Beyond the Gates Review: CBS' Historic New Soap Is a Thrilling Throwback With Deep Daytime Roots
Could we be on the cusp of a soap opera renaissance?
It's been more than 25 years since a new daytime drama has entered the chat, plus an additional decade since one has been led by a predominantly Black cast, so it's fair to say that Monday's premiere of Beyond the Gates (CBS, 2/1c) marks a historic turn for the genre. Having screened the series' first five episodes, I can assure you that things are looking up.
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Beyond the Gates centers around the mighty Dupree family, the beloved founders and social leaders of Fairmont Crest, an affluent gated community in a Maryland suburb just outside of Washington, D.C. Trading her lab coat for an endless array of fabulous couture, former Law & Order: SVU favorite Tamara Tunie commands every room as family matriarch Anita Dupree, who made a name for herself as a recording artist before settling down. This queen finds her king in Vernon Dupree (Madam Secretary's Clifton Davis), a retired senator and respected civil rights leader who would do anything to protect his family.
Anita and Vernon wield great power in their community, where one phone call can turn the tide of public opinion, and within their family, all of whom can be summoned to Dupree Manor with a single text message. Stern but fair, they serve as a guiding force in Fairmont Crest. And when you have veteran powerhouses like Tunie and Davis giving their words life, everyone listens.
Filling out the Dupree family tree is an eclectic group of gorgeous overachievers. Anita and Vernon's daughter Nicole (Daphnée Duplaix) is an award-winning psychiatrist married to a handsome plastic surgeon (Maurice Johnson) with whom she has two children, including an out gay congressman (Brandon Clayborn). Other successful family members include an ace attorney, a newly promoted homicide detective and a social media influencer with something to prove.
Now for the real fun: Beyond the Gates has a secret weapon in Karla Mosley as Dani Dupree, whose trainwreck of a divorce from duplicitous lawyer Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett) serves as the catalyst for much of the show's drama. Not only is Bill newly engaged to their daughter's former best friend (Marquita Goings), but he and his 'child bride' are putting down roots in Fairmont Crest, flaunting their happiness in Dani's face.
Every moment Mosley appears on screen is electric. Dani is a wild card, a loose cannon, an unpredictable force of nature whose actions are driven entirely by her fluctuating impulses. She can go from zero to 100 with a single piercing glance, and it's thrilling to experience every time. Mosley is equally captivating in Dani's more vulnerable moments, when she drops her defenses and acknowledges the deep level of pain that causes her to lash out.
Seasoned soap consumers will find plenty to appreciate about Beyond the Gates. The show knows exactly what its viewers want — big swings, juicy twists, enticing cliffhangers — and it gift-wraps it for them in a comforting package. In an era when daytime dramas are on the decline, this feels like a lovingly crafted throwback, the type of multi-generational series you fondly remember watching with a relative.
And there's good reason for that. Beyond the Gates has assembled the Avengers of daytime storytellers, led by creator and showrunner Michele Val Jean, whose work on soaps like General Hospital (1993–2007) and The Bold and the Beautiful (2012–2024) earned her seven Daytime Emmy Awards. Val Jean also got her start working on Generations, daytime TV's first Black-led soap opera, making this a truly full-circle experience.
Additional heavy hitters include Julie Carruthers, whose daytime career includes an eight-year stint executive-producing All My Children, and Robert Guza Jr., who served as the head writer of General Hospital at various points between 1996 and 2011.
Make no mistake, Beyond the Gates is a soap with a capital 's.' Even daytime diehards might be surprised by the amount of twists and turns the show manages to take in its first week, which I've seen in its entirety. By the time Friday's episode wraps, you'll feel like you've known the Duprees for years, and (spoiler alert!) you'll be dying to know what's going to happen on Monday.
THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE: With its engaging cast and steady stream of titillating twists, CBS' is more than just a historic moment in daytime. It's also a drink-tossing, face-slapping, golf club-swinging good time.
Hit PLAY on the video above to watch TVLine's in-studio interview with Beyond the Gates stars Tunie and Duplaix, then drop a comment with your thoughts below. Do you see a visit to Fairmont Crest in your future?
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