BTG: July 2025 Discussion Thread

14 minutes ago, Bright Eyes said:

Was there a preview for next week? I didn't get one at the end of today's episode.

It's only Thursday.

Edited July 18Jul 18 by ReddFoxx

One of the things I love about BTG is, the show is grounded in reality and believability.  It's not about some over-the-top garbage we have been fed from other soaps since the early-1980s. Yes, a couple of the characters are OTT, but the storylines are still believable.   Even the reveal of Martin's secret is believable.

BTG doesn't need an international spy syndicate, or moustache-twirling Euroro-trash villains to be the bad guys.  The extended Dupree family certainly cause more than enough trouble for themselves.   And isn't that exactly what Harding Lemay was trying to write on Another World nearly fifty-years ago?  MVJ is a genius of the post-modern soap opera.     

Edited July 18Jul 18 by Tisy-Lish

Another very solid episode today. Super excited for tomorrow and Nicole finding out everything. She should absolutely be on the warpath tomorrow.

Today's show wasn't as good as I wanted it to be.

-- Spare me all the family platitudes when ALL of this was kept from Nicole and Ted.  It's now ours after Kenny's murder and they STILL haven't been told.

-- Smitty telling Martin to leave just seems wrong to me. Isn't there more to discuss? To what end is he throwing him out?

-- Why tell Samantha and Tyrell ANYTHING if you won't tell them the whole truth?

-- Why is Smitty now withholding information from Jacob?

-- If everyone in town knows what a bad guy Joey is, why was he brought in? Can't Bill do better as a fixer? Kenny was ONE GUY -- and the dumbest blackmailer I have ever seen.

-- Is ANYONE going to pay for any of this??? I wanted the focus to be on the horrific racism we saw, and not on majorly flawed and even evil people getting away with murder.

2 minutes ago, ranger1rg said:

Today's show wasn't as good as I wanted it to be.

-- Spare me all the family platitudes when ALL of this was kept from Nicole and Ted.  It's now ours after Kenny's murder and they STILL haven't been told.

-- Smitty telling Martin to leave just seems wrong to me. Isn't there more to discuss? To what end is he throwing him out?

-- Why tell Samantha and Tyrell ANYTHING if you won't tell them the whole truth?

-- Why is Smitty now withholding information from Jacob?

-- If everyone in town knows what a bad guy Joey is, why was he brought in? Can't Bill do better as a fixer? Kenny was ONE GUY -- and the dumbest blackmailer I have ever seen.

-- Is ANYONE going to pay for any of this??? I wanted the focus to be on the horrific racism we saw, and not on majorly flawed and even evil people getting away with murder.

I’m personally satisfied two racists thugs got what was coming. I’m strapped in for the fall out. And Smitty is withholding information from Jacob because he already told him like last week, if he had to pick a side while they were uncovering things it would be Martins. It was at the police station.

Just now, Antoyne said:

I’m personally satisfied two racists thugs got what was coming. I’m strapped in for the fall out. And Smitty is withholding information from Jacob because he already told him like last week, if he had to pick a side while they were uncovering things it would be Martins. It was at the police station.

I get that. That's also why I don't think Smitty should have forced Martin out of the house.

Agreed that it's more believable. It seems like it is intentionally avoiding the obvious mistakes of other soaps.

Now to unpack the episode. Smitty's anger at Martin is understandable, but putting him out the house is a bit much considering that Martin is extremely traumatized. Anita's comment about the children being welcomed to stay with them as well made me think that she's ready to draw battle lines against Smitty if it comes down to it. But that's not surprising considering that the Duprees are a unit.

Jacob's world is about to collapse as well because he holds his father to such a high standard. Him arresting Dani early on may have been a form of foreshadowing of him having to expose the whole scandal eventually and causing tension between him and Naomi. Nicole's reaction is going to be critical too, because she doesn't like secrets and might feel compelled to talk even if it hurts her family.

 

Edited July 18Jul 18 by ReddFoxx

17 minutes ago, Antoyne said:

. And Smitty is withholding information from Jacob because he already told him like last week, if he had to pick a side while they were uncovering things it would be Martins. It was at the police station.

I thought he was going to tell Jacob everything, but if he did, he would have blown everyone out of the water, including Jacob's dad.

Unfortunately, now Smitty is part of the cover-up.

