"Beyond the Gates" Week 17 Review

Beyond the Gates' sixteenth week was really explosive, so I'm not surprised that the soap's seventeenth week would be even more wild. A lot of crazy, wild, and nail-biting developments took place as the summer season began, and as I said, the show's getting hotter as the temperature does. Week 17 was absolutely nuts, and these highlights prove it.

And here we go:

June 16

You know, in the entire time I've written about this soap, I've never once mentioned Ashley. My reason is simple: she's just not worth mentioning. Now? She's still not worth mentioning, but I have to get my proverbial shovel out for Ashley. Ashley is a certified nut. She's a neurotic basket case. Let me put it this way. Take the following anal-retentive/neurotic characters: Danny Tanner from Full House, Jessie Spano from Saved by the Bell, and Edd (Double D) from Ed, Edd n Eddy. Take out every single one of their likable charms, double down on the already immense anal-retention, and they'd still be more likable than Ashley. How she's treating Derek is sick. She acts like she wants a life with him, but when Derek proposes, that's when the sabotage comes in, and she acts like Derek's in the wrong and is "controlling" her. In the immortal words of Bartholomew Jo-Jo Simpson, "Get bent."

June 17

On the day the Stanley Cup was awarded, we were treated to this wild exchange between Joey, Doug, and Vanessa, a very tense moment indeed. I always love seeing Vanessa, especially now that everything's out in the open regarding Doug. I'm just going to say it: I hope Doug and Vanessa stay together after all of this. My reason is simple: they are very deeply flawed, they're wrong for each other, yet they're right for each other. I think the love's there. Even with all of the BS, they do love each other. I do feel for Doug, because he feels like he's failed Vanessa. That's why he never came clean about his gambling until it was exposed. The man fears making mistakes, because he'll feel like he's let those around him down. That is a feeling and fear I know all too well.

June 18

So Dani finally went public with what she and Andre have been doing together, and it all displeases Nicole, as Dani feared. Nicole's rant, thankfully, wasn't a "Reason You Suck" speech. It's more like "The Dog Bites Back," which is a trope used when the most innocent of characters finally has enough and really goes on a tangent. The part that got me was Nicole saying that everyone's expecting her to smile and handle everything, and I'll be honest, Dani asking Nicole if she was jealous was a bit on the off-putting side. Nicole is really blowing up, and in that genre, it can go one of two ways: either she becomes more aware, or she becomes evil. Nine times out of ten in that genre, it's the latter.

June 19

First off, I want to say how awesome it was that this soap, this historic soap, was airing on TV on Juneteenth. Secondly, the top focus from that Thursday episode was the aftermath of the discovery of that Kenneth, one of the waiters, was the subject of Martin's long term nightmares, and Vernon is right on it. There are two things I love about Vernon Dupree. One, how he adores Anita, and two, how he handles business. Vernon Dupree is all about geniality, but he is not a man to be messed with. We see that a lot with Vernon; he will get the job done, whatever it is.

June 20

Finally, the occurrence we knew would come. We see Nicole in Ted's office, and they officially talk about separating. Not divorce... yet. Boy, was Ted making me roll my eyes with his "admissions" that he screwed up. It doesn't take a genius to see that. All of this owning up he's doing is only because it's all out there for the world to see, yet Ted's acting like he's so contrite. I feel just like Herb Powell did when he appeared to Homer at his house: "Every word you say makes me want to punch you in the face." It was nice to see Nicole totally stand her emotional ground; it was in that typical Nicole Dupree-style high road that she's known for taking, but I'll take it.

* * *

Another impressive week of Beyond the Gates is in the books, and I sense more wild moments coming. I just know that, in the immortal words of Jim Ross, "Business will definitely pick up."