Doctors, DNA, and Dreams Come to Life: Beyond the Gates Two Scoops for the week of June 9, 2025

When living together doesn't work, just get married on Beyond the Gates

Are y'all ready to go Beyond the Gates? This week, Jacob's rule following and Kat's rule breaking got results against Leslie, Bill saw the welcome sight of his fam coming together and the unwelcome sight of drill sergeant PT practitioner Shanice, The Articulettes called a truce to facilitate their comeback, and Dani's secret “situationship” with Andre came closer to coming out. Meanwhile, sleepy couple Derek and Ashley contemplated marriage, and Martin's nightmares migrated into the real world! Let's fill up those Two Scoops and find out what happened inside and outside the gates of Fairmont Crest!

Gett off

TIDE WATCH: 2

FEBREZE WATCH: 0

Leslie Thomas was a big topic of conversation across our fictional D.C., even for those who weren't directly tied to her investigation. Derek actually commiserated with invisible rival Andre about the danger Leslie posed, and later Derek accompanied Derek to a Leslie-rattling session with Jacob, which ended up not being as all that as Jacob made it sound like it was going to be.

The same was true when Andre entrusted his hard drive full of documentary footage – which included security cam caps of Leslie/”Lulu” – to Ashley. Given Andre took the time to warn Ashley about Leslie possibly taking advantage of Ashley's soft spot, I came away thinking Leslie was gonna pry that hard drive out of Ashley's hands somehow. I guess all the aforementioned plot points were meant to be red herrings, and that's okay.

That's better than being hit over the head with details and having them telegraphed from ten miles away! (That's you, B&B.) Leslie got a visit from Kat, who tried the identical truce trick on Leslie that she did on Eva, except Leslie saw through it in a second. Ms. Thomas' response to Kat's “olive branch” was that she wanted to use that branch to go “across your behind for your insolence.” These divas know how to throw down!

Leslie had apparently called Bill's office and asked for the services of Tomás. While on the call, Leslie turned her back – despite specifically telling Kat to stay where she could see her – giving Kat the chance to crack Leslie's window open a hair for obvious later entry. I was certain that Kat and Tomás were working together, but it looks like they weren't. Boy, will Kat be mad when she learns her sorta bae met with her enemy!

Breaking it down, Leslie wanted Tomás to be her “fixer,” the way Bill filled that role for the Duprees. Tomás basically told Leslie where to stick her proposition, neither knowing that, at that moment, the wonderfully snooty Kat debased herself by crawling through a window: Leslie's window. Next to a bottle of Tide (oh, if these bottles could talk), Kat stuck Leslie's helmet and gloves into her ottoman bench.

Leslie ran to Eva's hotel and started looking around for the incriminating items; as I mentioned in my previous column, it was pretty dumb for Eva to hide the stuff in her room. In another McGuffin moment, Eva said she wanted to go to bed, and Leslie looked to be ready to duck under it for a search until Eva ushered Mama out. Lo and behold, when Eva took a peek herself, her stash was gone, and her mouth formed into a perfect O.

Blame went around. Eva accused Kat of getting into her room, and after Jacob found the orbiting objects, he also rightly finger pointed at Kat for moving them around. It was Leslie who was wrong as she charged Eva with bringing her things back to get back at her. There was a touching moment when Eva assured her mom that she loved her, and the two seemed to make up, though I'd still advise Eva to stay several COVID lengths away from the maternal unit.

Jacob was not thrilled with Kat, especially because even Leslie thought it odd that the police had found nothing from their first search of her apartment, only to locate the gloves and helmet during Round Two. The usually confident Leslie was reduced to monosyllabic blather, and she made a rather giveaway grab at the helmet. Kat justified her move by telling Jacob that Leslie easily could have brought her souvenirs back after the first search.

But oh, those wheels of justice. The judge wouldn't approve officially getting a DNA sample from Leslie to determine whether it matched anything found on the helmet, even after there was a confirmed visual match that showed that the jacket Kat had discovered was worn by the person who mowed Laura down. Jacob got another talking-to from Marcel about not always being superglued to the rules!

