarrassed look towards Haley, I wonder if he'll be the first one to sympathize with ostracized Haley, only amplifying Dani and Nicole's sisterly relationship. Or maybe that's where Smitty will come in?

And this is jumping the gun by a lot, but I wonder if Bill's secretary could eventually become similar to Sofia Landon's Diane Ballard from GL? If they slow burn like GL did, it could be great.

Edited February 24Feb 24 by Bright Eyes

Here's my spoiler-ish review/recap of the first week, which talks about things we might have already seen or will see soon:

Opening the Gates: Everything You Need to Know About ‘Beyond the Gates’ Right Now

https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2025/02/opening-the-gates-everything-you-need-to-know-beyond-the-gates

4 minutes ago, Bright Eyes said:

Dani may be the firecracker, but it's Nicole who I have my eyes on.

Definitively. Nicole isn't as outrageous as Dani, but it's obvious there are things going on beyond the surface. I think her getting shut down despite being the successful sibling will rear its ugly head eventually. Maybe not in year one, but there's no way there's not going to be conflict here. Especially with Dani and Nicole's kids being "best friends". How would Nicole, the award-winning psychiatrist, deal with Dani's kid leading her kid astray? 

12 minutes ago, Errol said:

And he's a journalist, too!!!

Yessssssssssss. I have my thoughts but won't reveal them, yet...

1 hour ago, BetterForgotten said:

A globe for ATWT/AW and a light for GL?

2 minutes ago, Errol said:

Here's my spoiler-ish review/recap of the first week, which talks about things we might have already seen or will see soon:

Opening the Gates: Everything You Need to Know About ‘Beyond the Gates’ Right Now

https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2025/02/opening-the-gates-everything-you-need-to-know-beyond-the-gates

6 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

I was thinking of Barbara Crampton.

How about Sharon Gabet... 

Just now, Alan said:

A globe for ATWT/AW and a light for GL?

That’s been the standard P&G logo for a long time. I’m not sure if the significance of the candle light - could be a GL reference, but someone at P&G will need to clarify!

It’s nice to see a P&G logo after a soap after all this time. It’s not the classic PGP logo, but it’s a spiritual successor.