Beyond the Gates Recap for Tuesday, March 18, 2025: Naomi was approached to sue her father's firm 

Here's what happened on the March 18, 2025, episode of Beyond the Gates

On Beyond the Gates, Bill had Tomás and Mike over to his house since Bill had chosen to work from home. After the men marveled at all the extra security, Bill's only explanation was that the Dupree women could be “a lot.” Bill thought Tomás could relate and inquired about Tomás' date with Kat. The randy Mike wanted to know how Tomás had “performed,” a subject Bill deemed off-limits since he'd known Kat since she was born. Bill admitted to his ill will with the rest of the Duprees, but felt Kat was a good girl.

Hayley entered the living room of her “full house” and informed the group that she would be keeping her paralegal job at Bill's firm, a move Mike judged “interesting.” After Hayley left, Mike further annoyed Bill by exclaiming that Hayley was hot.

At Orphey Genes, Naomi welcomed three potential clients who were happy to meet at the diner so no one would see them. The ladies told Naomi they needed a lawyer because they were having trouble with Bill – or, more specifically, Bill's law firm partner, the “all grabby hands and dirty jokes” Mike Davis. The women had tried to talk to Mike about his sexual harassment of them, but he'd brushed off the concern. One of the ladies was even turned down for a promotion after she had refused to go out with Mike. The paralegal position had instead gone to Hayley.

Naomi was told that the women had gone to human resources, yet, despite claims the matter would be investigated, they were all fired within a month. Naomi asked if they had spoken with her father, but they all felt Bill would side with the best man at his wedding over them. Bill knew what Mike was like and had simply looked the other way – though they weren't sure what Bill knew and what he didn't. Naomi hedged that talking to her father would be tricky given her current situation with him, but the women didn't want that – they wanted to file a lawsuit against Bill's firm, with Naomi as their lawyer.

The victims knew Naomi's track record and how she'd supported her mother instead of her father on television. Naomi realized that she had been chosen simply because she was Bill Hamilton's daughter and impressed upon her potential clients that there were many other attorneys Nicole could refer them to. However, the women wanted Naomi because the other lawyers they had spoken to were afraid of Bill, while Naomi wasn't. Naomi had the edge in knowing how Bill's mind worked. They suggested it was time for Naomi to make a name for herself.

Jacob got bored during a stake-out with Marcel, thinking there'd be more action. Marcel advised the rookie that the two rules were “don't ask for trouble” and “make it home alive.” Marcel just wanted to get to his retirement in one piece so he could relax on his boat, which his wife didn't like to be on. When Jacob remarked that opposites attracted, Marcel grumbled that Jacob's wife must be a wild child since Jacob was a “pain in the neck Boy Scout.”

Marcel told the story of having had a previous novice partner who had gotten himself shot rushing into the scene of a robbery, which the more experienced Marcel had taken the heat for. Now, Marcel would “give up on your sorry ass” if it meant saving his own. Jacob then spotted Joey, wondering why the connected casino owner was in that rundown part of the city.

The detectives saw Joey receiving a payment from someone, with Marcel noting that the stolen auto parts operation they were trying to bust Joey for was too low-level. Jacob agreed with Marcel that something was up because Joey could have sent an underling to retrieve the money instead of picking it up personally. Jacob was ready to charge out of the car, but Marcel told him to sit back and watch, despite Jacob's objections.

Jacob later met Naomi at the diner, having pieced together clues that Naomi had met with women who had endured sexual harassment at Bill's firm. Jacob hadn't discussed the rumor with Naomi because even the mention of Bill's name made Naomi tense. Naomi wanted the case so badly she could taste it, but she was concerned that representing the women would look like she was using their misery to get back at Bill. Naomi asked Jacob if he thought it was unethical and immoral for her to handle the lawsuit.

Jacob responded that it was more a question of what Naomi really wanted: peace or to do what she was trained to do. Naomi tabled the subject and asked her husband how things had been going with Marcel. Jacob beefed that all Marcel did was come down on him and talk about retiring to his boat. Naomi wondered if something was off; Jacob thought it might just be a matter of getting on Marcel's wavelength.

Dani proudly announced to Chelsea that she had wrangled a showstopper dress from the Smithsonian for Chelsea to model at a fashion show – plus another Ebony cover relating to the event. Dani finally felt like herself after all the recent humiliation with Bill. “You never stopped being a rock star to me,” Chelsea assured, though she didn't look overly thrilled with the coup of wearing a gown that once belonged to a first lady. When Chelsea readied to leave, Dani noted that Chelsea had wanted to talk to her about something; Chelsea lied that she couldn't remember what it was.

Nicole and Kat had breakfast with the elder Duprees, who gushed over Andre's photos of Nicole's awards ceremony. Kat noticed Eva in a picture and asked why Eva was wearing her dress, thinking that Eva had stolen the gown. Nicole corrected that she had given Eva permission to borrow an outfit, but Kat was still annoyed and excused herself to meet a friend in another part of the country club. Nicole brought up “the young man” Kat had dined with, intriguing Vernon and Anita...who were more wary when they learned that Tomás worked for Bill.

Vernon assumed Kat was bringing Tomás by the table to meet them. Kat wondered if Vernon had had to go through such an approval process with Anita's parents. The matriarch relayed that Vernon had, and had he not passed every test, “Y'all wouldn't be here.” Anita realized that Kat and Tomás deserved their space. Then an old Motown song came on with the elder Duprees calling it theirs, leading the foursome to talk about how Anita and Vernon had met at a march in Washington, D.C.

