REVIEW: CBS' "Beyond the Gates" - Episodes 1.69 through 1.73

Kat takes matters into her own hands. The women in Bill's life rally around him. Chelsea and Madison connect. Ted has a surprising offer for Eva. Martin's past haunts his present.

Episode 1.69

All of a sudden Bill is weak. Everyone's perception of him shifts. That terrifies him. He wants to maintain the illusion of strength. He has suffered a stroke. Madison is confident he will recover. That simply requires him following her instructions. It will take months though. Life will change once more for this family. The family rallies around him. In fact, the story showcases the depth of love Dani, Naomi and Chelsea have for him. Hayley is important as well. Yet she feels the need to prove her significance. She's suddenly the outsider. They had an intense connection. One driven by physical attraction. She isn't running. She's insecure about the emotional strength the rest of the family provides. They have plenty going on in their own lives. They drop everything to be there for him. Bill has a ton of support. The tension over him leaving is still present. No one wants him to die. Naomi needs to battle her father in court. Dani needs to continue sparring with the person she once loved. Chelsea requires more time to figure out what she wants next.

Elsewhere, Kat sets Leslie up so the helmet and gloves are found in her apartment. It was impossible to extend an olive branch. They couldn't have reached a tentative peace. Leslie is always trying new ways to worm her way into the lives of the main characters. Her argument doesn't work to win over Tomas. He remains resolute in his convictions. He doesn't falter. Meanwhile, Andre and Derek delight in simply unnerving her. Leslie is worried. She needs to be the one in control. Kat recognizes that. As such, she uses it to craft a convincing argument to get Jacob to do what she wants. It's all under the illusion of her finally trusting the police to do their job. In reality, she plants the evidence to ensure the outcome she wants. The helmet and gloves are constantly being moved now. Eva is aware they are no longer in her hotel room. She prevented Leslie from taking them. But now, she doesn't know what to believe. She was grateful to have a chance to apologize to Nicole. Yet she continues to love her mother and is trying to protect her in all of this mess too. She doesn't have to choose between Leslie and Ted. That decision may come sooner than later though.

Grade: B+

Episode 1.70

After weeks of drama, Anita has reached a resolution with Tracy and Sharon about reuniting as friends and performing again. She still has plenty to confront from her past. She was apt to say her emotions have been on a roller coaster throughout this journey. Everything happens suddenly. At the start of the episode, she was defeated. Then, Tracy forced her sisters to listen. This may all still end badly. They are willing to see if they can recapture the magic they once had. They will be doing so in Chicago. It's personal for Anita's story. It also takes her away from Fairmont Crest. It would be fascinating to see her in a new environment. One with plenty of memories. It's still wrought with drama because of how easily everything could still go awry. Vernon accepts it all. Anita and Vernon remain the strongest couple. In fact, Vernon offers reassurance to everyone when they need it. He provides clarity to Naomi about not being responsible for Bill's stroke. He makes everyone feel as if the world isn't weighing them down. It's such a miraculous superpower. One that is effortlessly portrayed as well.

Vernon feels compelled to check on Dani too. He doesn't catch her with Andre. It was a possibility though. That sends the adrenaline rushing in new ways for Dani. Everyone expects her to react with chaos. However, she has largely offered love and stability. She aims to support Bill as he recovers. Everyone gives him a hard time about refusing to listen to the doctor. He needs to follow the instructions. His life is going to be dramatically different for the next few months. He must accept that. Every other concern must be cast aside. Dani and Naomi still aren't fond of Hayley. She's part of this family. They can't just make snide comments towards her whenever they interact. That's trivial given everything that has happened. Dani is still afraid of being seen in public with Andre. She's slowly letting her guard down. It's insane that she hasn't been in Orphey Gene's this entire season. It's a common location for all of the characters regardless of their standing in this society. It's the melting pot of this community. Everyone receives what they need from this place. For Andre and Dani, it remains private while being a step forward to something new.

Grade: B+

Episode 1.71

Eva will support her mother no matter what. Leslie knows that. She manipulates it to her benefit. She's confident she will win in the end. She envisions herself as the protagonist. She is the person everyone loves to hate and then starts cheering for. That's what she wants. It doesn't matter that the helmet and gloves are now in police custody. She's confident every action taken against her stems from Kat. As such, the entire investigation has been tainted. Jacob doesn't have proof that Kat planted evidence. He has his suspicions. Kat doesn't confess. She believes this is a victory. She is one step closer to getting Leslie arrested. Her actions make Jacob seem like an incompetent detective though. He missed something so obvious during the first search of the apartment. The judge wants to be even more careful moving forward. That's the next roadblock they have to face. Meanwhile, Leslie forces Eva into helping her. Eva can't turn her back on Leslie. She doesn't know what happened. She's willing to figure it out. Because this connection remains strong, it's impossible for friendships with Nicole and Laura to ever blossom genuinely.

