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Here's what went down on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, on Beyond the Gates when symbolism was not lost on Naomi, but something else was, Ted got added to June's menu, and Marcel began a countdown for Doug.
What happened on Beyond the Gates
On Beyond the Gates, Derek hid the box with Ashley's engagement ring on his person as Ashley cleaned up following dinner with him, Jacob, and Naomi. Ashley remarked that the evening had felt “normal,” though she sensed that Jacob and Derek had wanted her and Naomi out of the apartment so they could do guy talk. The nurse confessed that she and Naomi had had some girl talk, with Naomi grilling her about why she'd changed her mind about marrying Derek. After Ashley confirmed that being Mrs. Baldwin was what she wanted, Derek sensed the cue and began to bring out his ring, only for Ashley to spill beer on the rug and rush to clean it before any stain set.
Ashley inadvertently interrupted Derek's moment again when a neighbor who needed her trash taken out called; Ashley ducked out while Derek toyed with the ring. It slipped out of his hand and skittered across the carpet – not wanting Ashley to see it, he tried to stand up in his wheelchair, but still couldn't quite reach the jewelry. Ashley returned and saw Derek out of breath; when she realized he was struggling to retrieve the ring, he lied that he had been using his upper body muscles in an attempt to get to it.
Though Ashley said the ring didn't matter, Derek said it represented a dream come true to him to be able to put it on Ashley's finger after she had refused it the first time. Accepting the token, Ashley expressed that cruel twists of fate had conspired to tear them apart, but they were back on track. Ashley helped Derek move on to the couch, and the two wanted to make love, but suddenly Ashley wondered if it would be too much for Derek. He seemed to agree, yet didn't look happy when Ashley offered to cuddle instead.
At Orphey Gene's, the Hawthornes ran into Marcel, who snarked that he had gotten a new partner, even though Elon had finally taken Jacob off of desk duty. Jacob was still certain that Joey was pulling Marcel's strings and taunted the veteran detective about being able to sit at the big boy table with Armstrong. Marcel warned that one word from him would get Jacob demoted again, and he prepared to leave, since a real cop's work was never done. “How would you know?” Jacob spat, with Naomi getting in a few words in defense of her husband. Afterwards, Naomi was proud of Jacob for standing up to Malone, and June arrived to fill them in on Samantha's literary studies...and the fact that Smitty hadn't approved of their mother-daughter time.
June appreciated that Jacob listened to her – unlike Smitty, who just seemed to be lying in wait for her to screw up. Naomi was curious what Samantha and June had talked about, but June wouldn't betray the teenager's confidence. Later, left alone as the closing hour approached, June heard a customer entering and announced that the kitchen was no longer serving. A voice asked for coffee – it was Ted, who wanted company and asked June to sit with him.
Ted noticed that June was new and commented that he'd end up making his tailor work overtime if he were on staff at the diner, since he'd be sampling everything on the menu. June said that Ted likely never had to worry about weight and took notice of his wedding ring. Ted replied that he was married “for now” and that he had a family, even though he tended to get cast as a villain by them. June shared that she'd made bad choices but that she now had her kids back in her life, which pleased Ted, who advised her to hold tight to them.
Arriving home, Naomi still had Derek and Ashley on her mind, but Jacob wanted to get romantic. Naomi consented, yet put the brakes on as soon as she realized that her wedding ring was gone. Panicked, she tore up the bedroom looking for it; Jacob was less concerned, of the opinion that a piece of metal wasn't representative of their love. Naomi interpreted that to mean he thought her anxiety was irrational and became perturbed – though she ultimately admitted that his ring was important to her, given the many breakups and divorces in her family. Jacob assured his wife that the loss was not a sign of things to come.
Back at the diner, June found Naomi's ring on the ladies' room sink. Ted wondered if it had been left behind by accident or on purpose by someone who was done with their marriage; Ted twiddled his own band as he mused. After Ted bid June goodnight, she recognized the ring and called Naomi, who was relieved to have it back on her hand. Jacob smiled that June had come through for them and brought out the pair of fuzzy handcuffs he and Naomi liked to use as they resumed their path to lovemaking.
In Puerto Rico, Joey and Vanessa marveled that they had stepped into a dream. While Joey looked forward to seeing his frequent vacation spot through Vanessa's eyes, she wondered what they were escaping from – especially since Joey kept checking his phone. She didn't see that Joey had gotten a text from Marcel, who reported that Doug was losing big at the casino. Indeed, the dealer there judged Doug as tapped out – so the surgeon bet the watch on which Vanessa had inscribed a loving message to him. Nevertheless, Doug kept losing...and drinking.
At Joey and Vanessa's hotel, Armstrong was happy that they could be a couple out in the open instead of worrying about Doug's disapproving eye and the whispers of Fairmont Crest's elite. Receiving more texts about Doug from Marcel, Joey ordered the dirty cop to “reel him in”; Vanessa became annoyed by Joey's distractions. However, Vanessa was thrown for a loop when Joey asked her to remove her wedding ring – which she had always kept on during their time together.
Vanessa was hesitant and questioned Joey's timing. Her lover said that he wanted her to be present with him in the moment, and to be his. Back at the Lakeview, Doug lost another bundle, sensing that his game of twenty-one was rigged against him. Marcel entered as the heavily intoxicated Doug stood to leave, insisting that Doug's luck could turn around “in a heartbeat.”
Now Vanessa's phone intruded on her time with Joey – she got a call from Doug and firmly told him she wouldn't engage with him when he'd been drinking. Doug was desperate and said he should “never have taken [his] sorry ass out to gamble,” conceding that he had lost his pride and self-respect along with his money. Tears came to Vanessa's eyes as Doug took responsibility for the damage he'd done to their marriage through his addiction, with Vanessa calling it a potential turning point. Just then, Joey called out asking what kind of wine Vanessa wanted.
Doug was horrified that Vanessa was with “that bargain basement Tony Soprano” and wailed that he had dumbly called the one person who could make him feel worse. Vanessa slipped that she'd talk to him in the morning “when I get back,” then fumed at Joey for purposely making sure Doug knew she was in his company. Joey denied playing innocent about the move and insisted that he just wanted Vanessa to be able to step away from the wreckage Doug had made of her life for one night. Hearing that Joey didn't wish to have Doug in the room with them, metaphorically, Vanessa took off Doug's ring and placed it on the other side of the suite.
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While Vanessa changed into lingerie for Joey, he got another message from Marcel, who notified his boss to “start the countdown.” Joey began making love to Vanessa while Doug reupped at the poker table and toyed with his own wedding ring. Marcel made sure Doug got more alcohol to drink and stayed behind after Doug finally won a stack of cash. Doug could barely stay on his feet as he counted his winnings, but he was alert enough to see that Marcel had started taking his stash away from him. Marcel was blurry in Doug's view as he told Doug he wouldn't need money where he was going.
Beyond the Gates airs weekdays on CBS and streams on Paramount Plus.
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