On the Friday, October 16, 2026 episode of ‘Beyond the Gates’, Joey’s bill came due, Andre (Sean Freeman) couldn’t find good help, and Leslie (Trisha Mann-Grant) gave someone their flowers.
Dance With My Father
Naomi (Arielle Prepetit) came to see Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett), who asked how she and Jacob were handling being on opposite sides in the case of Smitty’s arrest. After Naomi said that they were doing their best to keep their personal and professional lives separate, she presented Bill with a late birthday present: a paper airplane kit, as Bill had thrown those with Naomi in the past to help destress her. “You’re carrying a lot,” Naomi said of Bill’s near-death experience and split from Hayley.
Bill conceded that he should have listened to Naomi and Chelsea about Hayley, but Naomi decided it was time for Bill to move forward. She laughed when she learned that her sister had set their father up on a dating app. Bill hoped for one more birthday gift: Naomi joining his firm. Naomi appreciated the offer but wanted to continue maintaining her own practice. Still, she didn’t rule out the possibility of working on more cases together with Bill, which made Bill happy.
The Deal Closer
Randy (Maurice P. Kerry) reluctantly showed up to Hayley’s hotel room, complaining that Joey had him working overtime as penance for keeping his connection to Hayley secret. Hayley (Marquita Goings) expressed genuine regret about having thrown Randy under the bus, sure that Randy would also have said anything at the prospect of being dismembered. Despite Hayley vowing that he was the only person she trusted, Randy decided that Hayley had better have his cut from Bill’s payout.
Hayley went into a spiel about how she was afraid to leave her room after her experiences with Marcel, Vernon, Joey, and even Heather. She wanted to leave town, but needed Randy to craft a new identity for her first. “There it is,” Randy scoffed sarcastically, figuring Hayley hadn’t summoned him just to be friendly. Hayley offered Randy more money, but he would only agree to help her with a new persona if she promised him half of what Bill had paid her. Hayley held out her hand, and the cousins shook on it.
Have You Ever Danced With The Devil In The Pale Moonlight?
Dani (Karla Mosley) and Andre were enjoying themselves at the country club when Heather (Ashley Jones) arrived; Dani asked Heather to join them. Andre blurted out his disapproval when Heather said she was buying a place a few blocks away from Joey’s condo – and Andre’s. Dani noticed and backed up Andre’s claim that crime had increased in that neighborhood. When the subject turned to Joey, Heather knowingly looked at Andre and declared that she never gave up on people she cared about.
Joey (Jon Lindstrom) was dispassionate when Vanessa (Lauren Buglioli) hesitantly revealed that the bid on Heather’s condo had been accepted. He repeated his warning that Vanessa should be vigilant around Heather, sighing that Heather reminded him of their father. Later, Vanessa brought Heather e-documents to sign, and Heather intuited that Vanessa seemed to be unenthusiastic about her taking the property. Vanessa denied it, and Heather fumed that she would be “really disappointed” if Vanessa were against her.
Who Gon Stop Me
Joey received a surprise visit from Dani, who told him it was time to pay up – she had won the $10,000 bet they’d made the year before that she and Andre wouldn’t make it to their first anniversary. Though Joey acknowledged Dani’s victory, he wagered double or nothing that the Richardsons wouldn’t complete two years. Dani took the bet. Meanwhile, Andre frantically called a contact he had in England and updated him that Heather was no longer AWOL – she was in town, and planning to stay.
The British man, who had worked undercover in Heather’s “organization,” knew how dangerous Heather was and didn’t want any part of helping Andre. He was certain that, were Heather to get wind of Andre trying to plot against her, she would cut Andre’s throat – and Dani’s. Across town, Heather visited Joey, saying that she cared more about him than business. Joey admitted he’d thought about Heather when he would read the letter she’d left behind, which Heather took as a sign that their sibling relationship was salvageable.
Stop Frontin’
Ted (Keith D. Robinson) and Shanice (Ernestine Johnson) were getting romantic in his office when Eva (Ambyr Michelle) burst in, fresh from the symposium she’d been sent to in Seattle. Eva quickly noticed Shanice’s engagement ring and congratulated her, but she wondered how “mama” was going to take the news of Ted getting married. Ted announced that he would talk to “Dana,” reminding Eva that she wasn’t responsible for babysitting her mother.
At Uptown, Kat (Colby Nixon) and Chelsea (RhonniRose Mantilla) were discussing their vindication in the sweatshop debacle when Leslie sauntered by; Kat couldn’t resist telling Leslie that Ted had asked Shanice to marry him. Leslie seemed unfazed, which later Eva and Izaiah (Lami) caught on to. Leslie maintained that she was perfectly happy with Marcel and left the couple to their own devices. Izaiah remarked that Leslie had taken the news well. “Too well,” Eva replied cautiously.
You Dropped A Bomb On Me
Having learned that Kat had told Leslie about Ted’s engagement, Eva confronted Kat and said it hadn’t been her place to impart that information. Kat sniffed that Leslie didn’t deserve compassion and berated Eva for taking the moral high ground. Chelsea and Izaiah tried to referee but failed; Eva began to call Kat a “cold-hearted bitch,” but Kat proudly retorted that she wore that sobriquet as a badge when it came to her family. Furthermore, Kat frowned, Eva was to “keep Leslie’s crazy ass in check” so as not to ruin her father’s happiness.
Ted slipped to Shanice about how Nicole had handled their own wedding planning. They had barely bounced back by the time Leslie came off the elevator at the hospital and bestowed a bouquet of flowers on Shanice. Leslie handled the couple’s doubt by assuring them she had Marcel and promising to behave, even if she still thought Ted could do better than Shanice. Once the cheery Leslie took her leave, Shanice didn’t buy the attitude, and Ted admitted that Leslie’s demeanor had made him nervous.
Beyond the Gates: Clip Of The Day
Check out a clip from today’s episode below.
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