On the Tuesday, August 25, 2026, episode of “Beyond the Gates,” Heather (Ashley Jones) further infiltrated Fairmont Crest, Dani (Karla Mosley) worried that Andre (Sean Freeman) had figured her out, and Chelsea (RhonniRose Mantilla) didn’t know that a letter-writing campaign had started behind bars.
Someone’s A Smooth Criminal
Chelsea met Kat (Colby Nixon) at the mall, feeling a little better about being out in public, even as she sensed Allison was stalking her again. Kat was just about to tell Chelsea about her visit with Jacob when Izaiah (Lami) came by, and the group talked about Tyrell balancing his excitement over starting college with his heartbreak over losing Jessica. Chelsea said, mindlessly, that some people never got over a broken romance, in a tone that made Izaiah wonder if Tyrell was obsessed with Jessica.
Kat helped Chelsea backtrack, and when Izaiah revealed a present he had bought for Eva, Chelsea had to goad Kat into saying something nice instead of a snide remark. After Izaiah left, Chelsea felt foolish for projecting her worries in front of him. Kat got her chance to tell Chelsea that she had checked with Jacob and learned that “crazy bitch” Allison was “locked up tighter than a Belleclaire.” Chelsea appreciated her cousin’s diligence and tried to let herself believe she was safe.
Meanwhile, a woman, seemingly in prison, addressed letters to “My Loving Wife,” “My Soulmate”, and “My Angel Wife.”
The House That Jack Built
Vanessa (Lauren Buglioli) surprised Joey (Jon Lindstrom) at the casino with swatches of material, intending to renovate the back room into a “high roller suite” that would attract free-spending gamblers and keep them there. Joey was fine with the revamp as long as Vanessa didn’t touch his condo; Vanessa then ran into Dani and Andre at the country club, where they had just made a spectacle of themselves with their public displays of affection.
After describing her redecorating project, Vanessa expressed her dismay about Joey being on edge regarding Heather, which made Andre cringe. Dani found it odd that Joey would have issues with a woman as fun and friendly as Heather; suddenly Andre piped up that perhaps both Dani and Vanessa should follow Joey’s lead, since they had only just met Heather and didn’t know her as well as Joey did.
Andre beat such an awkward retreat, leaving for an appointment that Dani wondered if Andre had clued in to Dani’s elevator sex with Bill. Vanessa had to talk Dani down, but Dani still sensed that something serious was on Andre’s mind, which he was keeping to himself.
Just A Friendly Game of Baseball
Martin (Brandon Claybon) and Smitty (Mike Manning) had just settled into their booth at Uptown when Heather approached them, more complimentary of Smitty’s Red Market articles than she was of Martin’s work as a congressman. Smitty appreciated someone noticing his writing and revealed he had more pieces in the pipeline, prompting Heather to remark on that awful “Piercer.” After being corrected, Heather went on her way, and Smitty told Martin that he was planning to question Lia again – as The Impaler’s right-hand person, Lia had to know more than she’d told the police. Martin simultaneously encouraged Smitty in his pursuit and said that his exposé hadn’t already been worth Derek’s death and their near-loss of Jacob.
Randy (Maurice P. Kerry), who had been watching Heather with the Richardson-Smiths, followed her outside, only to be confronted by the woman. Heather knew who Randy was and that he was tailing her; she joked that he could ride with her on her way to Joey’s to save time. Afterward, Randy reported to Joey at the casino and explained his run-in with Heather. Joey told Randy that he would handle Heather going forward.
Inner City Blues
Tyrell (Jaden Lucas Miller) and Samantha (Najah Jackson) entered Orphey Gene’s and encountered June (Jasmine Burke), who wanted to buy breakfast for her kids. When they were mindful of June’s financial situation, she said she’d been putting money into savings and could certainly use her employee discount to feed them. The kids accepted and asked June to sit with them; June could hardly believe she was sitting with her children and that they were now both college-age.
June asked how Tyrell and Jessica had managed to see each other while attending school on opposite coasts, but she was saddened when Tyrell revealed that Jessica had broken up with him. Izaiah joined them, heard the news, and advised Tyrell that his breakup was a part of his journey – it was important that Tyrell not let his pain keep him down. Once Izaiah departed with his takeout, June presented Tyrell, who seemed to be feeling better, with a gift for his dorm.
Tyrell unwrapped a photo of him and Samantha as children posing with June before she’d given them up – a snap that June’s sister, Regina, had kept for them. Tyrell was moved and told June that he loved her. At home, Smitty and Martin had just finished making love when Samantha and Tyrell came in, with Tyrell showing his fathers the photo. They loved it, and Samantha remembered it had been taken right before she’d started kindergarten, on a day when June hadn’t been drugged out. While she admitted there were other memories of June she’d just as soon forget, she agreed with her family that the picture was a wonderful keepsake.
No Crime, No Law
Heather stopped by the casino, agreeing with Vanessa that Joey’s “exquisitely tacky” back room was in need of a do-over. Joey announced that he knew about Heather approaching Smitty and demanded to know if she had threatened him because of his articles. Heather denied doing so and laughed that it “would take all the fun out of” things if she told Joey why she was really in town, though she offered that she needed to be there to disband her entire D.C. operation.
Joey was sure Heather had underlings for that and didn’t buy Heather’s claim that she was in the DMV to foster a closer relationship with him. Heather coyly confessed that there was a guy nearby whom she wanted to rekindle things with; though Joey was equally dubious on that front, Heather squealed with delight when Andre texted her, saying that Joey’s energy had sent her “the best shag of her life.”
Andre appeared on Heather’s hotel room door, determined to speak with her. Heather eyed Andre lustily and cooed that she’d known he’d be back.
Check out a clip from today’s “Beyond the Gates” below.
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