Of course, Nicole directs most of her anger to Ted. She's furious with him for making her feel foolish. She can't escape the people who broke her life. Eva is back at the Richardson home. She answers her mother's call while there. She doesn't have ulterior motives this time. It's hard to win back the trust. Moreover, the audience knows just how strong this bond remains. It's inescapable at the moment. Nicole needs a release. Dani provides that comfort. They create a mess. It's cathartic. It's an attempt for Nicole to regain control. The healing process is slow. Dani is still grieving the end of her marriage. Nicole is enduring the same pain. Bill is also eager to get out of the hospital. He takes every piece of encouraging news as evidence for him to return home. He is yet to fully grapple with the reality of his circumstances. Madison claims he's very lucky. The stroke could have been much worse. It provides the family with the opportunity to mend these dynamics. Chelsea is grateful. Yet she's also much more interested in exploring her new connection with the doctor.

Grade: B

Episode 1.72

Apparently, Jacob and Marcel are still partners. It's been awhile since Marcel was introduced as the dirty cop Jacob reluctantly works with. It's suggested he has even more prominence. Martin is concerned when he hears Smitty will be profiling the retiring detective. Martin feels guilty about the past. Any connection to his secret freaks him out. He wants to protect his family. Yet he's also keeping them at a distance. He can't let any of them in. He tells his mother about his nightmares. They've seeped into his day too. That's terrifying. Nicole worries. She believes her son needs to talk to a therapist. She can't provide treatment. He refuses to share the secret that triggered all of these feelings. He can't be honest with her. The little he does reveal is concerning. That's only a brief glimpse of what happened. The show has been teasing the secret for so long. It keeps getting dragged out. It becomes bigger the longer it takes to reveal. It might be connected to the mysterious employee at the country club. He appears randomly. More cohesion is necessary to make this story work. Consistency is important too. A lot has fallen to the background as a result of Kat, Eva and Leslie. That story is compelling. It's also given the time to actually become something significant.

And then, more time is spent talking about Derek and Ashley's relationship. They frequently talk about it with their friends instead of with each other. Living together didn't work. The spark has vanished. They are awkward now. It's noticeable. It's also not particularly interesting. The other characters have more pressing concerns. Bill's stroke provides Naomi with new insight. Meanwhile, Andre celebrates completing his documentary on the hospital. The stuff with Derek and Ashley exists solely to pad the overall narrative. Nothing major would be lost without it. The audience needs to feel a genuine connection. It's present elsewhere. Mona and Kat trapping Leslie to obtain her DNA is compelling. Kat continues to lead every step of this investigation. Jacob complains about her behavior and the suggestion of breaking the rules to arrest Leslie. He isn't necessarily stepping up in a major way. Comparing Kat to Leslie is a key insight. It's not something she is willing to reckon with. Similarly, Ted remains way too optimistic about Kat accepting Eva as her replacement as his office manager. He's become a little too naive following the recast.

Grade: B-

Episode 1.73

Ashley is asked out on a date by Derek. She immediately freaks out. She believes he is about to break up with her. That's not what she wants. She spins herself up. Andre tries his best to rationalize it. Yet it's an obvious attempt at setting up expectations only to swerve when the time comes. Derek proposes. They couldn't live together. Now, he wants to take this next step in their relationship. They aren't on the same page. It's frustrating. It's made more complicated by Andre always pining after Ashley. That informs their dynamic. Derek and Naomi are only friends. That makes it even stranger when the dynamics are cut in contrast with one another. It's all jarring without offering the confidence of being informed by everything that has come before. Things can happen quickly. Chelsea and Kat have already moved into Dani's guest house. They catch Andre. He can't come up with a convincing lie for his presence. The truth is discovered about him and Dani. That's big. It doesn't particularly have the space to breathe. No one is allowed to process it. It has already been a tortured story where the characters want different things. Now, they will be faced with stress over not being able to control the perception.

Vernon believes secrecy is the only way to protect Martin. He will do anything for his grandson. He wants to keep him safe for as long as possible. Yet he's angry when Martin shares that he talked to his mother about the nightmares. He kept things vague. She was concerned enough. Vernon is as well. He's so proud of Anita. He wants to keep the family updated with her every move in Chicago. Martin is reaching a breaking point. He can't calm down. The pain is getting worse. He disassociates from the event somewhat. He doesn't entirely know what the nightmares mean. He doesn't know what amplifies them. He's in search of potential triggers. One happens to be right behind him. No clarity is given as to who the mysterious waiter is. However, he knows the phrase that haunts Martin. That's enough to send him spiraling. The family hasn't done enough to keep this secret amongst their ranks. It will be exposed eventually. That's a guarantee. That's been true for awhile though. This is the new catalyst for it to happen. But even that has been pretty obvious.

Grade: C+