Wow! Remember Marcel? I'd been wondering where the churlish (and criminal) detective had disappeared to! Now, there was no moment where Jacob went, “Huh! I guess Marcel was right!”, but Marcel's tidbit of advice lingered as Kat set a plan in motion to get some DNA off of Leslie unofficially. Enter Mona! She made like she wanted to patch things up with Leslie, then dissed Leslie supreme after she got what she wanted.

Only thing – why did Kat seat herself in plain sight of Leslie, who even saw Kat parked there? Mona had no problem getting Leslie to eat a messy donut and then prompting her to wipe her sullied mouth with a napkin without Kat's supervision. Still, target obtained, and again, perhaps with Marcel's words in his ears, Jacob predicted that if the napkin DNA matched the helmet DNA, it was over for Leslie. This is getting good!

Let's work

I think there's that adage about if a lawyer falls in the woods and no one's around to hear it, does he make a sound? Well, Bill didn't have to worry about that, as estranged daughters and ex-wives (well, one) amassed with his current wife upon news of him stroking out. And these females who feud in various combinations kinda blanked that they had feuds going as a result.

Hayley inadvertently got the ball rolling when, while Bill was in getting a CT scan, the new Mrs. Hamilton rushed into former bestie Naomi's arms and bawled like a baby. Taken aback, but also seeing that Hayley must really care about Bill after all, Naomi comforted her friend-turned-stepmommy, and even the I-just-can't-with-her Chelsea had to acknowledge that Hayley shouldn't feel guilty for not insisting that Bill stay in the hospital after his pre-stroke TIA.

Dani saw this exchange, and instead of having a meltdown that her family was betraying her, she joined with Hayley in trying to get the resistant Bill to do his physical therapy with a smile. The ex-Mrs. H told the current Mrs. H to let Bill fumble with his bed control on his own so it would give him time to be grateful for everything Hayley was doing for him. Dude!

And my jaw is still out of its socket from dropping after Dani admitted to Andre that, while everyone surrounded Bill in his room, she had momentarily forgotten why she hated Hayley in the first place! It was one line, but that is major – and GATES is proving to be very good at delivering significant subtleties like that. And the part where Naomi threatened to sue Bill – for anything – just to get him motivated? Gold.

Naomi did a bit of a one-eighty the next day, deciding she didn't really need to do any more checks on her dad. Jacob (nice to see him doing something else besides investigating Leslie) was so alarmed that he called Vernon for help...and that's where things slid off a bit. You see, Vernon got Naomi to confide that she felt guilty for not coercing Bill into seeing a doctor weeks before when he'd had that first episode in front of her.

And that's fine, but then Vernon relayed how he'd had an uncle, Cornelius...who also exhibited stroke-like conditions when Vern was a young man in 1969; Vernon had told nobody about the event, only for Cornelius to fall victim to a stroke later that day. Come on. That's too coincidental. Similar situation, sure, but same ailment? It didn't have to be a stroke for this scene to work.

Naomi got over herself and later thanked Hayley for getting Bill to the hospital so fast. Could there be a peace treaty in these women's futures? Bill himself was offering no peace, though, as he acted like a surly child in not wanting to do his PT exercises. But not only were Bill's loved ones not about it, Garland staff wasn't, either. Ashley (Ashley!) stood firm, and then they brought in the big guns – Shanice!

Turns out she's not just a gossip – she's a physical therapist when she's not a nurse and a nurses' manager. And Shanice delivered her brand of no-nonsense on Bill so fast, he did not say “I love your smile.” (See what I did there?) She snatched away the banana pudding Naomi had brought in and basically let Bill know she wasn't there for his Bills**t. Loved it!

But big baby Bill in his funky purple paisley pajamas (did he get them from Prince's estate?) still wouldn't suffer his PT gladly, so Hayley dimmed the lights...and instead of “I Wanna Sex You Up,” she played him a montage of relationship pix – and their unborn child's first ultrasound! I guess Hayley's not faking after all, unless she grabbed the image from somewhere else? Beyond the Gates' first baby. Awwwww!

