Beyond the Gates Recap for December 1, 2025: Smitty went up against Joey and Derek grew a spine

Here's what went down Monday, December 1, 2025 on Beyond the Gates when quality was Job One for Vanessa, Bill wanted Hayley to feel as one, and Ashley ended up with a table for one.

What happened on Beyond the Gates

On Beyond the Gates, Smitty was going over donations with Martin's campaign manager when he ran across a check from a “Joseph R. Armstrong.” After Smitty declared that the “R” stood for “reprehensible” – and the manager said the contribution would have to be included in the financial reports – Smitty grabbed the check and made a beeline for the casino, introducing himself to Joey as “Bradley Smith.” “We haven't formally met...Smitty,” Joey said, indicating he was a step ahead of the reporter.

Smitty didn't want Joey's dirty money tainting Martin's campaign and returned his check to him. “You think I'm dangerous?” Joey asked, getting Smitty's affirmative answer. “You don't have a clue.” Just then, Martin, who had heard about the check from his manager, arrived and told Joey that, whatever business they had, it was between them and didn't involve Smitty. Joey scoffed that people like the Richardson-Smiths always tried to do the right thing, yet no such thing existed. Armstrong believed in expediency and liked having a congressman in his pocket.

Martin referenced the deal Joey had forced him to make when Joey had helped locate the kidnapped Chelsea, but he wouldn't accept Joey's check – he then told Joey that he needed to grow a thicker skin. Joey decided that, as long as Martin's actions in Congress and his businesses didn't intersect, everyone would be happy. “We'll never be done,” Joey warned as Martin declared their conference concluded. Once home, Smitty told Martin that the way he had stood up to Joey had been hot, but he still worried that Joey had them right where he wanted them.

Vanessa gleefully handed out Heart Attach business cards to Fairmont Crest socialites, who had no idea what the business was; the widow McBride simply advised them to call the number on them. Dani saw the interactions and thought Vanessa was seeking clients for her real estate firm. After the girlfriends talked about Dani's honeymoon with Andre and the difficulties Vanessa's twins were still having with Doug's death, Dani saw the card and recognized Heart Attach as the escort service Vanessa had frequently solicited. Vanessa revealed that she was now running the service and delivered a word salad sales pitch about what the business provided.

“It's still giving prostitution,” Dani insisted. Vanessa countered that she wasn't a pimp; she was exploring a “target-rich environment.” “I'm more me than I've ever been,” Vanessa announced as Dani said “this” wasn't like her. When Dani asked if Vanessa would be running an escort service were Doug alive, Vanessa became defensive and refused to be judged.

Vanessa then let her walls down and divulged to Dani that not only had she been invisible while with Doug, she had barely seen him because of his surgeon schedule, and their sex life had been next to nonexistent. She had wanted freedom, and to feel alive – and with Joey, she didn't have to explain herself. Dani apologized for looking down her nose at her friend – she didn't approve of Joey or of Vanessa managing Heart Attach, but she understood Vanessa's need for distraction while she was grieving her husband.

Bill visited Vernon, who was chilly towards his ex-son-in-law; the lawyer then reminisced about the parties thrown in the Dupree mansion during his marriage to Dani. Vernon still appreciated how Bill had stepped in when Chelsea was kidnapped, but he couldn't forget how badly Bill had treated Dani. Bill admitted he had come to regret what he had done to Dani and how it had hurt her family; he had reveled in the Duprees' love for him. But Bill “didn't hate the present” and brought up how Hayley longed to be a part of the Fairmont Crest community, charging that he was all Hayley had.

Vernon spat that Bill should have been so protective of Dani, and that Bill had abandoned the family as much as he had Dani. Bill maintained that he had loved Dani with all of his heart and that his time feeling a part of the Duprees had been the best of his life. Vernon acknowledged that he hadn't let Bill in as far as he could have, adding that only Bill knew if he would have behaved any differently had Vernon gotten closer to him.

Bill and Vernon agreed that nothing could change the past, but when Bill again took up for Hayley regarding Fairmont Crest, Vernon was resolute that Bill knew the consequences of flaunting Hayley in Dani's face. The former senator couldn't forgive Bill, and he wished that Bill had done right by Dani at the end. Bill confessed that he hadn't lived up to his own standards and frowned when Vernon expressed happiness that Dani was now with someone who was devoted to protecting her.

Derek made his way across Garland Memorial's nurses station with his walker but dropped his keys; he was surprised when Andre retrieved them for him. When Andre wondered if there was any hope in Derek and Ashley reuniting, Derek became combative, especially as Andre began to say something only to think better of it. After Andre beat a hasty retreat, Derek saw Ashley and demanded to know what Andre had been about to tell him.

Ted and Shanice were friendly as he told the nurses' supervisor that it wasn't too early to start putting up Christmas decorations to cheer the patients up. Shanice joked that Ted could be the hospital's Santa Claus; Ted deemed Shanice naughty, but she replied that she had been extra nice and “deserved all the goodies.”

Later, Ted saw that Andre was distracted and got him to open up about Derek confronting him. Andre reported that he had almost told Derek about how Ashley had come to him to explore romantic possibilities not long after she had ended things with him. Ted could tell that something had shifted in Andre as the newlywed allowed that, while he had once seen a future with Ashley, he was very happy with wife Dani.

“Why would I expect honesty or clarity?” Derek exclaimed when Ashley said she didn't know what Andre had nearly given away. But she owned up to how she had approached Andre romantically...the same day she had told Derek goodbye. Derek was furious and of the opinion that Ashley's feelings for Andre had never gone away – leaving him as second best. Ashley denied it and pivoted it to Derek lying about beginning to recover from the paralysis; Derek knew he had been stupid but conceded that he had hid his progress because he had been afraid he would lose Ashley to Andre.

Ashley argued that Andre had had nothing to do with the problems she and Derek had experienced. Derek didn't appreciate Ashley blaming him and retorted that Ashley had been wrong as well – they both had done things to burn their relationship down. After Derek left, Ashley saw that Shanice had heard everything and was certain Shanice thought Ashley was as cruel and heartless as Derek did. Was she going to have to start looking for another job? Ashley yelped.

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To help Ashley gain some perspective, Shanice told her about how Derek's fellow firefighter, Sheryl, had come on to him the day after the breakup – yet Derek had turned her down out of his enduring love for Ashley. “I wish you hadn't told me that,” Ashley whimpered as Andre came by to see if Ashley was all right after her talk with Derek. The nurse unconvincingly said everything was fine, though she slipped that she and Derek had been painfully honest with each other, which seemed to be their sign to move on. Andre made an awkward exit, leaving Ashley to ponder what had just happened.

Beyond the Gates airs weekdays on CBS and streams on Paramount Plus.

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