Beyond the Gates Recap, July 9, 2025: Martin and Elon separately avoided telling the truth about Martin's fateful night

Here's what went down Wednesday, July 9, 2025 on Beyond the Gates when Ashley took in a game of Andre/Dani ping-pong, the McBrides played a game of Save the Randy, and Jacob competed in a game of I Remember.

What happened on Beyond the Gates

On Beyond the Gates, Dani glued a smile on after catching Andre holding Ashley's hand at Uptown and approached the twosome's table. Ashley caught the vibe between Andre and Dani as Dani sat down, uninvited; she told Dani that she and Andre had been having a wonderful time. Dani expressed surprise at seeing Andre with Ashley and laughed when they couldn't keep their stories straight about what they were to each other. After Dani called Andre the King of the Revolving Door and accused him of making Ashley another one of his pit stops, Ashley was curious to hear his reaction.

Andre cryptically described Dani to Ashley, admitting that he'd wanted something real with a mystery lady, who, because she couldn't let go of her past, had treated Andre like a toy. Dani delved further into the lady, leading Andre to say she was a lot like Dani herself. Ashley contended that any lady who had let Andre get away was crazy. “Valid point,” Dani conceded. “This woman clearly needs her head examined.” Andre demurred that his lady wasn't crazy; she just hadn't been able to move beyond her understandable hurt.

Dani blithely inquired how this woman had failed to live up to Andre's expectations. Andre said he had just been frustrated that his lover had continued to hang on to her ex. Dani “theorized” that perhaps Andre wasn't worth keeping the lady's torch lit himself. Ashley watched as Andre declared he had options and never left a woman unsatisfied; “except one, apparently,” Dani retorted. Ashley called a halt to the proceedings, sidestepping Dani's query into which side Ashley was on and making a trip to the ladies' room ahead of an exit with Andre. Alone, Dani chirped, “She's absolutely precious, Andre! Like a little baby deer finding its footing in the forest!”

Andre wanted Dani to drop the act and labeled Ms. Dupree jealous. Dani denied the claim and viewed Andre squiring someone as naïve as Ashley around embarrassing. The shutterbug shot back that Dani was just mad at herself for throwing what they'd had away, causing Dani to mock him. Andre held that he found Dani equally enticing and annoying and couldn't understand why she was defending their relationship to Nicole one minute and running after Bill the next. Dani spat that life was messy, and that if Andre had been able to handle that, he wouldn't have gone after “someone so basic she makes vanilla look spicy.”

Ashley returned just as Dani was chiding Andre for pursuing “post-pubescent nurses who still get carded at happy hour.” Ms. Morgan purposely avoided the clear reference to her, and Andre stood up to join her. When Ashley asked if Dani needed a ride, Dani moaned that she was going to stay to toast “my empty house, my empty bed, my empty life.” Dani tried to hold in her emotions as Andre and Ashley walked out.

Jacob lamented to Smitty that the only time Marcel was friendly to him was when he wanted something – and Marcel had just been very talkative. Smitty snarked at Marcel's feeling that he was just some bottom-feeder reporter, but Jacob had noted that the stony Marcel had actually seemed rattled when explaining away his questionable deposits. The detective and the reporter observed that Elon and Marcel were both running interference, trying to discourage Jacob from talking to Smitty.

Recalling Marcel's words, Jacob found it odd that Marcel had detailed the exact two windfalls Smitty had been looking into. Hawthorne was impressed that Smitty had played Marcel by making it obvious that he had been the one to hack into Marcel's account, while Smitty shared that people's masks fell off when they became afraid their secrets were going to be exposed. Mr. Smith also opined that the story wasn't Marcel receiving $500,000 – it was the fact that he had been paid to make something much bigger go away.

Smitty maintained that he wasn't letting his investigation go and wanted to know if Jacob was still in. The two went over their findings to date, with Jacob reminding Smitty that he had seen Marcel taking cash from Joey. Smitty reiterated that everything linked back to the night Martin claimed he'd gotten a flat tire while with Vernon, and that Smitty hit a wall every time he asked Martin about it. Jacob pulled up his personal records from the 2023 night in question: Jacob had been at the station late and thought back to colliding with someone there.

Jacob wanted answers as much as Smitty, who had become concerned for Martin's security. Smitty reinforced that if what they uncovered implicated Martin somehow, he would have to stay quiet for his husband's sake. After Jacob and Smitty parted ways, Elon approached Jacob, who remembered that he had crashed into a frantic Elon; Elon had taken off in a hurry without acknowledging the collision. Elon was dismayed that Jacob was still working with Smitty, and Jacob relayed how Smitty had discovered Marcel's suspicious payments. Jacob didn't agree with Elon's stance that Smitty was on a witch hunt and flat out asked Elon if he knew what Smitty would see.

When Elon claimed that memories got fuzzy after two years, Jacob shared his own memory of him running out like a bat out of hell...having worn street clothes at the station, which was unprofessional. Elon remained silent as Jacob described how Martin had come home to Smitty wearing different clothes than what he'd had on when he'd left, and how whatever had happened that night continued to plague Martin with nightmares. Jacob emphasized how he had learned his sense of integrity from Elon and implored his father to tell him the truth about that 2023 incident. Elon ultimately told Jacob that the reason he sensed that things didn't add up was because...they didn't. The elder Hawthorne imparted that Jacob's search for justice was blinding him – and that there was simply nothing for Elon to tell. Jacob reluctantly agreed to stick to cases that he could solve.

