This was an excellent "filler" episode but I'd prefer to refer to it as a character building episode. I love that BTG is paced in a way that they can have episodes like this as opposed to the repetitive nature of the other soaps which don't leave room for this.

The highlight for me was Eva with Martin's family. They've talked so much about her doing hair and I was so excited to finally get to see that in action. I thought the tension with Samantha was nice since she is a Dupree woman. I also love that Martin is trying to help Eva feel welcomed. I struggled a bit with Martin but he really shines when put across Eva, Kat and his grandparents. He definitely gets my vote for most improved.

I also loved the scenes with Dani, Nicole and Andre. I love that Nicole clocked them so easily lol. I know many haven't enjoyed how Dani has acted since the Ted/Eva reveal but I find it so heartwarming watching her with Nicole. They clearly have a deep love for each other despite their differences and I love that Dani still tries even though her approach isn't always great and her whole life is a mess. Nicole/Dani is another one of the star pairs on the show.

Anita and Vernon's scenes were excellent and the more I see of this story, the more I can't wait for the Articulettes to show up. I wonder if they've already been quietly cast and are filming. Not that I'm complaining, but the set is like Fort Knox so we really have no clue what is going on there. I can only hope we will see them soon. I also must say, Tamara Tunie looked stunning today. 

The Jacob/Naomi scenes were another highlight. I like the working class vibe they give to the show. I'm also becoming intrigued about June and want to know more about how she ended up on the streets and who she's connected to. I hope it's Haley because she's in dire need of some backstory and development.

The weak point of the episode were the Bill and Haley scenes. How are you going to have them having sex on his desk and we couldn't see a little bra or shirtless action from Bill? That was tired and a waste of time. They need to work on integrating them more with the rest of the canvas. I do not care about them anymore.

I'm sticking to my theory that June is Hayley's sister (maybe a cousin since this show showcases cousins). Hayley really needs someone else to interact with because her being isolated to just Bill is not working.

Eva only seems to have a backbone when it comes to Kat. She had no problem rubbing it in her face that they are sisters.

Sharon hanging up on Anita was a good little nudge for that storyline. At least one of them having a name is promising to them actually showing up.

Edited May 15May 15 by ReddFoxx

7 hours ago, Liberty City said:

• The outdoor exterior of Orphey Gene's is so much; I kind of wish it were an expanded, real set. Maybe once the budget comes back around, we can expand it?

I would love to see it as part of a backlot shopping district where characters can bump into one another in a more natural way. Lately there has too much getting up and leaving then coming back during meals at Orphey's and Uptown. It's becoming a distraction. There could be shops, more restaurants and a coworking space.

1 hour ago, soapfan770 said:

And yes I’m still fully expecting Kay to be Leslie’s actual daughter too with Eva really being Nicole’s.

All of the "you will never be a Dupree" lines definitely are pointing to this.

19 minutes ago, Chris B said:

Anita and Vernon's scenes were excellent and the more I see of this story, the more I can't wait for the Articulettes to show up. I wonder if they've already been quietly cast and are filming. Not that I'm complaining, but the set is like Fort Knox so we really have no clue what is going on there. I can only hope we will see them soon. I also must say, Tamara Tunie looked stunning today.

This is one of my favorite stories. I love stories about show business and MVJ has a background in the music industry so I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes. Anita instigated the breakup - we have already seen her mean streak come out with Hannah and Eva. I expect one member (she called Sharon today) to be holding a grudge and another member (Tracy) to be somewhat bitter but more open to the idea of a tour, playing the role of peacemaker between Anita and Sharon. Maybe Sharon will pull a Mary Wilson and write tell-all about Anita.  

