Beyond the Gates Recap, June 16, 2025: Vanessa outmaneuvered Joey, and Martin confronted the busboy

Here's what went down Monday, June 16, 2025 on Beyond the Gates when Ashley said, “I don't,” Chelsea got more than moo goo gai pan, and Smitty used his investigative X-ray vision to see through Marcel.

What happened on Beyond the Gates

On Beyond the Gates, “Kenneth” leaned in and whispered, “Let's see what color's your money” in Martin's ear. Martin jumped up and demanded the busboy repeat himself, but he only subserviently said Martin hadn't heard him asking if he was ready for the check. Martin had barely recovered by the time Vernon returned to their table and worried that he was now hearing things on top of having hallucinations. When Martin told his grandfather what he thought he'd heard “Kenneth” say, Vernon realized it was a word-for-word recitation of what had been spoken on Martin's traumatic night.

Vernon relented and suggested that perhaps Martin seek out therapy after all, being careful not to get too specific about what happened “two years ago.” Martin wondered if he just might have heard the busboy correctly after all. “What if he is the man from that night?” Vernon didn't think it was possible; that “man” had taken his settlement money and fled the country, and the former senator knew he hadn't come back, because he'd hired someone to keep tabs on him. After Martin exited with Vernon, he waited for “Kenneth” outside and seized him by his uniform sweater. “Why are you talking to me? And what do you want? And who the hell are you?” “Kenneth” looked terrified.

At the police station, Marcel complained to Elon about having to do the interview with The Washington Record. Elon advised Marcel to talk up the department, since they needed some good PR. Smitty arrived, using his given name of Bradley, and introduced himself to the barely willing Marcel. While Marcel acknowledged that he had been on the force for 37 years, he called his partnership with Jacob “in name only.” Smitty was surprised that Marcel knew how Leslie, whom Jacob had been spending most of his time investigating, had been targeting Smitty's in-laws – but Marcel added that he also knew “all about” Martin.

Smitty started to ask about his husband, but Marcel turned the conversation to his retirement plans, speaking of the yacht he liked to sail and occasionally race on. When Smitty produced a photo of Marcel and his boat, he thought he could see Joey in the background. Marcel rejected Smitty's observation and said he didn't know Joey, but Smitty found it odd that Marcel and Joey were both members of the same yacht club and had somehow never come across each other.

Marcel's friendliness waned as he steered the subject back to his career instead, but his expression became even more stern when Smitty mentioned how a murder case of Marcel's had gone unsolved and that the main suspect had been an associate of Joey's. Amazing, Smitty commented, that Marcel and Joey's paths kept intertwining. Although Smitty had been granted an hour for the interview, Marcel cut it short, retorting that the reporter's questions had been more like stones...and there was a saying about people in glass houses.

Andre saw Naomi hard at work at Orphey Gene's and inquired about Bill. Naomi reported that Bill's stroke had been slight and that he was bouncing back. The two got into the subject of what Derek had planned for Ashley that night. Naomi revealed that she had helped Derek plan for it and was shocked when Andre reluctantly squealed that Ashley had thought a break-up was coming. Andre received his own shock when Naomi confessed that Derek was planning to propose; the photographer's glued-on smile betrayed his reaction that the news was great. Naomi, however, had reservations about Derek's timing.

Naomi realized from her father's recent brush with mortality that Ashley had likely been deeply affected by Derek getting hurt in the burning building, which was around the time their relationship started falling apart. The attorney suspected that the intense gratitude Ashley had felt over Derek surviving had replaced some common sense. Andre could see Naomi's point.

At Uptown, Ashley gushed over the engagement ring that Derek presented her with; the adjective she chose for it was “sparkly.” Derek admitted that Naomi had helped him pick it out and stuttered that Ashley could select a different one if she wanted. Just as Derek was about to slip it on Ashley's finger so she could try it on for size, Ashley yelped, “Wait!”

The nurse told the firefighter that she needed time to catch her breath and that, while they'd frequently talked about marriage, it had always been far off in the future. When Ashley professed that she'd thought Derek had been about to end things, Derek was surprised that she would consider him the kind of guy who would take a girl to a nice place just to walk out on her. Ashley remarked that Derek hadn't been particularly happy since they opted to stop living together; Derek took his share of responsibility and resolved that the things they had fought over could be worked out.

Derek felt that the ring would symbolize their willingness to stand together, but when he added that it would also serve to be a permanent tie, Ashley regretfully said that she couldn't wear it. She wasn't ready to marry him. Derek socked the ring away and chastised himself for his bad move; when Ashley fumbled over herself, saying that they were still figuring things out, Derek declared that, simply, Ashley made him happy. Ashley divulged that she hadn't listened to her inner voice when she'd agreed to move Derek in with her, and now the voice was saying that marriage didn't feel right in that moment. Derek became angry and accused Ashley of playing him.

