Welcome to the first-ever "Beyond the Gates" monthly discussion thread here on Soap Opera Network where fans of the daytime drama series can share and respond to everything about, within, and beyond the gates of Fairmont Crest and the Fairmont Crest Country Club.

The brand new series stars Tamara Tunie, Clifton Davis, Daphnee Duplaix, Karla Mosley, Alex Alegria, Lauren Buglioli, Brandon Claybon, Timon Kyle Durrett, Sean Freeman, Ben Gavin, Marquita Goings, Jibre Hordges, Jen Jacob, Maurice Johnson, Trisha Mann-Grant, Mike Manning, RhonniRose Mantilla, Ambyr Michelle, Colby Muhammad and Arielle Prepetit.

"Beyond the Gates" is the first brand new soap opera set to debut on a broadcast network in more than 25 years, since the launch of “Passions” in 1999, and the first-ever one-hour Black-centric daytime drama series.

The series is developed and produced by the CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, led by Sheila Ducksworth, in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Michele Val Jean is the creator, executive producer and showrunner alongside executive producers Sheila Ducksworth, Julie Carruthers, Robert Guza Jr., Leon W. Russell, Derrick Johnson, Kimberly Doebereiner and Anna Saalfeld.

"Beyond the Gates"

Premise: Set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington, D.C., and in one the most affluent African American counties in the United States. Here you’ll find a posh gated community with winding tree-lined streets and luxurious mansions to call home. At the center of this community are the Duprees, a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty. But behind these pristine walls and lush, manicured gardens are juicy secrets and scandals waiting to be uncovered. And those who live outside these gates are watching closely. These are the places where our characters live, love, work and play. Those who have “made it” and those who haven’t are all trying to navigate life … and some with more grace than others.

Premieres Monday, February 24 at 2:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT on CBS. Stream Live and On Demand on Paramount+/Paramount+ WITH SHOWTIME. Weekdays.

"Beyond the Gates: Welcome to the Neighborhood"
Five-day, five-part half-hour daytime special airing during the week of February 17-21, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT on CBS. Stream Live and On Demand on Paramount+/Paramount+ WITH SHOWTIME.

Episode One: Unveiling Fairmont Crest (Monday, February 17)

• In the premiere episode, “Beyond the Gates: Welcome to the Neighborhood” opens its doors to Fairmont Crest, a world rich with history, culture and secrets waiting to be uncovered. Get to know the cast and creative minds behind this groundbreaking series as they share what makes “Beyond the Gates” a first-of-its-kind storytelling experience – both in front of and behind the camera.

Episode Two: Creating the Cast (Tuesday, February 18)

• Episode two dives into the making of “Beyond the Gates”, revealing the dedication and vision that brought this epic series to life. Meet the Dupree family, the heart of Fairmont Crest, and uncover the intricate stories that shape their world. Go inside the casting process that built the show’s powerhouse ensemble, with over 40 dynamic characters brought to life by an extraordinary lineup of talent.

Episode Three: Fashion and Flair (Wednesday, February 19)

• In episode three, step behind the curtain to explore the artistry of “Beyond the Gates”’ wardrobe, hair and makeup departments. Take a tour of the show’s high-fashion wardrobe, where every look is meticulously curated to reflect each character’s personality, status and story. Get the inside scoop on the secrets behind the show’s stunning hair and makeup, including a peek inside the wig cabinet housing more than 40 custom-designed wigs.

Episode Four: A Day in the Life (Thursday, February 20)

• Episode four shows viewers a day in the life of the fast-paced world of “Beyond the Gates”, where the cast tackles an intense filming schedule – shooting up to 100 pages a day. Discover the stamina, skill and dedication it takes to bring Fairmont Crest to life, from memorizing lines to delivering powerhouse performances under pressure. Plus, meet the leading men and women of “Beyond the Gates” and get an inside look at what really goes into filming those steamy love scenes.

