Beyond the Gates Recap for October 29, 2025: Elon wanted to uninstall Marcel and the Richardson-Smiths attempted to uninstall Nathan

Here's what went down Wednesday, October 29, 2025 on Beyond the Gates when Vanessa shared the secret of wanting to be Queen Soprano, Banneker University may have Eva to thank for their new counselor, and Carlton accepted a very wet rain check.

What happened on Beyond the Gates

On Beyond the Gates, Dani sat at the country club, bummed about Nicole and how unsteady she seemed in the wake of her divorce from Ted. Vanessa joined her and admitted she'd been so wrapped up in her own affairs, she hadn't taken the time to check in on Nicole. Dani relayed how she'd seen Hayley and Leslie in conference earlier, yet somehow Hayley had seemingly experienced a “rare moment of good sense” in terminating the conversation. The former model sighed that Fairmont Crest had become “infested with interloping sluts.” “Speaking of nightmare scenarios,” Dani added...she wanted to know how things were going between Vanessa and Joey.

Vanessa frowned that she wasn't some hapless widow and that Dani sounded like her sister. Dani considered Vanessa family, someone who had been there for her when Bill had traded her in for Hayley; she shocked Vanessa when she reported how she'd let Joey know that he'd have to answer to her – and her gun – if he hurt Vanessa.

After an alarmed Vanessa said that Joey wasn't someone to play games with, Dani conceded that she hadn't actually threatened the man with a gun; she'd just made sure he realized that Vanessa was being watched out for. Vanessa appreciated that Dani was willing to let her make her own choices, refusing to apologize for wanting to feel something besides grief. The women giggled over Vanessa recounting how good the sex was with Joey. “Maybe I understand the attraction now,” Dani snarked.

Dani remembered how her sex life with Bill had initially overshadowed his cheating and minimizing of her. When Vanessa insisted that she knew Joey and that he didn't rival his reputation, Dani replied, “and Al Capone was just a mild-mannered liquor distributor.” Dani was concerned when Vanessa said she wanted more with Joey, hoping that her friend wasn't planning on signing her name as Mrs. Armstrong. Vanessa assured Dani that she had just buried one husband and therefore wasn't looking for another – however, she wanted to expand her business relationship with Joey...by sitting on his throne with him.

Elon visited Joey, demanding to be referred to as the chief of police. Joey sneered that the title “almost makes you look respectable.” Hawthorne didn't appreciate Joey dictating policy at the station in the form of preventing Marcel, whom Elon considered a liability, from retiring. Joey flatly stated that Marcel was “essential to certain operations” and there were bigger entities at stake besides just them. Elon realized that Joey was talking about the Duprees – particularly Vernon and Martin, who were both politicians; he read between the lines of Joey's talk and figured the deal was either Marcel stayed on the force, or Joey would go public with the Duprees' dirt, which would take everybody down.

When Joey suggested that they groom Jacob as Marcel's replacement, Elon flared, but Joey explained that he was just pulling Elon's chain. Elon was proud that his sons Jacob and Luke had “stayed the course” and kept their noses clean; Joey was surprised to learn that Elon had a third son, Izaiah. Joey listened as Elon described how Izaiah had gotten arrested after being involved with gangs – and amazingly, it had been Marcel who had helped expunge Izaiah's record. Elon was certain Izaiah would never believe it, but there was nothing that he wouldn't do for him.

Despite Marcel's help clearing his wayward son's record, Elon felt that Marcel had gotten too sloppy and visible, and still wanted him gone. Joey ordered Elon to make peace with the fact that Marcel wasn't going anywhere. “And if I don't?” Elon glowered.

Izaiah hung out at Uptown, calling Yolanda after re-reading his relationship-ending text from her. He wanted them to be able to talk, but she was unwilling, so he wished her well and hung up. Afterwards, he called Eva, saying he needed a buddy. Eva arrived, joking about them achieving buddy status. Izaiah lamented that, beyond Yolanda, he had just gone up against his constantly disappointed father, whose BS he had been taking since grade school. And Izaiah couldn't understand Jacob, who seemed to no longer idolize their father, as if something had happened to cause that change.

