BTG: April 2025 Discussion Thread

[Chris B]

I like that they're rotating things. We started with a major focus on Bill/Dani as they developed Nicole/Ted/Silk Press. Now that story is about to explode and they've been building on Martin's secret. It also seems like a story is brewing for Anita. Again, it's only been two months but so far they've given us a lot of variety.

[Liberty City]

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Me not getting Beyond the Gates today. Does not help my foul mood.

[ranger1rg]

I don't know any more than anyone else does, but I can't let the show off the hook with "they had more pressing issues to deal with." I don't think ANY changes have been made to this point on the Ashley/Derek story. We're calling their scenes "filler" because they haven't been given a real storyline.

I also don't believe for a minute that the writers are intentionally sabotaging the white characters as payback for the way Blacks were historically treated on soaps. I don't believe MVJ plays that way.

It's better than it was, but it's not fixed. Some fades are still really awkward.

I'm enjoying the show, too. Still, I don't think I could watch the episodes twice -- not BTG or any other soap.

 

[dragonflies]

Someone made a good point that Ashley/Derek feel completely out of place on this show

[BetterForgotten]

They have since the very first episode honestly.

[Soaplovers]

On Jen Jacobs Instagram, she had a post from earlier this month with her, Derek, and Andre together after filming scenes so I assume maybe this 'Apartment merge' story is a step toward breaking up Ashley/Derek up so that she turns to Andre.

The way people feel about Derek/Ashley is kind of what I feel toward Dani.  The last two or three episodes have flowed very well without Dani being on, which tells me she's also out of place on the show.

 

[Cheap21]

Allegedly. I still think she's Nicole's daughter

[Aback]

Good point!

Same! Lmao

God, I hate that there’s no show today. So pointless in the age of streaming to pre-empt soaps.

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[Vee]

Episodes can flow without lots of characters on, that doesn't mean you should lift them out. There's plenty of space to find Dani, Nicole, Kat, Dana, Eva, etc. all essential. If anyone's broken out I think it's Dana first, Dani next and Eva/Kat not far behind. At least gauging by the response I see to all of them online.

Edited 6 hours ago by Vee

[DemetriKane]

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[Taoboi]

I've said the same. So good to see that Martin's secret is coming off the backburner just as the Nicole/Ted/Silk Press storyline is heading toward climax. I've even wondered today if Martin vs Ted that is in the promo might be a trigger to get him to have total recall for the audience. Fingers crossed.

 

And yes, I definitely like they are starting in on a story for Anita at last. Still hoping that will be the next event aka the police fundraiser.

 

 

[kalbir]

Derek and Ashley are the weak links of the main cast.

[Taoboi]

None really. 

 

NOW for stories with the possibilities of having a turn in it. I would say the stuff with Vanessa/Joey/Diego...not so much Doug cuz the part of his story of him fighting his addiction could cook just a week or two longer...but something could come out with Vanessa at the anniversary party which as Nicole's BFF, she should be there. And then something happens that causes a delay. 

 

lol. I know you don't mind that person on that show at all. 

 

See? Another turn that could easily happen at the anniversary party, too.

 

[Taoboi]

I don't think she's out of place. However, one of the main storylines that appears to be going to be around for a while is Dani/Bill/Hayley. And that cannot be sustained with them all constantly in each other's orbit in a wash, rinse, repeat pattern...which sadly they really have done with Dani too much by the end of Month 1. They are doing the right thing by keeping them LOOSELY in each other's orbit, but that is a well they can't even mine too much right now. 

 

The best the writers can do is to develop all three characters separately so that when they go to the well of the triangle again...which it is a soap and KM and TG have that IT chemistry so I am sure they will...the audience can be split. The best way to develop them separately is with their own stories going on. It's a given that Dani has the best option for that with her thing with Andre, deciding on a business, and her growing drinking problem. Bill was coming in second with the lawsuit, but he also has to be that villain guy who knows where all the bodies are buried, and now he has a tremor in his hand that only Naomi knows about. The weak link has been Hayley who has had too brief or comedic struggles with trying to establish herself as the new Ms. Bill Hamilton. They could lean into that with her and continue the friendship with Derek...or even Eva once her part in the Silk Press Sheila storyline comes out. But keep them growing until an event (say Drunk Dani car crash) can draw all three back together and see how the triangle appears with all three characters with some story mileage under them. 

 

I don't find her out of place for now, but they cannot maneuvered her around as easily as they would like because the main story for her is right there out in the open and already overused. Which is odd because typing that sentence Dani is kinda having the same problem as Ashley...and they are both characters who easily have connections to other characters so they could easily be spun out of the corners they appear to be stuck in. 

[Soapsuds]

 

 

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