Episode Five: Sneak Peek and Guest Stars (Friday, February 21)

• In episode five, get ready for an exclusive first look at “Beyond the Gates”’ explosive premiere. With high stakes, deep secrets and unforgettable drama, this sneak peek sets the stage for a season filled with twists and surprises. Plus, hear directly from the cast and creators about what’s in store for Fairmont Crest. Then, unlock the ET Vault to revisit where we first met the stars of “Beyond the Gates” and where you may have seen them before.
• Additionally, don’t miss a special behind-the-scenes look at some of the show’s exciting guest stars – including “Entertainment Tonight” co-host Nischelle Turner. Go on set as she steps into Fairmont Crest for a must-see cameo, giving fans a glimpse of the fun and surprises still to come.

Official Websites

CBS.com / Paramount+

58 minutes ago, Soaplovers said:

I'm glad Guza will be helping with Head-writer duties since I don't know if MVJ will be objective enough to lead her own creation long term without some oversight and honest feedback to improve the product.  

agreed. this comment from another board struck me as an illustration. i get that recap is a soap opera necessity, but i found this constancy redundancy annoying. 

“I really wish they would stop praising how great everybody is, I had a family and we barely admitted we liked each other. Half the show is people blowing smoke up each other's butt. Other that Bill and Hayley, everybody else is up for sainthood. The only times anyone said something that seemed real was describing Dani and it is always about her being slightly unhinged.”

5 minutes ago, wonderwoman1951 said:

“I really wish they would stop praising how great everybody is, I had a family and we barely admitted we liked each other. Half the show is people blowing smoke up each other's butt. Other that Bill and Hayley, everybody else is up for sainthood. The only times anyone said something that seemed real was describing Dani and it is always about her being slightly unhinged.”

Well, actually Chelsea & Naomi were critical of Dani in fairly "typical" mother/daughter ways & it had to do with Dani being overbearing & critical of them, which is a totally different side of Dani than the Wild Woman of Fairmont Crest!

17 minutes ago, Maxim said:

🤭

❤️

hehe. I was meaning the show over the movie, but love the gif all the same.

18 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

That's what made the Ashley/Derek story seem so out of place. Maybe keep that to the second week.The first we see of Ashley is a nurse at  Laura's bedside and then in Wk 2 we find out more.

Same with the brief 'role play' story with Vanessa. That can be introduced down the line.

My main beef ATM is the gay story.

First there is no chem b/w the two. Martin's acting is subpar. To have them married with teen kids seems a missed opportunity to explore 2 guys living together but realizing the goals are different. It all seemed a little too hetero for me. And the lack of affection when other characters are cavorting/kissing seemed suspect. Defenders will say it illustrates the gulf b/w them but that might work had Martin rebuffed Smitty or just gave a lifeless kiss.

I personally feel that like a lot of things this first week, Ashley's intro was intentional. That it only APPEARS out of place. Now if I am wrong, I will happily eat crow. I also feel her first appearance with Derek was meta though...being the tokens black people have been on other soaps. But I also think they were also being used to get in some of the non-black audience as well for that first episode.

 

I agree that outside of showing some backstory to Vanessa, her scene was out of place. But I do like me some Vanessa so far. But perhaps it was to set up the reveal of who her husband is. Because seeing him on Friday (and I think Wednesday if he was one of the men in the car with the keycard?)...then what is going on with her and her husband?

 

For me, the gay story is too early to call. But I see what you and everyone mean. I don't feel anything for them yet, and there was no chemistry to be found. Yet. Mike seem more comfortable in his role than Brandon. And Martin is set to be too important to be with so green an actor. I was at least happy to see Brandon show some of Martin's sass yesterday with Bill, but so far...outside of Martin/Vernon scenes...he's a weak link.