Samantha gets a makeover from Eva. #BeyondTheGates #BTG

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— isntdaveone (@isntdaveone.bsky.social) May 14, 2025 at 12:05 PM

On 5/13/2025 at 2:15 PM, Cheap21 said:

 

Anasatia the town gossip? She related to Shanice? LOL

I would DIE if Shanice’s mom lived beyond the gates and was just as messy 😂😂

On 5/13/2025 at 2:34 PM, Cheap21 said:

 

"Congratulations on the promotion from personal assistant to long lost daughter. But I'll doubut you'll be the belle of the ball because your fairy godmother dressed you like a church lady"

 

Why is she so damn rude and shady?

I loved her so much.

On 5/13/2025 at 2:41 PM, Cheap21 said:

Why is she back? She is WORSE than Shanice. Shanice is nosey but this lady is MESSY!

Give. Me. More.

On 5/13/2025 at 2:49 PM, Cheap21 said:

Awww Martin bonding with his sister. Love it!

Absolutely loved this scene. Looking forward to more bonding between them.

On 5/13/2025 at 2:50 PM, alwaysAMC said:

Ambyr Michelle continues to win! That scene with Martin was good, and nice to see him be nice to her like that.

I'm very curious who the guy is spying on everyone at Orphey's.

She is such a find. If her agents are smart, they’re booking her on bigger things as soon as possible. I want to see her blow up. She is THAT good to me.

On 5/13/2025 at 2:57 PM, DemetriKane said:

Trisha makes it so hard to hate Leslie. Missy is just getting started to unravel. Can not wait.

Ambyr and Trisha are the stars of this show for me and why I watch.

On 5/13/2025 at 2:58 PM, Cheap21 said:

She's jealous and resentful that Bill didnt fight for her the way Ted is for Nicole

Bingo.

On 5/13/2025 at 3:07 PM, Melroser said:

Those messy diner scenes were amazing. I love this kind of soap scene. Multiple characters in each others' business at the same time. So fun. And so different from Y&R that seems to only have 2 or 3 people talking to each other while the rest of the restaurant is empty. 

Amber has completely won me over as Eva. She's currently my fave daytimer. I can't wait to watch her continually shine. 

The best thing about this show compared to the others is that it...moves. Compared to Y&R and B&B where they have literally the same conversation for an entire week (sometimes weeks!), BTG doesn't feel at all repetitive. Finally. A soap soaping. Such a breath of fresh air.  

This show actually feeling like a soap that moves has made it so hard for me to watch the others anymore.

On 5/13/2025 at 4:46 PM, Cheap21 said:

Nicole's lucky Im no a soap villian bc if I was Wig, Id replace the liquid in her Febreze bottle with an odorless poison so that everytime she sprayed that thing, she'd be slowly killing herself

 

I love you 😂

16 hours ago, Planet Soap said:

Yes!!! Mona feels  like one of my aunts, love the way she carries herself. Loved seeing Eva pop-up at the gambling place. 

Monday was all around good soap. Can't remember the last time an entire episode held my interest.  Loving the fallout and reverberations from Ted and Shea-Butter Sheila's affair 😉.

Tricia Mann Grant is 90s early 2000s quality FINE.

As nice as it would've been to see Anita embrace Eva, I'm glad she didn't because we can squeeze a lot more years of conflict out of Eva, Leslie and the Duprees.  

Lauren & Sheila, Viki & Dorian, Katherine & Jill all gave us good conflict for decades. Hopefully this follows suit.

I understand the concern. Right now there's an issue of quality of black representation on shows more so than quantity of black shows. I'd like to see more predominantly black sci-fi, legal, political, supernatural or medical dramas over the typical who is sleeping with who.

However, this is a soap, and this is what happens on soaps. White soap characters do these things all the time, but have the luxury of being seen as individuals, not representations of their entire race.

Husbands/fathers like Todd Manning, Victor Newman and Asa Buchanan cheat, lie and swindle all the time but aren't seen as a commentary on white men. Black characters like Ted and New Dollar Bill should be able to do the same.

Thank god you said this. I wish we’d stop taking the bait but this needed to be said. White male leads cheat ALLLLLLLL the time. But this poster seems to think omg two black men that cheated decades apart are about to set us back somehow. I’m about to add them to the ignore list with Donna, I’m sick of the baiting.