Ashley tried to explain that she was just being honest, but Derek was of the opinion that she just wanted to avoid hurting him by not breaking up. After Ashley questioned Derek wanting to rush her to the altar, he replied that he didn't want to waste time, which rattled Ashley more. “I can't do this anymore,” Derek said, exasperated. Ashley pointedly responded that Derek wasn't any more sure about their relationship than she was – had his sudden proposal been sincere, or merely a test?

Derek didn't answer, but when Ashley asked why her admission of love wasn't enough for the time being, Derek spat that “not now” and “not yet” didn't feel like love to him. Ashley denied that she was just keeping Derek around until someone better came along; Derek paid the bill and left while Ashley broke into sobs. Later, Andre found Ashley, handed her a napkin for her tears, and put his arm around her. Ashley explained how Derek had proposed, but that it had seemed more like an ultimatum. Andre figured that “hothead” Derek would be back, while Ashley felt that this time, the split was permanent.

An ebullient Vanessa had Joey meet her at the casino, “where the game [was] played,” according to her. The realtor's tone changed as she noted the irony of Joey seducing her on the same table where he had cheated her husband at cards, not letting Joey deny it. Telling Joey that she'd had time to go over every lie and manipulation, Vanessa deduced that Joey must be quite desperate to go to the lengths he did just to use her real estate firm as a money laundering front – which gave her the upper hand.

Vanessa could see that Joey needed “a legitimate enterprise with a reputable, long-term history” – which the casino was not. Joey snarked that he could go to a car wash or a jewelry store that was small but could also run millions of dollars through it. When Vanessa offered up her business for Joey's purposes, Joey wanted her to be reasonable, while she reminded him that he had essentially forced her into the position in the first place. Vanessa was willing to move forward, while Joey stated that she owed him a lot of money. “I don't,” Vanessa protested.

After Joey allowed that the debt was Doug's, but also that Vanessa, as Doug's spouse, was legally liable for it, Vanessa came down on Joey for enjoying his set-up of Doug. Joey conceded he cared more about Vanessa than he did about her husband, and that he would rather send Vanessa “into throes of ecstasy” than see her suffer. Vanessa listened as Joey suggested she arrange certain real estate deals for him, the commissions from which she could use to pay down Doug's balance. Vanessa laughed that Joey had gone through an elaborate song and dance to manipulate her into using her business, when all he'd had to do was ask.

Vanessa saw that Joey was intrigued, but exclaimed that the current proposed terms left nothing in the deal for her. Her counterproposal was that Joey immediately forgive Doug's debt, that she have say-so over the properties they considered, and that she and Doug both profit from the commissions. Joey balked that Vanessa could do whatever she wanted with her 3% share, but he called Vanessa out of her mind when she demanded 6% for Doug...and an additional 12% for her.

Joey was ready to stalk off until Vanessa confidently said that her stipulations were not unreasonable...considering she could go public with Joey setting Doug up to lose at poker so he'd owe Joey a large sum; Vanessa even faked crying to demonstrate what kind of witness she would be. And, she pronounced, an investigation might unearth that Joey wanted to launder money elsewhere because his casino was already under suspicion. “You're adorable,” Joey answered breathlessly. When he added that Vanessa wouldn't want to make an enemy of him, she said that she liked Joey and implied that there might be benefits from their arrangement besides money. Joey pulled Vanessa into his arms, and she stared him down. They decided to seal their deal with another lovemaking session.

Madison brought Chelsea a wide selection of Chinese food, unsure of what she liked. Though Chelsea had wanted to take Madison out, the doctor decided that Chelsea's quieter place would make conversation easier. When Chelsea asked not to be judged for using a fork instead of chopsticks, Madison replied, “All of your secrets are safe with me.”

The ladies talked about ChelseaKat; as a former model, Chelsea liked the purses being the product instead of her. Madison suddenly divulged that she had seen many of Chelsea's posts from there in Dani's guest house when the runway used to be part of it, and being in the place in person made her uneasy. Chelsea assured Madison that most of what she showed to her followers was an illusion – they saw her nightly skin care routine but never who joined her in bed afterwards – and promised she would never put anything on social media about Madison without her permission.

Madison appreciated the discretion and shared that, while coming out to her mother and siblings had been mostly painless, her father had been a tougher nut to crack. Chelsea could relate since she hadn't felt comfortable outing herself to Bill given he'd broken her trust – Chelsea also noticed that Madison kept bringing their talk back around to her when she wanted to hear how Madison's father had adjusted. Madison said that it had happened over time, and now, since Madison worked so much, her dad was actually pushing her to get out more...which is what had brought her to Uptown the night she met Chelsea.

Chelsea got Madison to admit that she had been checking her out, despite her denials. Asked about her first crush, Madison spoke of a high school theatre girl; Madison had been on the stage crew for one of her plays just to be near her. Chelsea relayed that she had mostly dated guys until she became a model, after which she had begun to experiment; she now identified as queer, and she wasn't attracted to gender. She liked heart, intelligence...and luscious lips. Madison let Chelsea kiss her and thanked her for clarifying. After some dithering over fortune cookies and leftovers, Madison grabbed Chelsea and kissed her back, which led to a more passionate exchange.

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