Beyond the Gates Recap for January 1, 2026: BRCA was the subject of the Dupree's NYD

Here's what went down Thursday, January 1, 2026 on Beyond the Gates when Nicole's housekeeper got a name, Kat went against the grain, and New Year's Day was not much of a celebration for the Duprees.

What happened on Beyond the Gates

On Beyond the Gates, Nicole thought back to Anita revealing her diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer, and that she carried its associated BRCA gene which might have been passed down to the following generations. Afterwards, she placed a call to Ted, asking to see him; then Martin and Kat arrived, having been summoned by their mother. Nicole's hedging amplified her children's worry, but she finally told them about Anita's cancer, indicating she had more they needed to hear.

Martin asked for a moment before allowing Nicole to go on and wondered if Anita had gotten a second and third opinion. Nicole explained that Anita was being seen to by leaders in the field, and that the consensus was that action had to be taken quickly. When Kat realized that chemotherapy and eventual surgery was her grandmother's only chance, she burst into tears.

Nicole forced herself to inform Martin and Kat about the gene she might be carrying which would make her more susceptible to Anita's type of breast cancer – and that there was a chance that her son and daughter may have inherited it, too. Martin listened as Nicole emphasized that Kat wasn't the only one at risk; men could still develop prostate cancer or other kinds of cancers, and even breast cancer themselves. Martin promised to get screened immediately if Nicole's test turned up positive, but Kat shocked the others by declaring that she wouldn't be having the test.

Kat felt that she didn't want to know if she carried BRCA – it would be like always walking around under a dark cloud, wondering if or when she would be afflicted; she wanted to “live [her] life in sunshine.” Martin was especially adamant that Kat undergo screening, but Kat got emotional and left. As Nicole assured Martin that his sister would come around, Kat went to Uptown and downed a shot of tequila.

Ted welcomed Nicole to his office; when Nicole asked how things were between him and Kat, he was cautiously optimistic that he and his daughter had been making headway. Nicole explained about Anita's cancer, and Ted felt for what his former parents-in-law were going through. Ted promised to be there for Nicole and the kids, despite the divorce; Nicole was grateful ,but also terrified over Kat's refusal to be screened for BRCA. Dr. Richardson wasn't surprised and stressed that they couldn't make Kat get tested. Nicole cried that Ted was the only other person who knew what they'd gone through to have Kat, and that she couldn't bear the idea of their miracle baby gambling with her life. Ted said he would support Kat, but ultimately she would have to come to the decision to have the test on her own.

Vernon escorted Anita into the Dupree manse, just having come from Anita getting the chemo port installed in her chest. Anita was surprised that the device wasn't particularly uncomfortable; it more bothered her what it represented. The matriarch decided she wanted to have one “nice, normal day” before her cancer fight began, considering it might be her last one. Vernon swore to be by Anita's side, even through her eventual pain, nausea, and hair loss; he joked that he could be her butler. The former senator was glad that Dani and Nicole were passing the news to their grandchildren, as that lifted one burden from Anita, who didn't want to partake in their New Year's tradition of looking through photo albums because it wouldn't take her mind off how her cancer was going to affect the family. Chelsea and Naomi entered, worried about what they had overheard.

Vernon deflected and tried to get his granddaughters to take any questions to Dani, but Anita relented and invited the girls to sit with her. As she divulged that she had developed triple negative breast cancer, Naomi recalled having had a friend with that type of aggressive malignancy. “Had?” Chelsea asked, taking the meaning. Anita showed the girls the site of her bandaged port and promised she wouldn't take the cancer lying down, although she prefaced that wanting to beat it didn't mean she would. Naomi, Chelsea, and Vernon stated that they were Duprees, and that, together, there was nothing they couldn't handle.

Anita elaborated about the BRCA gene and insisted that Chelsea and Naomi get tested should Dani end up carrying it. Chelsea didn't want her grandmother blaming herself for potentially passing down the gene and smiled that the only thing she wanted to inherit from Anita was her “incredible spirit.”

After Dani's daughters had gone, Martin came by the Duprees' to visit, though Vernon warned Martin that Anita had already had a full day. Anita agreed that she was talked out on the subject of cancer and wanted Martin to discuss his latest political doings instead. Martin was glad that most people thought he got his inspiration from his grandfather, but he wanted his grandmother to know that he was “packing a little bit of Anita Dupree in [his] pocket” as well. To wit: Martin had run up against a confrontational caucus leader and thought to himself, “WWGD” – “What Would Gran Do?” Anita grinned over hearing how Martin had fittingly stood his ground; then Martin said that Anita would have to give cancer the same glare so that they would all be spending lots more New Years together.

Hayley strolled into her living room, repeating her desire that she and Bill try for another property in St. Bart's, as the owners of the house they thought they'd secured had changed their minds about the sale. Bill agreed but had to take a work call; meanwhile, Hayley saw on the security feed that Dani was at the door and only grudgingly let her in.

Dani was desperate to talk to Bill, but Hayley sniffed that the ex-Mrs. Hamilton wasn't welcome. Hayley was in the middle of accusing Dani of still being obsessed with Bill when the lawyer returned, equally unhappy to find Dani there. “It's about our girls!” Dani choked out, and Bill decided to hear her out, asking Hayley if they could have the room. Hayley pretended to understand but parked herself in the hallway to eavesdrop.

When Dani could finally bring herself to tell Bill that her mother had cancer, Hayley shook her head in disbelief. Bill deemed Anita a fighter and vowed to be there for both Dani and their daughters, which displeased Hayley. Dani explained about the BRCA gene and conceded that she had wanted to tell Bill first, hoping that he might accompany her while sitting their daughters down. Bill consented immediately, and Hayley rolled her eyes.

After Dani left, Hayley griped that she was “finally welcome in [her] own living room.” Bill lied that he had to go to the office, but offered to tell Hayley what he and Dani had talked about over dinner. Hayley barely hid her annoyance as she “allowed” Bill to leave.

Dani had barely gotten to her house with Bill when Naomi and Chelsea rushed in, wondering why Dani hadn't told them about Anita's cancer immediately. Chelsea lamented that Anita and Vernon had wound up comforting them, while Naomi couldn't understand why Dani had put her and her sister in that position. Dani struggled to explain that she had needed a moment to absorb the news herself and figure out how to tell the girls; Bill spoke up and defended Dani, saying that there were no right answers and that everyone was doing the best that they could. After Dani confirmed about the BRCA gene possibly running in the family, both Naomi and Chelsea promised they'd get screened should Dani test positive, and the Hamiltons came together in a group hug.

At the Dupree manse, Anita looked through the photo albums on her own as retroactive voice-overs of important family moments played. After Vernon gently snapped her out of her reverie, Anita was glad she had pored through the pictures after all and marveled at the wonder of the Duprees. Knowing that there was so much love amongst the clan, Anita believed she would be at peace no matter what happened.

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In a special tag, Karla Mosley (Dani) and Daphnée Duplaix (Nicole) explained that 85% of patients who contract breast cancer have no family history of it, and that a lump isn't the only indication of a tumor – there are a total of twelve signs of the malignancy, which Black women especially should know, given they're more likely to develop the cancer at younger ages. The actors advised viewers to explore knowyourlemons.org and to download their app designed to help in the formation of a breast plan. “Early detection saves lives,” Duplaix and Mosley ended.

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

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