 

And that is just going off of the characters. Story-wise...what will be their story? I think like you and several other people, it will be about Martin and Smitty's differences, too. And I liked someone mentioned a possible parallel between Smitty and Dani...two career people who took a backseat to their men's rise to prominence. And what if Smitty sees how Dani acted at the wedding and has an epiphany? And the phone call at the wedding was not an affair, but a JOB OFFER? What if Martin has an issue with that, but Smitty...now seeing how Dani acted is like 'can't be me?' Like Sharon on Y&R at one point when her and Nick opened Crimson Lights...trying to not wind up like Nikki just hanging around the ranch all day with no life. lol. More organic conflict on top of Martin's dreams to cause a rift. Or perhaps one or the other resents how perfect their life appears to be?

20 minutes ago, Contessa Donatella said:

Well, actually Chelsea & Naomi were critical of Dani in fairly "typical" mother/daughter ways & it had to do with Dani being overbearing & critical of them, which is a totally different side of Dani than the Wild Woman of Fairmont Crest!

with the exception of bill and haley, there was a constant repetition of how wonderful every character was that i found artificial  — just not how people speak naturally. 

1 hour ago, Taoboi said:

Yay!!! I can't wait!!!

She has more presence. 

 

 

Agree to disagree.

Just now, Antoyne said:

Agree to disagree.

Now you know I go up for my Girl of the Diva Hair Toss, but love you more. So...agree. 😜 

37 minutes ago, Taoboi said:

I personally feel that like a lot of things this first week, Ashley's intro was intentional.

Eh, I feel there's a time to go meta and your introduction week isn't it. I mean, I'm sure Val Jean has more story and intent for Derek / Ashley, but it does feel like that was more a The Powers That Be pushing for the white couple to be featured a bit more in the premiere to show off. 

But we might end up pretending that it was intentionally meta so that's good enough lol 🤩

13 minutes ago, te. said:

Eh, I feel there's a time to go meta and your introduction week isn't it. I mean, I'm sure Val Jean has more story and intent for Derek / Ashley, but it does feel like that was more a The Powers That Be pushing for the white couple to be featured a bit more in the premiere to show off. 

But we might end up pretending that it was intentionally meta so that's good enough lol 🤩

That crossed my mind, too. Moreso given some of the online comments hating just to hate because the people commenting did not see anything but black main characters under the guise of wondering where white characters were. So MVJ beat them to the punch by having a white couple in the first episode.

 

Also, I feel for non-black people who were curious about BTG, but might feel...unsure? if they would try it out, Ashley/Derek could work as a safe space. If that makes sense. 

 

But again...I think her intro was intentional from a storyline POV, but also has more layers to it than it first appears. IMHO. Not the best part of the week, but we saw her first day at a job she wanted. We watched her interact with boyfriend, friends-some of who aren't her friends maybe?, interact with her boss, heard her fears, and got to hang with her for-sure-real friends at the bar, before seeing her pass out, carried off by a boyfriend who adores her from Episode 1. Given just who she's connected to rn...Andre, Naomi, now Laura...and their connections to the canvas (Andre-close backstory, Dani, Naomi-police bf, daughter of Dani/Bill, Laura-being her nurse AND friends with Leslie/Eva, Nicole's assistant), Ashley is nicely set-up for something and she's only a MINOR character at the moment. So her intro scenes...bland and all...set up a POV to work with as we get into the meat of it...which just writing those connections out, I would suspect is for the Nicole/Ted/Leslie story, but she could easily be all about her/Andre/Derek. Especially if Dani circles back around to Andre. Poor thing would get ate alive if she does but lmao. 

30 minutes ago, Taoboi said:

Also, I feel for non-black people who were curious about BTG, but might feel...unsure? if they would try it out, Ashley/Derek could work as a safe space. If that makes sense. 

Eh. As a non-black person, I feel a good soap is a good soap. And having pointless scenes with Ashley talking about how amazing it is to be a Nice Nurse Who Loves Nursing didn't exactly enhance my experience.

