On Thursday’s Beyond the Gates, Joey and Vanessa have a tense dinner with Deanna, according to spoilers. Meanwhile, Smitty and Martin walk down memory lane to a tense time in their marriage. Basically, the theme of the July 16 episode is tension.
Key Takeaways
- Joey, Vanessa, and Deanna’s dinner quickly turns tense.
- Martin and Smitty revisit one of the toughest chapters in their marriage.
- Naomi’s BRCA update and Pamela’s support add more emotional strain.
Tension at Dinner
Vanessa (Lauren Buglioli), Joey (Jon Lindstrom), and Deanna (Angela Fairley) have a tense dinner, which isn’t a shock, given that Deanna wants Joey out of her mother’s life. Deanna is pretending to be more accepting, but thanks to Randy (Maurice P. Kerry), Joey knows how Deanna really feels about him. Needless to say, the trio is about to experience the dinner from hell.
That’s something that tends to happen whenever Vanessa and Joey sit down for dinner with someone else. Remember the double date from hell they shared with Nicole (Daphnée Duplaix) and Carlton (Robert Christopher Riley)? Maybe Vanessa and Joey just need to keep their dinners for two from here on out.
Martin and Smitty Remember Tension in Their Marriage
Meanwhile, Smitty (Mike Manning, 2026 Daytime Emmy nominee for Supporting Actor) and Martin (Brandon Claybon) recall this time last year when their marriage hit the skids. It’s when Martin’s secret came back to haunt him, and subsequently his family. It had to do with the night a couple of years ago when he killed the man who tried to hurt him and Vernon (Clifton Davis) after a political event.
That experience caused Martin nightmares. It also caused trouble in his marriage, to the point he had to move out of his home and in with his grandparents. But Martin and Smitty have come a long way since Martin came clean with the truth. Their marriage is stronger than ever. What triggers this walk down memory lane?
Will There Be Tension Among the Dupree Cousins?
For months, Naomi (Arielle Prepetit, a 2026 Daytime Emmy nominee in the Emerging Talent category) led her family to believe she wasn’t a carrier of the BRCA gene. But it was all a lie. She finally told Dani (Karla Mosley, 2026 Daytime Emmy nominee for Lead Actress) and Jacob (Jibre Hordges) that she tested positive for the BRCA gene.
And on Thursday, it’s time for Naomi to update her cousins on her health status. Will they immediately be understanding? Or will Naomi’s refusal to tell the truth for such a long time become a source of tension?
Pamela Supports a Tense Dani
It has been a minute since we’ve seen Pamela (Cady McClain), Dani’s bestie and business partner. But she arrives on the scene ready to support her girl. Look for her to bolster a guilt-ridden Dani. There’s no way Pamela will like the fact that Dani and Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett, 2026 Daytime Emmy Nominee for Supporting Actor) reconnected the night of the tornado.
She’ll likely put aside her feelings about the matter, however, because Dani is in need. Pamela may have to resort to a little tough love, though. Because right now, Dani is navigating bumps in her marriage to Andre (Sean Freeman) while dealing with Bill’s health emergency. It’s clear that she needs a sounding board. And when she talked to Nicole recently, she didn’t exactly let her sister in on her secret.
