On the Tuesday, August 18, 2026, episode of “Beyond the Gates,” Nicole (Daphnée Duplaix) and Kial (Greg Vaughan) officially passed the torch, Leslie (Tricia Mann-Grant) acted on some tough love, and Hayley (Marquita Goings) went up against Ashley (Jen Jacob)… and lost!
It Was The Impaler: 1, Martin: 0
Martin (Brandon Claybon), Smitty (Mike Manning), Ted (Keith D. Robinson), Carlton (Robert Christopher Riley), and Kial changed out of their game clothes after Martin’s charity basketball tournament, with Smitty good-naturedly taking the brunt of the other guys’ teasing about his lackluster court skills. Smitty shrugged that he’d made the effort, and Martin said it was good that Smitty had been there, since Andre had decided not to play.
Once home, Martin noticed how quiet things were, and he and Smitty realized that Samantha and Tyrell weren’t home. They decided to take advantage of the private time, which would still be in short supply even once Tyrell moved into the dorm at Banneker. Martin suddenly wanted to whisk Smitty away on a romantic trip, but Smitty felt it was too close to the election to be traveling.
Smitty also admitted that he didn’t want to leave town because his investigation into The Impaler wasn’t complete. Though flushing the crime boss out of D.C. had been satisfying, Smitty said, the Red Market runner was still out there hurting people in different cities, and Smitty considered it his duty to finish what he started. Martin looked disappointed.
Just A Friend
At the country club locker room, Ted and Kial broached their plans for the rest of the day, with Ted about to see Shanice and Kial on his way to see Nicole. Kial headed for the showers, and Ted asked Carlton if he was uncomfortable with Kial talking about dating Nicole right in front of him. Carlton replied that he’d willingly walked into the friend zone – he was okay with competing on the court, but not so much when it came to courting.
Kial returned to overhear Carlton say that he was a good guy who would treat Nicole well. Carlton promised to step in if Kial hurt Nicole, and Kial considered Nicole lucky to have such good friends in Carlton and Ted.
Beware
Nicole and Vanessa (Lauren Buglioli) chatted at a banquet room table, with Nicole noticing that Vanessa was distracted. The realtor surprised Nicole by announcing that Joey had a sister, and that she couldn’t understand why Joey was so opposed to her having anything to do with the woman. Though Vanessa lamented not knowing the whole story between Joey and Heather, Nicole had to admit that Vanessa should probably take Joey’s reasoning seriously.
Then, Nicole ran into Ted in the lobby, realizing that Kial had spilled the beans to everyone about her choosing Kial over Carlton. Ted admitted that he’d always known Nicole wasn’t wired to play the field, and that she would eventually decide between the two men. Nicole was happy to hear that things were still going well between Ted and Shanice, and Ted smiled that peace looked good on Nicole.
Later, as Kial met Nicole at the table, Vanessa was tickled to find out that the two had become exclusive. Vanessa was also pleased that her daughter, Deanna, and Kial’s son, Noah, had begun to see each other. After Vanessa took her leave, Kial suggested that he and Nicole do something special to mark their status change—like attending the open mic night where Noah would be performing. Nicole determined it would be a special date and accepted.
Meanwhile, Joey (Jon Lindstrom) had just finished reaming the man who was surveilling Heather for not finding out who she might be meeting with when Vanessa found him at the casino and expressed her confusion over his constant trashing of his sister. Was Heather into something dangerous – or illegal? Joey put his foot down and refused to answer any questions about Heather, even intimating that Vanessa could leave him if she thought his stance was a relationship dealbreaker. Vanessa conceded that she found his attitude hurtful but thought it was nothing to break up over. She accepted Joey’s embargo on details about Heather…against her better judgment.
Let’s Get Dirty
From his hospital bed, Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett) complained that he was going stir crazy in the facility and that he wanted to go home. Hayley admitted she’d been lonely sleeping on her own and jumped under the covers with Bill to cuddle with him. Shanice (Ernestine Johnson) happened to walk in and exclaimed, “Oh, the hell you will,” upon witnessing the scene.
Shanice ordered Hayley out of Bill’s bed – “unless you want to fast-track yourself into being widowed,” she added, not knowing the truth. It wasn’t a good idea for cardiac patients to exert themselves by having sex, Shanice went on, and when she was satisfied with Bill’s vitals, she went back to the nurses’ station and told Ashley what had happened. Bill, on the other hand, would break directives and gestured for Hayley to join him in bed again, smirking that they needed to give his newly-installed pacemaker a “stress test.”
Hayley indeed crawled in next to Bill, and moments later, Ashley received an alarm that Bill’s heart rate had shot up to 137. Armed with Shanice’s earlier experience, Ashley raced into the room and got into an argument with Hayley, who wasn’t going to take heat from “Naomi’s mousy sidekick.” Ashley took the challenge and called in a security guard to escort Hayley out.
Bill raged that he knew his rights and that he was leaving Garland; Ashley consented to allowing a doctor to examine Bill to see if discharge was possible, but she advised Bill that it wasn’t worth risking his life just to prove a point. Ashley then followed Hayley to the elevator, and Hayley fumed that no matter what Ashley or Shanice did, she would be with Bill “until his last breath.”
He Wasn’t Man Enough
At Orphey Gene’s, Leslie asked Eva (Ambyr Michelle) if she was still freaking out about her liver transplant scar. Eva didn’t appreciate that Leslie had run to Ted with that information, but Leslie countered that she wasn’t delivering gossip – she had gone to someone who loved Eva as much as she did. Though Eva demanded autonomy over her own body, she couldn’t help but remark on how amazing Izaiah had been, supporting her and loving her without caring that she looked different.
Eva wanted Leslie to have the same kind of devotion from a man and began asking what Leslie was getting out of her relationship with Marcel. She noticed that Leslie and Marcel always seemed to meet in secret and dared Leslie to deny that she was simply passing time with Marcel, fueled by her “delusional” hope that she and Ted would reunite. Leslie took offense, but Eva pointed out that Ted never responded to Leslie’s attempts at affection. Chemistry didn’t evaporate, Leslie debated.
Just then, Ted arrived and asked Eva if she was still having body image issues because of the scar. Eva declined Ted’s repeated suggestion that she seek out therapy on the basis that she was feeling steadier – but when Leslie tried to chime in, Ted growled, “Is your name Eva?” Ted walked away, and Eva wondered if Leslie had gotten the message, having to watch as Ted joined Shanice at their own table.
As Ted proclaimed that he was ready to meet Shanice’s brothers – which she laughingly predicted would be a bigger uphill climb than Ted was expecting – Eva saw how happy they were and reiterated to Leslie that it was futile for her to keep chasing after him. Leslie was adamant that Ted wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, but Eva asked point blank if Ted ever talked to Leslie about having a future together. Leslie’s face fell, and as Eva left, she implored her mother to believe that she deserved better.
Ms. Thomas then picked up her phone and left a message for Marcel, saying it was time for him to prove that he was still interested in her. She nearly begged him to do something – anything – that would indicate an effort.
Check out a clip from “Beyond the Gates” below.