15 hours ago, Maxim said:

As I've said before I don't believe the fact that both sisters have cheating husbands (one in the past, one more recently) is a coincidence or anything random. It's pre-thought and pre-planned and the message is clear. Cheaters can be found in all shapes, forms and sizes. Some do it in the most blatant way, they are known serial cheaters and their wives know of their past hook ups (as Dani has already said... she was willing to forgive Bill for his previous mistresses... till Hayley came) and some are more masterfully disguised in the image of the perfect husband. The fact that Dani was jealous of her sister Nicole's happy marriage in the first episodes was not a coincidence. I knew it the first second I heard it. It made me wonder and think what is beneath Nicole and Ted's picture perfect life. The show painted two very different sisters and then gave them the same crisis. It was intentional and dramatically focused on how these women acted after that... How they kept or did not keep their dignity. The contrasts and the similarities are not random. They connected the two stories very well. Telling us that beyond the gates there are secrets... lies and betrayals. And sometimes the happiest ones have the biggest skeletons in their closets.

Is all of this a cliche? A soap opera serial cliche? Yes. Does it still work? Yes. And did we need to start with something that is more universal and easier to stomach by the mass audience? Yes. This is only the beginning of the show in terms of stories and themes. We will have years ahead of us to explore different aspects of these people. The first couple of months it had to be a classic sex and betrayal story that makes more people hooked. It's universal.

Again. Nothing so far about both husbands being cheaters is coincidental for me. It's too early for that.

This was perfectly stated.

12 hours ago, Cheap21 said:

So whats the alternative, everyone be demure and have no negative qualities? There are tons of characters and none of this describes most of them. The show has a wide range of characters. Some good, some bad and some a bit of both. It’s a BLACK soap opera. We need black villians that cause trouble and move the stories along

Preach my friend, preach.

As for yesterday’s episode I loved it. The show is handling the fall out from the Eva reveal so damn well for me. And I LOVED that Ted final scene holding Eva’s hand. I guess I’m in the minority since the recast announcement was made but I will miss Maurice and his chemistry with all of his costars as Ted and really wish he could’ve played the entire fall out of the story.

25 minutes ago, ReddFoxx said:

I'm sticking to my theory that June is Hayley's sister (maybe a cousin since this show showcases cousins). Hayley really needs someone else to interact with because her being isolated to just Bill is not working.

When I saw the pic of two kids on a stoop, I immediately though it was Samantha and Tyrell but that could be a red herring. The picture is quite old so maybe it is Hayley and June. This would help to bring Naomi back into Hayley and Bill's orbit.

If June is Tyrell and Samantha's mother, that story would seem to be a dead end - unless Martin and Smitty adopted them through improper means.

7 minutes ago, Antoyne said:

I would DIE if Shanice’s mom lived beyond the gates and was just as messy 😂😂

I did wonder if Anastasia is who Shanice has been chatting with during her shift. Her line to Ted about making her mouth even bigger? I was scandalized. Anastasia has to return soon.

Reading all the theories here and on twitter.  Someone wondered if June is connected to Leslie?

So now we have June possibly connected to Hayley, to Samantha&Tyrell, or to Leslie.

I love that we don't know!

To be honest, the first time she aired, I didn't think June was connected to any major character.  I thought she was simply a client who might prove to have an interesting backstory as part of the "have-nots".   But then June dropped the photograph, so that has to be an anvil or mean something.

Edited May 15May 15 by janea4old

20 minutes ago, Alan said:

I would love to see it as part of a backlot shopping district where characters can bump into one another in a more natural way. Lately there has too much getting up and leaving then coming back during meals at Orphey's and Uptown. It's becoming a distraction. There could be shops, more restaurants and a coworking space.

That would be key; I know they have a "Tribeca" set that's active at the moment, so they could easily use the exterior of that set and then create "indoor" sets on the next set budget. I think that'd be a key idea. I love the community lots we presently have, although there is always room for more.