This is the last I will mention this, because what's done is done and I want to be hopeful that there is a greater vision and story in mind, but I think it was a total missed opportunity to make this night a secret to the audience. We missed an opportunity to explore race and the law in America and really go deep into what that means for black men in particular. This fall out that is happening now could have still happened with the audience in on the secret. We could have witnessed the attack and seen Vernon's struggle with doing what's right and what he felt he needed to do.

In today's episode Vernon said something to the effect of he should have called on his connections (which I made a point of yesterday), but instead he acted in fear. How much more thrilling would it have been to see Vernon call Bill, Elon, and Malone and concoct this whole plot out of fear of what could happen to Martin and himself. Instead we got repetitive conversations and scenes that appeared to be cut short because we were being held off from knowing too much about the secret. 

Also, Kenny shouldn't have been killed off. How brilliant would it have been for Martin to actually out himself. He was riddled with guilt, anxiety, and fear but he still decided to do what is right. We should have had a trial (probably wouldn't because there is no set). This trial should have highlighted all the dynamics that come into play with race, racism, and the legal system. It should have shown why Vernon was scared to do the right thing to begin with. It would have been soapy and it would have been timely.

We should also be shown how the Duprees having status and wealth are privileged but still vulnerable. Vernon's connections and Bill would ultimately get Martin free, but it would demonstrate how even in their privelege, they are still Black in America. Ultimately, this would give Martin a platform as congressman, even if he would have to start small again and build his way up. 

I may have mentioned this yesterday, but while being in on the secret we would understand why Martin was keeping the secret from Smitty. We would also still get to see Nicole spiral after learning something else her family kept from her. Nothing that is happening now would have been lost. 

Perosonally, I think there was such a lack of foresight in telling this story. If the focus was racism and how the law is bias, then this focus on a secret was not the best choice. Unless there was another element of secrecy like Martin having an affair but we don't need another one of those. 

I also agree with you guys that Smitty shouldn't have thrown Martin out. He clearly just heard the trauma that Martin had endured and everything he was dealing with the past two years and he decided that now is the time to kick him out? Martin messed up and he should have told Smitty sooner, but there should have been more of a discussion as @ranger1rg pointed out. 

Edited July 18Jul 18 by GLATWT88

Martin's story setup was weak, but I'm enjoying the aftermath so far, except for the annoying 89-year-old daughter. 😂

3 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

Martin's story setup was weak, but I'm enjoying the aftermath so far, except for the annoying 89-year-old daughter. 😂

Not the geriatric daughter...

1 minute ago, GLATWT88 said:

Not the geriatric daughter...

😂😂😂😂

If I were Smitty, I would have kicked Martin out.  I don't know why people on Facebook are so furious with Smitty.

part 3: irna on beyond the gates

part 3: what would irna think about beyond the gates

11 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

😂😂😂😂

If I were Smitty, I would have kicked Martin out.  I don't know why people on Facebook are so furious with Smitty.

If my partner kept something that serious from me for two years knowing how worried I have been, I would be angry too. I do think it was too soon to kick Martin out considering he just unloaded all this trauma on Smitty. He could have spent the night and they could have discussed it further. 

I get why Smitty didn't tell Jacob, but I am also curious how goody two shoes Jacob will react to the events based on the circumstances. Will he empathize being a black man or will he think the law is the law and they should have followed the appropriate channels. 

20 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

If I were Smitty, I would have kicked Martin out.  I don't know why people on Facebook are so furious with Smitty.

Most of y'all are WAY more understanding than I am.  If MY spouse came home one day after an aborted press conference in a soul food restaurant & revealed she'd killed a dude with a tire iron beside the highway two years ago (and beat yet another guy till he required facial reconstruction) and placed my teenage son & (elderly) daughter in perpetual danger and never got around to mentioning it to me, her ass would be spending the foreseeable future with Grandma & Grandpa too.  From Smitty's point of view, he's got no reason to believe Martin has been honest with him about anything that's happened since 2023.  STD's?  Affairs?  Embezzlement?  For all Smitty knows, Martin's got a whole STASH of additional secrets he ain't got around to divulging yet.  

Today's episode was well-written (in my opinion), but I wish they'd have given Smitty a line like, "What else have you keeping from me, or lying to me about?" to drive the point home.