Beyond the Gates: Getting to Know You, or, Day 2

The new CBS soap Beyond the Gates did a little settling into its place on the CBS canvas during today's second episode by introducing us to four more new-to-us characters and taking some time to begin development on the ones we met yesterday. Some continued speaking in the language of Exposition, some got their initial plots moving, and still others created some major intrigue! Let's get into Episode 2 as the Duprees and Richardsons, especially, get to the business of putting down roots in Fairmont Crest!

Beyond the Gates left us asking, "Whoooo are you? Who who? Who who?"

We made the acquaintance of four major characters today, as well as three supporting ones...but we only learned the names of one of them, which was odd. First, Nicole shared some interaction with her hulking husband, whom we know as Ted, due to the pre-premiere info that dropped. The Richardsons seem to be quite fond of each other – so far. Through their chat, Nicole's hubby revealed that he's a plastic surgeon, which was confirmed when he walked into Garland Memorial Hospital and had a brief run-in with first-day nurse Ashley.

Ashley had four visitors – one of them was her mother, but we didn't even get her name. Mom accompanied Ashley's friend Eva, and Eva brought her mother, who also went nameless. Why debut new characters without slipping in some way to identify them? Eva's mom revealed that she and Eva had only known Ashley for a few months, but it seemed, in that time, they had become super tight. Between Ashley finally shadowing an established, seemingly nosy nurse on her first rounds, Ashley received her second visit in as many days from apparent player Andre. Ashley pooh-poohed it, but Andre implied he had a thing for Ashley and that Derek, who we'd met in the premiere, had stolen Ashley from Andre somehow. We'll have to wait and see on that one.

At first, it looked like politico Martin was only going to engage in a second day of exposition with his grampy (yes, okay, we know Vernon holds a belief of nonviolence cultivated through his days in the civil rights movement; apparently, he was arrested during a protest), but Martin's world suddenly expanded by walking into his home and encountering a man toting a laundry basket. “Hello, husband,” the other man uttered, and with that, we discovered that Martin was gay and in a committed interracial relationship!

We got quite the glimpse into their domestic world as they spoke of the issues of the day concerning their adopted children, Samantha and Tyrell. Turns out the kids have names ... but hubby doesn't! Now, we know he's Bradley “Smitty” Smith from all the primers, but again, shouldn't his name have come up at least once in conversation?

The same goes for a young lady who appeared to be Nicole's assistant and seemed to have a co-worker in an older, wiser woman. But I don't know who they are because they never told us. All we could glean is that Young Lady has a sweetheart in a guy named David and that it was the Older Woman's advice for Young Lady not to rush things with him. These two never came up in any of the info that was dropped in the weeks before the show; how can I even begin to care what they brought to the table in their first appearance if I don't know what to call them? Odd choices.

The one other major chunk of information we got is that Andre reminds Ted of his deceased brother. It hadn't been clear in the run-up to the premiere whether Andre was Ted's nephew through a brother or a sister, so at least we know that now. But before Nicole boogied on down to the hospital herself (I assume that's where her psychiatry practice is?), she received a social call from the freshly punched Hayley. Armed with chocolate chip cookies (none of which were offered to me), Hayley wanted to begin the healing process with the Duprees, with whom she'd once been close, through the more sensible Nicole. But Nicole was so “talk to the hand” with Hayley that I'm surprised Nicole didn't narrow that hand down to one finger.

Despite the Duprees labeling Hayley as a modern-day scarlet woman, Hayley denied that she had set out to use her friendships with Dani and Dani's daughter Naomi to snag Bill. As for the lawyer, Ted deemed the Hamiltons' purchase of the Fairmont Crest home “cold even for Bill,” but Bill comes across as someone who genuinely loves Hayley. Alerting us that Hayley's mother was dead and that she'd never known her father – nor had she any siblings – Bill was willing to go into the lion's den, otherwise known as Casa Dupree, to face Vernon and ask if the family would attend the wedding so Hayley wouldn't have to say “I do” in front of empty seats. Is perennial cheater Bill the rat his ex's family says he is, or is he being looked at through Dani-colored lenses?

Dani's rage of yesterday was tempered by tears that she deemed weak once mama Anita showed up to dry them. Dani started to ask herself what she'd done to tank her marriage to Bill and wondered if she should move, with him and Hayley about to be her neighbor. But Anita went full matriarch, reminding Dani that she's a Dupree, and the Duprees don't cut and run from Fairmont Crest. Dani got a bit of her gusto back, promising mums that she was going to make Bill and Hayley pay for humiliating her.

Eva and her own mother did some revealing as well, both through their convo with Ashley and once alone. Eva is a hairstylist, though not in love with the idea. And didn't Mom make sure to get a lingering eyeful of Nicole's husband? Mom told Eva that she had a mysterious plan which she didn't want Eva involved in – but Eva countered that she was all in, hating whatever it was that had been done to Mom “all those years ago.” Eva wanted Mom to have the best, and I got the distinct impression that it will have something to do with Mr. Nicole! Can we please get Mom's name? I'd like to know whether to address her as “Dana” or “Leslie” since both have been attached to her.

Brooding in her giant closet which is bigger than the studio apartment I once had in North Hollywood, Dani knocked back a drink amongst her wide variety of wardrobe. A slug for courage or an indicator of a larger drinking problem? Dani already has a penchant for ending episodes with physical demonstrations – yesterday, it was clocking Hayley, and today, it was playing golf with the contents of Bill's desk. Fore! At this rate, Dani might put someone in the hospital by the end of the week.

Martin, being “only” the grandson of a Dupree and not one of the nuclear Duprees, would not have been the character I'd have expected to exhibit the biggest development in this second episode. It was innocuous enough that he emerged as an exacting parent (Tyrell merely passing a class wasn't good enough) and recalled being “secretive and moody” at Tyrell's age of 17. But then Smitty (shh, we don't know his name yet) dropped a bomb by asking Martin about the dreams he was continuing to have, which are apparently unsettling enough that Martin quickly changed the subject. And, as Vernon and Anita discussed whether or not they should even entertain bringing the Duprees to Bill and Hayley's wedding, they feared the potential repercussions of such an appearance, as “protecting Martin is our priority!”

Zoinks! What are Mr. and Mrs. Dupree afraid Bill (or somebody) is going to find out? Surely, with Martin having a husband and two adopted children while living a very public life as a congressman, people already know he's gay. I suspect Martin's skeletons may have more to do with these dreams of his – and the fact that he was perfectly cool with Aunt Dani decking Hayley! “Some people deserve to get a punch in the face!” Martin announced to Grandpa Vernon. Does Martin have some kind of violent streak that could get him – and the Duprees – in trouble?

Tomorrow's Day 3, and if Day 2 was any indication, we're gonna find out more about these people and how. So far, so good! You're at the forefront of the first new soap since 1999 and the first hour-long, Black-led soap in history. Tune in again, 'cuz I'm sure going to!

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