Although, scratch that. It did make me like Dani's trainwreck of a life more and Silkpress Sheila's manipulations (sorry, Martin and Smitty, you get none) - so maybe it did work. Oh Val Jean, you clever you...

 

Bill is a big unit- Hayley gotta look up.

From the writing and the actress' performance I am not getting what Bill finds so special about Hayley that he finally ditched his marriage . He told his daughter 'I fell in love' but I'm not feeling it.

Hayley's glitter top and sprayed on pants were giving me Y&R fashion vibes. YUCK

I agree,having characters baldly declare how incredible someone is, that they see everyday was annoying. And too many factoids dropped in eg Jacob's dad is police chief made the dialogue clunky.

Wk 2 awaits.

20 minutes ago, te. said:

Eh. As a non-black person, I feel a good soap is a good soap. And having pointless scenes with Ashley talking about how amazing it is to be a Nice Nurse Who Loves Nursing didn't exactly enhance my experience.

Although, scratch that. It did make me like Dani's trainwreck of a life more and Silkpress Sheila's manipulations (sorry, Martin and Smitty, you get none) - so maybe it did work. Oh Val Jean, you clever you...

 

lol. I see that. 

I think Andre is supposed to be the hotness of BtG.

2 hours ago, Taoboi said:

I personally feel that like a lot of things this first week, Ashley's intro was intentional. That it only APPEARS out of place. Now if I am wrong, I will happily eat crow. I also feel her first appearance with Derek was meta though...being the tokens black people have been on other soaps. But I also think they were also being used to get in some of the non-black audience as well for that first episode.

I had this fleeting thought: what if this black writing team couldn't write decently for the "token white characters"?!! And, then, a second thought fleeted across my brain: wouldn't it be a hoot if the "token whites" were boring as sin?!!

2 hours ago, Taoboi said:

For me, the gay story is too early to call. But I see what you and everyone mean. I don't feel anything for them yet, and there was no chemistry to be found. Yet. Mike seem more comfortable in his role than Brandon. And Martin is set to be too important to be with so green an actor. I was at least happy to see Brandon show some of Martin's sass yesterday with Bill, but so far...outside of Martin/Vernon scenes...he's a weak link.

I hope they work something out for these "token gays" & I hope that happens sooner rather than later.

2 hours ago, Taoboi said:

And that is just going off of the characters. Story-wise...what will be their story? I think like you and several other people, it will be about Martin and Smitty's differences, too. And I liked someone mentioned a possible parallel between Smitty and Dani...two career people who took a backseat to their men's rise to prominence. And what if Smitty sees how Dani acted at the wedding and has an epiphany? And the phone call at the wedding was not an affair, but a JOB OFFER? What if Martin has an issue with that, but Smitty...now seeing how Dani acted is like 'can't be me?' Like Sharon on Y&R at one point when her and Nick opened Crimson Lights...trying to not wind up like Nikki just hanging around the ranch all day with no life. lol. More organic conflict on top of Martin's dreams to cause a rift. Or perhaps one or the other resents how perfect their life appears to be?

And why doesn't Martin want to learn why he's having these bad dreams?

Can we please find me another place to use the word "token"?

What if we replaced the world token with the words "nickel plug"?

 

Edited March 1Mar 1 by Contessa Donatella

3 hours ago, te. said:

I feel like some of the weaknesses were probably network mandated - ie giving Ashley / Derek a story despite them not having a logical place yet because they want to make sure the audience know there's a white couple in there too. 

If I’m not mistaken, we found out in episode 3 or 4 that Ashley’s mother cleans some of the houses of the Duprees. The mother could have been introduced during that scene at Nicole’s house and them discussing Ashley’s first day at the hospital even as a little throwaway line before we see Ashley and Derek for the first time in that scene in their apartment, it would have linked them in easily. But this is minor nitpicking, I think they did a great job of introducing us to the world of Fairmont Crest and all the key players while keeping plot moving.