Marcel brought an aggrieved Randy into the back room of the casino at gunpoint. Joey recalled how he had hired Randy when no one else would and pondered why Randy had started thinking he was smarter than the owner. Randy, realizing Joey had noticed the $10,000 missing from the cash earmarked as a lure for “Kenneth,” avowed his intention to pay Joey back, but Marcel reported that he'd intercepted Randy at the airport trying to fly to Bali – and noted that Bali had non-extradition laws. Joey promised that, unlike Bali, it was cold where Randy was going after lying to him and stealing from him.

Randy got nowhere pleading his case as Joey raged at him. When Joey announced that “Kenneth” was still alive, Randy insisted that he had indeed shot the man, but his gun had jammed before he could get off a second shot. Randy said he'd known Joey would be pissed that he'd failed in his assignment, so he'd taken the money that he'd figured would be a drop in the bucket for the proprietor; Randy added that he'd made up being seen by a witness because he'd been scared of Joey's wrath. Even after Randy stressed that he had done everything Joey had ever asked, and that he'd only screwed up once, Joey deemed Randy of no further use to him.

Just as Joey was about to hand Randy over to Marcel, whom Randy referred to as “Temu Shaft,” Vanessa and Doug came through the door. Randy and Joey both told the McBrides they needed to leave, but Vanessa recognized Marcel as Joey's “poker buddy” and discerned that there was no game in progress. Marcel began to menace Vanessa when she hinted that the precinct wouldn't be happy to know where the cop was spending his time, but Joey stopped him and sent him out of the room. Doug stepped up and said Randy had had his back “from day one,” and now Doug was returning the favor; Vanessa added that she and Doug had followed the spooked Randy and witnessed Marcel retrieving Randy at gunpoint.

“Does potential homicide make you anti-social?” Vanessa purred as the gruff Joey continued to lobby for the McBrides' exit. Doug advised Vanessa not to antagonize Joey, while Joey bluntly stated that their conversation was over. Vanessa acquiesced, but notified Joey that she and Doug were taking their friend Randy with them. Joey scoffed and demanded that Doug handle “[his] woman” before things got out of hand, but Doug would only underline how determined Vanessa could be. The McBrides pushed for Randy's freedom – under the proviso that he would leave D.C. and never come back – or else Vanessa would terminate her real estate and personal relationships with Joey.

Joey decided that Randy, once telling him that his wife was cheating on him with a dealer, was enough to buy Randy his life. The McBrides began to leave with Randy, but Joey wanted Vanessa to stay. Vanessa stood her ground and told the alarmed Doug that she'd be fine; after Doug escorted Randy out, Joey railed at the realtor for sticking her nose in his business. Vanessa toyed with Joey, caressing his jacket and asking him to define the lines she had just crossed. “You know I probably will anyway,” Vanessa replied when Joey ordered her never to interfere again; Joey smoldered as he said that Vanessa drove him crazy. The two kissed passionately.

Martin was flustered because Samantha took her time getting home after he'd sent her a text instructing her to do so immediately. Samantha didn't understand the urgency, and when Martin demanded that both his kids stay home that evening, Tyrell wrote it off as Martin overreacting because he'd allowed over his new chess buddy. Martin kept staring out the window and tried to convince the teens that he was just being careful; Tyrell snarked that the friend Samantha wanted to see “might be running a chess ring on the low.”

The congressman tried to explain that the amount of threats he received only increased because of his being gay and black, and that he and Smitty had consciously chosen not to share all the inherent dangers with their children. While Samantha and Tyrell groused that being on lockdown was unfair, Martin flashed back to “Kenneth” implying harm would come to them. Martin refused to elaborate further, but the teens could tell that their pop was out of it.

Tyrell and Samantha, already feeling like they'd been grounded without doing anything wrong, took umbrage at Martin's contention that any friend activities now had to happen at the house or at school. Martin's distracted vehemence worried the kids, who couldn't get a straight answer out of their pop about what was going on. Once Samantha and Tyrell were tucked safely upstairs, Martin locked the front door and sat on the couch with a baseball bat. Weapon in hand, Martin fell asleep; his dream of the fateful night featured Elon, Marcel, and a pre-surgery “Kenneth” asking, “What do we got here?” Martin's eyes popped open at the sound of Smitty's voice; he found his husband hovering over him, assuring him everything was all right.

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Martin tried once again to deflect, but this time Smitty wouldn't allow it – especially now that Martin was sleeping with a baseball bat. Smitty begged Martin to let him help carry his burden, “even if it turns out...” the reporter trailed off before gently adding, “if you did something...” Martin couldn't bring himself to voice it; Smitty cried as he exhorted Martin to trust him before the secret ruined the both of them. After Martin pledged that he was only holding things back in an effort to protect their family, Smitty protested and said it was time for Martin to come clean so they could face things together...but Martin claimed exhaustion and replied that “maybe” they would continue the discussion in the morning.

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

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