Take me with U

Nicole found out that Eva had been in to help Laura figure out the digital filing system she had installed in Laura's absence, and she wasn't happy. In fact, the I'm-so-pissed-at-my-husband-that-I-still-haven't-made-a-move-to-divorce-him Nicole made a beeline for Eva's hotel room and hoped she wasn't trying to get back into her life. Eva assured Nicole that her intentions in aiding Laura were genuine.

Dr. Richardson seemed to forget for a moment that she was a doctor because she basically hinted that Eva needed to choose between Ted and Leslie. Eva caught on and conceded that, though her mom was cray-cray, she was still her mom, and if the potential choice between parents was meant as some sort of test, Eva was going to fail it. This was enough to make Nicole reevaluate her approach.

The affection Nicole once had for Eva peeked through when she advised her former assistant to put her safety and self-worth first when dealing with Leslie. “Okay, Ted,” Eva slipped out. Nicole seemed bothered until Eva expressed that she hated what she had done to the Richardsons' marriage, and the only way for her guilt to subside would be for the couple to get back together. Nicole took this as an apology...and accepted it!

That was a big step. But the more surprising one came when Laura brought Eva to the office under false pretenses, then confided that Nicole was missing Eva. And Laura wanted Eva to be open to the idea of resurrecting a relationship with her one-time boss, should Nicole make the offer. Who knew that Laura, who would have every reason to hate Leslie and Eva owing to her weeks in the hospital, would end up playing peacemaker? Great twist!

She's a hairdresser. She's a psychiatrist's assistant. She's a hairdresser. She's a – plastic surgeon's assistant? Eva has had more gigs in GATES's almost four months on the air, and, even though Ted just got Eva a spot at Serenity Beauty, he responded to Eva's dissatisfaction with her old line of work by giving her Kat's old position. Eva was right – Kat will be pissed. Though I will say, Eva, pick a job and stick with it!

I could never take the place of your man

Anita was a total bitch when Sharon and Tracy showed back up on her door, snarking to Vernon that she had forgotten to have Fairmont Crest security revoke their passes into the community. One would have expected Sharon to start mouthing off, but it was the quieter Tracy who decided she'd had enough. Everyone else had had their say, and now it was her turn!

Tracy was done with the rancor and was certain that their beloved, deceased Barbara would not want to have her “sisters” sniping at each other the rest of their lives. Using the (somewhat convenient) pic of the four original Articulettes that Anita just happened to be packing away as an illustrative device, Tracy realized the remaining members would never be those girls again, but they could be the women present in that room.

And this got Sharon thinking. “Oh, hush,” she told her shocked co-singers when she confessed that being angry all the time was exhausting. She didn't know how teaming up again would work after everything that had happened, but she was willing to give it a try – and this time it didn't seem to be because she wanted to use Anita to boost her own career. “Articulettes strong!” the trio cheered.

Minor nit-pick. Isn't “____________ strong” more a phrase that became popular in the 2010s? Because I don't recall hearing it before that, and it sounds like the girl group crashed at least in the 1990s. Minor nit-pick complete. So, with the reunion concert back on, Anita and the others rushed back to Chicago that day to begin rehearsals. I thought that meant Anita would be off-screen for a few weeks, yet she was on a call with Vernon the next day to talk about the progress. Coulda used a breather in the arc, but I guess this is the minor nit-pick paragraph.

Dani was thrilled to hear that her mom's group was doing the comeback, but Nicole was damn near tears. I guess she wanted to go over her Ted troubles with mommy in that moment...even though she hadn't discussed them with Anita in weeks. Thankfully, we had Dani to the rescue! I didn't know where it was going until Dani produced a coffee cup. Then I saw we were in for some serious breakage!

It was a great throwback to the pilot, where Dani just barely missed hitting Vanessa with a mug over her Bill/Hayley rage. This time, the much calmer Dani asserted that Nicole had been broken by Ted's betrayal, but, employing her method, Nicole could take control of the breaking. The sensible shrink wasn't into it at first, but soon she was chucking cups with shrieks of “skankarooni,” during which the sisters' laughter was contagious. I rewound (much as you “rewind” something digital) that scene more than once.