Eva understood family drama, commenting that she used to think her mother was a magician until she'd become one of her tricks. “I want to be better,” Eva vowed. Izaiah pled the fifth when Eva correctly deduced that he had come to Uptown in an attempt to “[scope] out a rebound roster”; his cologne, especially, was a giveaway to her. Eva heard how Izaiah had been ready to accept the position at Banneker until the reality of being so nearby his father had given him pause; Eva hoped Izaiah would stay in town, since she didn't have a lot of friends because of her mom. Izaiah wiped away some food from the corner of Eva's mouth and pondered that D.C. might have more to offer than he thought.

Nicole was thinking back to Carlton and Ted fighting over her when her domestic, Wanda, was unable to keep Carlton from entering. The ex-Mrs. Richardson fumed over her “impertinent guest” and was aghast that Ted and Carlton had embarrassed her in front of Shanice. Carlton was apologetic, but Nicole raged that Carlton's dressing down of Ted had merely been a bid to impress her. Once Nicole declared that she was a “grown-ass woman” who didn't need saving, Carlton promised that he'd never seen her as a victim, which melted the ice somewhat.

Though Carlton wanted to hit the reset button, starting with reinstating their dinner date, Nicole decided it wouldn't be fair to do so, since she'd realized that she wasn't ready yet to start dating. Carlton presumed that Nicole still had feelings for Ted; she stipulated that she was no longer in love with Ted, but that their decades-long connection, which involved children and grandchildren, couldn't just dissolve overnight. Nicole recalled how she often told patients not to make life-changing decisions while their hearts were still in tatters, and resolved that she should take her own advice. Carlton deserved better.

Carlton was disappointed and figured that he and Nicole would be on their way to the restaurant that moment had he not let Ted bait him. Nicole felt the need to stop herself from jumping out of one relationship into the next and understood that Carlton couldn't be expected to sit around and wait for her. Carlton revealed that he had admired Nicole for years and that he would consent to give her time; following, she accepted his kiss.

Samantha failed to convince her fathers that her and Nathan making out on the couch wasn't “what it looked like.” Nathan tried to step in and say that they hadn't planned the encounter, but Smitty told Nathan that silence would be his friend. Samantha stammered that she and Nathan had vibed while studying for a chemistry test, and that it wasn't like they were going to have sex in the living room; her argument crumbled when Martin found the condom they'd been planning to use.

Nathan first claimed that the prophylactic had fallen out of his pocket, then that it was an item they were using for their chemistry assignment. After the teens were called out for their changing stories, Martin proclaimed that Samantha was off limits to Nathan, even if he happened to see the girl in the hallway at school. With Nathan was unceremoniously ushered out, Samantha wailed that Martin and Smitty had ruined her life.

Smitty told Samantha that she was “better than this,” but Samantha protested that sixteen was the age of consent in D.C. Tyrell, who had come home in the middle of the mêlée, objected when Samantha tried to use his bringing Jessica home as a comparison to justify her actions with Nathan. “Whatever,” Samantha eye-rolled after she was grounded and forced to hand over her devices; she griped that Martin and Smitty wanted her to be a perfect little girl who never made mistakes. “Should I learn to chisel my homework into stone tablets?” she sassed, prompting to Smitty to say they'd heard enough of her backtalk.

After the teens went upstairs, Martin was certain that Smitty was of the opinion that he had been too hard on Samantha, but Smitty was in total accord. He couldn't exactly blame Samantha for wanting to explore her sexuality, since it wasn't like sex hadn't been in every song he and Martin had listened to growing up, and in every episode of MTV's The Real World (portrayer Mike Manning appeared in that show from 2009 to 2010.) But when Martin groused that he had let Smitty talk him into allowing Samantha to date, Smitty shot back, “So this is on me?”

Martin backtracked and deemed Smitty the heart of their family; he was needed to help center things when Martin, who was used to fighting in Congress, brought that home and went nuclear. Mr. Richardson decided that, this time, he and Mr. Smith would tackle the issue together, and not in their usual “Pop vs. Dad” scenario. Smitty enthusiastically assented.

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Upstairs, Samantha was surprised that Tyrell also disapproved of Nathan. Tyrell floored Samantha with the news that he had heard Nathan bragging in the locker room about how many girls he had “smashed.” Samantha hadn't realized and concurred that Tyrell might be right, then got Tyrell to listen to a new favorite song with his wireless headphones on, playing the tune from Tyrell's phone. While Tyrell grooved, Samantha shut off Tyrell's notifications and texted Nathan, asking to talk.

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

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