"Beyond the Gates" Week 16 Review

I know I sound like a broken record, but holy moley, this genre needed this show badly. Beyond the Gates is showing the world how soaps are properly done: without immensely overdone drama, without over the top acting, and with much, much needed representation. The other soaps really need to take notes. Beyond the Gates raised the bar. Everyone else is playing catch up, plain and simple.

During a period where the championship series in the NHL and NBA are getting very interesting, the same goes for Beyond the Gates. Week 16 definitely had its moments, and they are as follows:

June 9

Nicole and Eva's encounter in the Monday episode was, IMO, needed. I normally roll my eyes at Nicole's naivete and being too nice when the situation doesn't call for it, but I do appreciate that, even with the time has passed, Nicole doesn't display any bitterness towards Eva, who admits her many flaws--with one of them being that she does have some semblance of familial love towards Leslie. As expected, Nicole was not hostile or bitter towards Eva, who voices her appreciation towards Nicole.

June 10

Tuesday's episode gave us this very emotional moment with the Articulettes--all of them. Anita at center, Tracy on her left, Sharon on her right. We saw the bitterness, we saw the history, we saw the bad blood, and we saw plenty of tears. In this moment, it definitely looks like all three women are back on the same page, and this is what we love to see. Women, strong Black women, standing together. It's always a beautiful scene, and this was well played in the Tuesday episode.

June 11

So the Wednesday episode saw two things that really disappointed me. Well, one disappointment and one eye-roll inducing moment. First, the disappoinment. Eva basically confirmed to Leslie that she's covering for her, doing so as Leslie panicked about the helmet being gone. Eva took that for herself and stated that if it wasn't for her, Leslie would be locked away. So yeah, Eva covered for her. And after an argument over how it turned up all of a sudden, the eye-roll inducing moment comes in. Leslie shows her victim complex, which could fill up the entire state of Indiana, and it's absolutely nauseating to watch.

It's why I couldn't help but mention this:

June 12

Two things really stood out for me in the Thursday episode. One, Jacob letting Kat have it for again making attempts to get involved in the case, as well as her "I know everything attitude." In this case, it's Kat's surreptitious attempt to get Leslie's DNA, and it draws this line from Jacob:

"You know, you don't want to hear this, but you and Leslie have a lot in common."

Kat didn't like that, mainly because it was the truth. People like Kat can't handle hard truths, and as someone who states hard truths for a bit of a living on Vocal, I know what it's like to be side-eyed for stating facts. Leslie and Mona's meeting was part of the plan, which brings me to the other attribute I loved: Mona's "Reason You Suck" speech to Leslie. Leslie really thought that Mona would side with her. Boy, was she wrong. Mona tore into Leslie for her hideous actions, and rightfully so, and that led to Leslie accusing Mona of being mean and lying to her. OMG. Remember when I said Leslie's victim complex could fill up all of Indiana? I was wrong. It could fill up all of India!

June 13

It looks like we are finally getting a big answer regarding a long standing mystery: Martin's nightmares. That's been a running mention dating back to the first month of the show, and we saw Martin on the Friday episode (on Friday the 13th) mentioning the recurring nightmare to Vernon. One main attribute was the words, "What color is your money?," and in a shocking stunner, we see one of the waiters, Kenneth, whisper those exact words to Martin to end the week. The plot, unlike my waistline in the last year and a half, thickens (a slick way to somewhat mention that I've lost over 30 pounds in the last 18 months).

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What a way to end Week 16! A lot of crazy developments during that week, and the following week will see the beginning of summer, and a lot of intrigue from this amazing soap!