Then we had a “things that make you go hmm” moment at the country club, where hunky golfer/colleague Carlton came loping in. He asked his buddy Ted about Nicole, and when Ted had little make-up progress to report, Carlton said that Ted had better step it up before Nicole moved on...and that he might even be the one to make a play for Nicole himself. It was mostly said in jest, but wouldn't that be a twist? I get the feeling Carlton wouldn't be above doing his friend dirty!

Let's pretend we're married

What started as a simple hook-up that could have either fizzled out or never ignited is still going strong after nearly four months. Dani won't admit it, but she cares way more for Andre than she's willing to voice. And Andre, for however much he might steal glances at Ashley (can we not start that again?), has all but said he'd love to make an honest woman out of Dani. And he doesn't mean injecting her with truth serum.

Part of the reason Dandre (Anni?) is hot is because there's so much emotion bubbling under all that “yeah but I don't want a relationship” stuff; admittedly, it's mostly Dani propounding that sentiment. She seems to be more on the fence than she used to – she wouldn't let Andre hold her hand at Orphey Gene's, but she did let him take her out in public. And when he was in all the feels, she worried that, in not being over Bill, she'd end up hurting him.

But the writing may be on the designer wall, since the secrecy of their involvement is quickly peeling away like old paint. First, Vernon showed up unannounced; while he didn't know his daughter was upstairs in bed with Andre, that bottle of Tide at the foot of the stairs sure did. (I see you.) Dani lucked out when Vernon suddenly had to jet, but then Andre messed things up by bursting into Dani's guest house with a hearty, “Yo, Dani! Show yourself, woman!”

It took just a bit of contrivance to get there. I guess, with Dani's house empty, Andre saw the lights on in the guest house and figured Dani was there...but don't Chelsea and Kat both have cars that Andre should have seen? Or did they just take a bus to the Fairmont Crest entrance and walk the rest of the way. (Right.) Andre immediately realized he had stepped in it when he saw Kat and Chelsea and their bemused expressions.

It was Chelsea who picked up on it first as Andre fumbled over his reason for being there like he was effecting a game-losing play during the last seconds of the Super Bowl. Kat quickly caught on, especially when Andre went into his spiel about not being related to the Duprees (which is always more for our benefit than any of the characters').

The purse-designing cousins teased and taunted Andre so much that it was all he could do to make a break for it, leaving Kat and Chelsea to burst into hysterical giggling over the display. “Your mom and Andre?” Kat asked, barely catching her breath. “Really?” The scene was so much fun, and it's only soap logic that Andre and Dani's tryst come into the light eventually. They're changing from the 40-watt bulb to the 60-watt bulb now.

I wanna be your lover

Should we be worried about our girl Chelsea? Last week, the new girl she was keen on, Madison, made such a thing about having Chelsea talk to the hand that even Naomi was getting the baddest of bad vibes. But it was a new week and a new Madison, as Chelsea discovered that Maddy was Bill's neurologist...and Madison kept cold-shouldering Chelsea until Chelsea invited her onto a live-stream.

It's only in writing this that I've gleaned any possible “sus” motives, as Chelsea would say, and that may be a reach since the ice truly did seem to melt between her and Madison the more time they spent together. Madison revealed that she was a fashion-loving uber-nerd who had buried herself in books to fast-track becoming a doctor, and Chelsea dropped her flirting to allow Madison to see her vulnerability over Bill's condition.

Portrayer Kenjah brings a wonderful warmth to Madison, and now that the doc has asked Chelsea out to dinner, it seems the ladies' connection is real. But is it? Madison was receptive to Chelsea when they met at Uptown...until she wasn't. Now she's receptive again. So what had her delivering more ice than a rap video before? It's only Soap 101 that something has to be up with her, given those clues. Let's see if I'm right.

Then there's Ashley and Derek. I'm sorry, but putting them on-screen more is not making them any more endearing. And it's wading into risky waters to say this, but...I feel like you don't want the only white couple on a Black-led show to also be the most boring. Yet they are. We got more of Dashley's mismatch, this time with them not being able to connect because of plans each had already made. Let me know when we're supposed to care.