The brass at Anita's record company had sent Anita's group, The Articulettes, to perform there, but to Anita, the march itself, and being on the right side of things, had been more important. It was just that Anita hadn't expected to meet her soulmate at the rally. Vernon recalled that Anita had marched with him and had been beautiful and funny, with a sparkle in her eye that hinted she knew mysterious things. Afterward, Vernon had gotten himself into an Articulettes concert in Chicago to see Anita – which he wouldn't have been able to do after the group hit it big. Anita disputed that part and said that Vernon had had her heart from “hello.” Vernon concurred their love had been at first sight, making Nicole and Kat swoon.

Hayley arrived at the country club, but none of the staff would take notice of her, so she sadly sat down at a dirty table. Kat excused herself to meet Tomás, who noticed that her mother and grandparents were staring at them. Kat wasn't ready to introduce Tomás to them yet; she wanted to get to know him more first before having him “take that wild ride into Dupreeland.” Tomás swore that when the time came, he would be up to the challenge.

Hayley continued to be ignored by the staff as Chelsea approached Kat and met Tomás. Chelsea had a private talk with Kat, who realized that Chelsea still hadn't told Dani that she wanted to quit modeling. Chelsea sighed that Dani was happy and that she didn't want to rain on Dani's parade. When Chelsea feared Dani would hate her, Kat enforced that all mothers wanted to see their children happy. But Chelsea stuck to her guns about not dropping her news on Dani that day.

Hayley had enough of the poor treatment and stormed out of the club, running into but not speaking to Dani on the way out. At the Dupree table, the seniors finished the story of how they met, with Dani declaring them the only reason she still believed in happily ever after, given what she had gone through with Bill. Chelsea kept a smile glued on as Dani chirped to her otherwise enthralled family about the fundraiser fashion show that would give away scholarships. The impressed Anita said that Dani could “sell sand in a desert,” but Nicole picked up on Chelsea's lack of enthusiasm.

Eva answered her phone and cryptically told the caller she'd contact “her” and “take care of everything.” Eva then stopped by the Dupree table to bring Nicole forms to e-sign; Kat spied Eva and cut short her breakfast with Tomás, who said he had wanted to see her again to make sure the good time he'd had the previous evening wasn't just the wine. Kat sheepishly admitted that when she told her first dates she was a virgin, there was rarely a second date. Tomás offered to kiss Kat's cheek, but with her family in visual range, Kat asked if Tomás had heard of the Spanish Inquisition. Tomás waved instead and saw himself out.

Kat marched to the table and proclaimed that not only was Eva in her seat, but Eva was also too busy to be lolling at the club all day. Nicole chastised Kat but Eva said Kat was right and left to run errands, with the Duprees keeping quiet while Kat argued that Eva was supposed to be working. Anita changed the subject to Tomás, and Dani joked how Vernon had kept his eye on him. Vernon remembered how, with Anita's father, one look was a clear signal to toe the line. Vernon added that every woman was worth protecting. He thought it a joy to spend a crisis-free day with his loved ones.

Eva flirted with Tomás, telling him he looked like he came in handy in battle. Only in the courtroom, Tomás clarified. Eva was glad to know a lawyer; if she got in trouble, he could get her off – multiple times, if necessary. Kat caught the exchange, which Tomás called bold, and confronted Eva once Tomás left. She accused Eva of forcing herself on people who were too polite to tell her no. Eva smugly reminded Kat that Nicole wasn't firing her; when Kat learned that Eva had come on to Tomás despite seeing him and Kat together, Eva taunted, “So threatened, it's tragic.”

Eva and Kat continued their squabble, with Kat griping that everything turned out the way Eva manipulated it to. Kat made her displeasure knowing that Eva had worn her clothes; Eva insisted she hadn't even planned on going to Nicole's gala, but it would have been rude to turn Nicole down. “Taking anything that belongs to me makes you a thief,” Kat sneered. Eva confidently said she didn't want anything from Kat. “Just my life and everything in it,” Kat retorted. But what was Kat's was out of Eva's league...including Tomás.

Hayley came home from her not breakfast, with Bill mistakenly thinking Hayley was snubbed because Orphey Gene's was short-staffed. Bill was surprised that Hayley had gone to the country club; Hayley complained that being second wife didn't make her second best. The deeper cut had been the Duprees watching her embarrassment. Hayley griped that Dani should be the one to be shunned from the establishment since she had shot it up during the wedding. How was Dani still queen bee while Hayley was invisible? Bill promised he'd ensure Hayley was respected...even if he had to bring the town to its knees.

Asked what she wanted, Hayley told Bill she just desired peace in Fairmont Crest and a friend on every street in it. But Hayley thought that would never happen thanks to the Duprees. Hayley confessed she'd been starry-eyed when she'd fallen in love with Bill, but she hadn't considered the reality of being up against Bill's former in-laws, and now she wondered if “this whole thing” was a mistake, which shocked Bill. Maybe, Hayley submitted, they should call their marriage off.

After discussing how well their crazy family seemed to be doing, Vernon suggested that he and Anita go home and remind each other how blessed they were. “Let's go,” Anita replied with a slight smirk.

Dani came home to her empty house after hearing her parents' love story again and swigged from a bottle of vodka, even though it was only morning. After she finished the bottle, she stifled tears before passing out on her kitchen floor.

Beyond the Gates airs weekdays on CBS and streams on Paramount Plus.