Back in May, CBS renewed Beyond the Gates for a second season. As the show approaches this new season of episodes, creator, head writer, and executive producer Michele Val Jean revealed that she is “focused on pushing boundaries while staying true to the heart of the genre.” She also previewed what’s coming up for the rookie soap.
Beyond Boundaries
For Val Jean, pushing boundaries means she will utilize whatever it takes, all the tools at her disposal, to take the show to the next level. “We just want to keep it moving, keep it interesting, keep it flowing, surprising the audience,” she recently told TV Insider. “I see a lot of speculation online about where we’re going, and it makes me smile, because a lot of the time, that’s not where we’re going.”
It sounds like unpredictability is everything to the EP. That might be why BTG cast Jacob Hawthorne’s brother. So far, Jacob (Jibre Hordges) and his dad, Elon, have had some interaction. Jacob followed in his father’s footsteps— Elon (Malachi Malik) is currently the police chief, and Jacob is a rookie detective. Hopefully, with his other son’s introduction, this means we’ll see more of Elon outside the precinct.
New Brother In Town
Actor David Lami Friebe takes on the role of Izaiah Hawthorne. “He is not Jacob by any means,” Val Jean previewed. “He’s the black sheep of the family, but he got a hand up by somebody that will surprise you.”
On top of that, Izaiah will be “a new love interest for one of our lucky ladies. He’s going to be a counselor at Banneker, which is a university, so he’ll be the door to open up that world to us.” Val Jean revealed.
Val Jean teased another casting nugget, although she didn’t name any names. “There’s going to be another surprise down the road that soap fans will like.”
Trouble and Drama
Other than that, expect BTG to bring “all the soapy things — family secrets, unexpected terms, betrayals, surprises.” For one, Anita’s (Tamara Tunie) and Vernon’s (Clifton Davis) marriage may not be on solid footing. What does that mean? If the matriarch and patriarch can stumble, is anybody’s relationship in the Dupree family safe?
Meanwhile, Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett) and Hayley’s union is in trouble when a surprising familial connection to Hayley (Marquita Goings) poses a threat to Bill. Finally, Vanessa’s (Lauren Buglioli) and Ashley’s (Jen Jacob) worlds come crashing down around them as lies and the death of a loved one change everything.
Do you have any guesses about the other casting surprise? Who do you want to see on BTG? And who’s dying? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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