‘Beyond the Gates’ 2026 Preview: Nicole’s Love Triangle, ‘Big’ Musical Guest, Anita’s Recovery & More

February 24 marks one year since the debut of the CBS soap opera, Beyond the Gates, a milestone that still feels surreal to creator Michele Val Jean.

“It blows me away,” Val Jean marvels. “It still blows me away that the show ever got on the air, and that it’s been around now for a year. We’re into writing Episode 300, and it’s just like, ‘Wow, this really is happening.’”

That sense of awe is matched by pride in the show’s swift cultural impact, including recent NAACP Image Awards nominations for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Hair Styling. “People are noticing,” she points out. “The NAACP Image Award nominations were such a fine surprise to wake up to. I’m very proud.”

Just as meaningful to Val Jean is the audience’s passionate response. “I’ve worked half my life for this,” Val Jean says. “And to have the fans so intense about it and so invested in it — ‘I hate this person,’ ‘I love that person,’ and all of that, which is part of the whole soap experience — when it’s your show, it lands a little differently. I’m just so grateful that people are watching it and loving it and hating it and loving to hate it. It’s humbling.”

Quantrell Colbert/CBS

As the one-year mark approaches, Val Jean has a heartfelt message to the viewers who have been along for the ride. “Thank you so, so very much,” she says. “Please keep watching. Please keep caring about us. Know that I’m so grateful.”

Looking ahead, Beyond the Gates is leaning into some of its most emotionally weighty storytelling yet. This year kicked off with a trying time for the Dupree family, as Anita Dupree (Tamara Tunie) discovered she had Triple Negative Breast Cancer, and her daughter, Dani Dupree (Karla Mosley) and granddaughter Naomi Hamilton (Arielle Prepetit) have both tested positive for the BRCA gene. Look for that multigenerational tale to continue as the year progresses.

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“It just felt right, like it was time to do something like that, because the canvas is now there; people are familiar,” Val Jean explains. “And Anita is such a matriarch. Whatever happens to her, it just flows out to everybody else on the canvas, so she was the obvious choice to me. Plus, there was the opportunity to talk about cancer and how it affects Black women and talk about the BRCA gene and tell a really emotional story at the same time.”

Here’s Val Jean’s exclusive preview of what’s coming up in the months ahead.

Anita Dupree and Vernon Dupree

“We’re going to see recovery. We’re going to see what happens and what you have to go through, and we’re going to go through all the stuff. It’s going to be hard. There’s pain involved, but it’s going to be a true representation of what a cancer survivor goes through to get to be a survivor.” Look for Vernon (Clifton Davis) to be a constant support for Anita (Tamara Tunie). “He’s there for her through thick and thin, always, and even when she gets to a point where it’s hard for her to hang on, he is her strength.”

CBS

Bill Hamilton, Dani Dupree, and Andre Richardson

“The cancer story is going to bring Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett) a little closer and back into the Dupree family, so we’ll see where that goes. It’s always going to be complicated. Bill and Dani have a 30-plus year connection, and he is familiar to her, even though he is also toxic for her. He’s her go-to sometimes when things get really, really tough, but at the same time, she loves Andre (Sean Freeman) with her whole entire heart. And why wouldn’t she? He’s wonderful. So, it’s your classic soap opera triangle, where you root for the one couple and the other one, you’re just screaming, but you want to see it.”

Hayley Lawson and Bill Hamilton

Hayley (Marquita Goings) is still determined to kill Bill and get his money, even though the Dupree drama has thrown a wrench into her plans. “It’s the longest scam she’s ever had to do, and she is over it. She’s irritated. She’s a very determined young woman. Once she invests that much time and energy, she expects her payout.”

Naomi Hamilton and Jacob Hawthorne

With Naomi keeping mum about the fact that she tested positive for the BRCA gene, “Either it’ll bring them closer or it’ll tear them apart. My guess is there will be a controversy between them, but Naomi’s got to do what Naomi’s got to do, whatever that happens to be, and Jacob (Jibre Hordges) knows that about her. Their love is solid, so we’ll see.”

Quantrell Colbert/CBS

Nicole Dupree Richardson

“Nicole [Daphnée Duplaix] is a busy girl right now, busy having fun. And it’s really interesting, because the two men are so different, and she gets different things from both of them. With Carlton [Fitzgerald, Robert Christopher Riley], she feels safe and secure. With Kial [Rollins, Greg Vaughan], he’s exciting and new. Carlton’s kind of always been there, waiting on the sidelines, and Kial is this guy who just came in, and he has no expectations, no judgment, and he’s just a lot of fun. So, be like Nicole.”

Ted Richardson and Shanice Johnson

“It’s going to be interesting. Ted [Keith D. Robinson] and Shanice [Ernestine Johnson] have a journey that they’re going to go on together.”

Chelsea Hamilton and Madison Montgomery

“Chelsea [RhonniRose Mantilla] and Madison’s [Kenjah] love affair continues.”

Quantrell Colbert/CBS

Kat Richardson and Tomas Navarro

“Kat’s [Colby Natasha Nixon] very much in love with Tomas [Alex Alegria]. She is still very much involved in the marketing of the purse line, and we’re going to see some movement there. And she just might end up close to, in a friendship way, another guy on canvas, when she runs into a few issues with Tomas.”

Eva Thomas and Izaiah Hawthorne

“Eva’s [Ambyr Michelle] very happy with Izaiah [David Lami Friebe]. It was fast, and it was sparky, but something’s going to happen soon that brings an unlikely foursome together.”

Bradley “Smitty” Smith and Martin Richardson

“Smitty’s [Mike Manning] career is going to be resparked by a new series of features that he writes on a particular thing that’s going to be going on. And Martin [Brandon Claybon] is trying to reinvigorate his career because he’s being challenged. Their home life is still really good together.”

Chris Reel/CBS

Vanessa McBride and Joey Armstrong

“They love each other. It’s a surprise to Joey [Jon Lindstrom], because Joey has sort of put that part of himself in a little box. Because she never gave up, she was so annoying and so frustrating for him, he finally just couldn’t fight it anymore. So, it’ll be interesting to see if Vanessa [Lauren Buglioli] gets what she wants, which is basically to be a full partner with him. She wants to be mob girl, and he’s trying to protect her from herself. He tries to, anyway.”

Leslie Thomas

“Leslie [Trisha Mann] is going to have a new business venture with Joey, and she’s going to keep having fun with Marcel [Malone, Darryl W. Handy], but Ted is always it for her. He’s going to be a hard habit to break. And she’s not happy with the whole Shanice thing.”

Ashley Morgan and Grayson Perez

“Ashley [Jen Jacob] and Grayson [Jordi Vilasuso] are going to spark and they’re going to face an obstacle pretty quickly afterwards.”

Chris Reel/CBS

Valentine’s Day

Look for a surprise engagement, plus, “There’s a lot of love in the afternoon. There’s one couple in particular goes to a place sexually that is totally unexpected.”

Easter

“We’ve had musical guests before, like Kenny Lattimore and Keke Wyatt, and we’re going to have another musical guest. I’m not at liberty to say who, but it’s big. And I love that we have music in the show, because music is my first love. and I’m excited about this, this Easter show.”

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