Points for them having realistic problems, I suppose, and not having to deal with evil twins or behavior controlled by microchip. But the more we try to make Derek and Ashley interesting, the less interesting they become. Case in point: Ashley mooning over Andre when he bounced to have breakfast with Dani. I know Jen Jacob is doing the best with what she's given, but Ashley doesn't even have chemistry with Andre, and Andre has chemistry with everybody.

Then there's Ashley's incessant insecurity and worst-case scenarios. Again, not that most of us don't ascribe to those in real life (guilty!), but with Ashley it's particularly grating. Pardon the lack of PC, but I was genuinely ready to slap her when she took Derek changing his plans to have dinner with her as a sign that he was ready to break up. Even Andre couldn't talk her out of it. It's a hospital; could somebody stick a syringe in her?

But Derek may have sustained brain damage from his cat-saving run into that burning building, because he had a plan to get him and Ashley back on track. And when she stomped into Uptown, all petulant and saying that Derek could have saved himself the money and dumped her at home...he presented her with an engagement ring! As in, he wanted her to marry him!

Yes, you know what engagement rings mean. But you know what marriage means? Living together. And these two couldn't hack that for more than a day before they nearly broke up over meticulously organized shelves and scratched refrigerators. How on earth does Derek think exchanging vows is going to fix any of that? Besides, with the way Ashley looked ready to throw up, even yelping, “Don't!” when Derek got on one knee, I don't think she's gonna be Mrs. Baldwin anytime soon. Or ever.

GATES, it's time to permanently break these two up and send them in different directions. The only time Ashley comes alive is when she's doing her nursing duties. Derek seems more like an action character, but I bet he could handle a cougar like Vanessa after she surely ditches Doug. This show has demonstrated a lot of imagination over its 73 episodes – surely they can find something more compelling for these characters to do...apart.

Thieves in the temple

Well, just when it looked like Leslie's date with the slammer looked to be the major driver of story, Martin's nightmares got a booster shot of its own! Starting with Smitty casually mentioning that he was now going to be writing up a piece on almost-retired detective Marcel Malone for his paper. Didn't Martin turn green! He very obviously tried to talk Smitty out of the assignment, but Smitty was all, “Nah, that's okay.”

So we know now Marcel ties into this whole secret somehow. But that wasn't the end of it. Congressman Richardson had an otherwise mundane conversation with a staffer about the tragic beating of a shop owner...and Martin about went into a fugue state! It's not the first time he's had a waking dream about whatever happened that fateful night, but it's been his most vivid, and he could barely snap out of it.

He was so rattled that he went to Nicole about his dreams – of course she couldn't help him professionally because it's unethical to treat family members (not that that ever stopped Taylor on B&B!), but Nicole was at least able to listen, and she offered her son what was probably the same list of therapists she advised Doug to follow up with...not that he ever did. And of course, Martin won't, either.

Martin went to the country club, where he was immediately followed by hunky stranger leather jacket waiter boy! Nothing came of it, but we did see that his Fairmont Crest name tag, which last week identified him as “Blake,” suddenly read “Kenneth.” I don't think the club pays attention to who they hire; Blake/Kenneth isn't the first employee they've taken on who gave a false name and I'm talking to you, “Sherry!”

When Vernon heard that Martin had told Nicole about his nightmares, the usually even-keeled former senator was thisclose to freaking out on his grandson. No one was supposed to be told except those who already knew about the secret! Martin didn't know how much more he could take, and Vernon had to keep waving away the very “helpful” Kenneth. This is a private convo; refills can wait!

But when Anita called with yet another update about the Articulettes rehearsals, Blake/Kenneth/whoever leaned into Martin's ear and whispered, “Let's see what color's your money.” Why, Martin, I do think I'm jealous! But never mind that! Mystery Dude repeated the exact same phrase that Martin kept hearing in his dreams and visions! And this ish is on now!

This brings us to the end of another Two Scoops, D.C. Edition. I'm all up in my own opinions over here, so I very much want to hear yours – express 'em in the comments below. And, until next we meet, Scoopers, live your life beyond!

(Purchase Adam-Michael James' "Bewitched" books on Amazon!)

(Listen to isletunes, AMJ's podcast featuring nothing but music from the artists of Prince Edward Island, Canada.)