Like, you cannot tell me that cannot be some kind of shopfront. Or even a salon front Serenity Beauty & Hair?

What are the additional surprises that Leslie has up her sleeve?

Leslie -Oh, PUHLEASE!! Stop your bitching. —Clutch your pearls til your hearts content. —I still have a few surprises up my sleeve (snap) **Omg. Trisha is absolutely brilliant as Leslie ** #Leslie #Jan #BeyondTheGates #BTG

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— Karen - “Nicole/Vanessa/Dani Therapist” (@autigers4ever.bsky.social) May 13, 2025 at 8:39 PM

56 minutes ago, janea4old said:

Reading all the theories here and on twitter.  Someone wondered if June is connected to Leslie?

So now we have June possibly connected to Hayley, to Samantha&Tyrell, or to Leslie.

I love that we don't know!

To be honest, the first time she aired, I didn't think June was connected to any major character.  I thought she was simply a client who might prove to have an interesting backstory as part of the "have-nots".   But then June dropped the photograph, so that has to be an anvil or mean something.

Out of these, I hope she isn't connected to Samantha and Tyrell. I just don't see a long term story there. I hadn't thought of a connection to Leslie but now that you bring it up...what if we find out June is Haley's sister and both were abandoned and raised in foster care. June ended up on the streets and Haley ended up with the Duprees. The mother who dumped them in foster care? Leslie.

If they end up making Eva a stolen child of Nicole's, it would be a good way to develop some family for Leslie to help keep her on the canvas. She could ultimately make up with her kids and then she'd have access to Bill's money/power which could help her become a long term rival for the Duprees.

I hope none of the theories of about June amount to anything and she just goes away. There’s nothing interesting about the story or character, and I think fans are constantly looking for deeper connections in everything.

1 hour ago, Antoyne said:

This show actually feeling like a soap that moves has made it so hard for me to watch the others anymore.

Same. And you know I've been trying my best with Y&R and how I feel about GH. 😜 

 

1 hour ago, Antoyne said:

Thank god you said this. I wish we’d stop taking the bait but this needed to be said. White male leads cheat ALLLLLLLL the time. But this poster seems to think omg two black men that cheated decades apart are about to set us back somehow. I’m about to add them to the ignore list with Donna, I’m sick of the baiting.

Also same. 

 

1 hour ago, Antoyne said:

As for yesterday’s episode I loved it. The show is handling the fall out from the Eva reveal so damn well for me. And I LOVED that Ted final scene holding Eva’s hand. I guess I’m in the minority since the recast announcement was made but I will miss Maurice and his chemistry with all of his costars as Ted and really wish he could’ve played the entire fall out of the story.

Amen. And not alone in that minority.  I'm still wondering if that was a good drop off point for him all day. In a way...it truly is given what Ted and Eva's arc has been so far. But I will miss Maurice all the same.

 

 

25 minutes ago, Chris B said:

Out of these, I hope she isn't connected to Samantha and Tyrell. I just don't see a long term story there. I hadn't thought of a connection to Leslie but now that you bring it up...what if we find out June is Haley's sister and both were abandoned and raised in foster care. June ended up on the streets and Haley ended up with the Duprees. The mother who dumped them in foster care? Leslie.

If they end up making Eva a stolen child of Nicole's, it would be a good way to develop some family for Leslie to help keep her on the canvas. She could ultimately make up with her kids and then she'd have access to Bill's money/power which could help her become a long term rival for the Duprees.

I think June is the kids' mother and potentially Leslie's sister. There's enough story thre especially given Martin's feelings towards Leslie. It would make things even messier if he killed her husband, further intertwining her into his life

Am I misremembering or were they bragging about over 20 sets? Have we seen them all cause I feel like we haven’t and I’d like to see some more.

3 minutes ago, Antoyne said:

Am I misremembering or were they bragging about over 20 sets? Have we seen them all cause I feel like we haven’t and I’d like to see some more.

I believe they did.