Wow. That was one of the best episodes of daytime television in a long time. And it was actually a painful one to watch, considering the Monday, May 5, episode of Beyond the Gates featured Leslie making her case to the Duprees. Nicole unleashed her despair all over Ted. And Kat and Eva had it out at the country club. Martin can add Ted using him to his list of traumas. Eva’s whole life has been traumatic, but her mother locking her out of their home was beyond cruel.
The Conversations
Anita versus Leslie
Leslie (Trisha Mann-Grant) held court at Anita’s (Tamara Tunie) and Vernon’s (Clifton Davis) house like she was queen for the day. She acted like she didn’t want something out of this confrontation. But she did. She was simply laying the ground for a future payday or whatever she had planned. But she played the long game and wanted to make it seem like she was simply doing this for Eva (Ambyr Michelle).
It’s not what she wanted for herself. She wanted them to accept Eva and not hold what she did against her daughter. Riiight. Thankfully, Anita knew exactly what to say in response to Leslie’s diatribe. She couldn’t believe that as a mother that Leslie inflicted so much trauma on her daughter. What Leslie did to Eva was cruel. And there was no way she was going to enter Dupree territory and dictate what was going to happen.
And now we know every word Leslie uttered at that mansion was a lie. At the end of the episode, when Eva used her key to get in the door of her home, Leslie had it latched, effectively throwing Eva out. Poor Eva.
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Nicole versus Ted
Nicole (Daphnée Duplaix) has a way with words. She wasn’t giving, and she took Ted (Maurice Johnson) to task for his long-ago affair. And for everything he did since Leslie returned to town. She didn’t put this all on Leslie. She knew where to lay the blame, and that was with her husband, who lied to her for over 20 years. And when Leslie returned, he had the chance to tell the truth again, and he didn’t.
It didn’t matter what Ted said. Nicole was shattered, and she repeatedly expressed how she didn’t know who her husband was. Ted tried to make excuses, but he couldn’t. Their conversation ended with him slinking off to a hotel. He didn’t want to leave, but Nicole gave him no choice.
At the hotel, Ted felt despair and, hopefully, disgust with himself. During Anita’s rendition of “Amazing Grace,” he looked like he was praying for redemption and for someone to wash away his sins.
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Kat versus Eva
All the conversations in the Monday episode were A-list. But the dialogue during the heated and extremely painful Kat (Colby Muhammad) and Eva exchange was transcendent. Arguably, the best part of the conversation was when they realized that their opinions of Ted had suddenly reversed, and they used fairytale terminology to express their opinions.
Kat was now disillusioned with her father. Meanwhile, Eva told her how lucky she was to have the love of a father like Ted. As Nicole’s assistant, she grew to love Ted (and Nicole). So now Kat sees her father negatively, while Eva, who once thought Ted was a deadbeat, now sees him as an amazing and loving dad. But you have to see the words for yourself.
Eva: We had two different fathers, competely opposite, but the same man.
Kat: And now they’re switched. You decided he’s a good guy. And I just watched him destroy my mother’s heart in front of everyone I know. A reverse fairytale, where prince charming is now an evil ogre.
Eva: And my life was a nightmare where the beast was a prince in disguise.
Beautiful dialogue in the same episode as Anita’s beautiful rendition of “Amazing Grace.” That last montage while she sang was glorious, dramatic, and emotional. Then add Martin (Brandon Claybon) and Smitty (Mike Manning), who finally seem to be gelling as husbands. Martin understandably lashed out when he got home, throwing books and trashing the room. Smitty, ever the one to dole out comfort, did just that for Martin. And the two connected.
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What did you think of this episode? What were your highlights? And what were your favorite performances? Let us know in the comments. Remember, CBS is preempting BTG for the next two days. The next new episode is on Thursday.
