Beyond the Gates Recap - Thursday, June 26, 2025 | Ashley Shoots Her Shot with Andre While Anita Gets Everyone Together and Nicole Gets Schooled

On Thursday's Beyond the Gates, everyone’s in their feelings — and we’re loving every second. Ashley decides Derek’s not the one and turns her sights on Andre, Anita Dupree returns to find her children at war, and Nicole and Dani face off in a sisterly showdown that’s juicier than a soap press conference. From family drama to flirtation fireworks, here's your daily BTG recap.

Andre and Ashley | BTG, CBS

Ashley Moves On From Derek With a Bold New Choice

Ashley is done crying over Derek’s proposal-turned-breakup and is officially back in the game. Her first order of business? Asking Andre out to dinner. She says it’s all about shaking off the breakup blues, but let’s not pretend she’s not genuinely into him. She’s practically glowing as she tells him he’s the best dater she knows. Cute, fun, and low-drama? Ashley's ready to sign up.

Andre, ever the cautious flirt, hesitates when she suggests they hit Uptown, the same place Derek got down on one knee. Ashley shrugs it off like it’s just another Thursday, insisting she’s totally fine with revisiting the scene of that romantic crime. He worries it might complicate their friendship, but she coolly reassures him they’ll survive — whether it’s a spark or a flop. Game on, girl.

Anita Returns and Immediately Gets to Work on the Dupree Drama

Anita’s back from Chicago and wasting no time inserting herself into the chaos like the queen she is. With everyone tiptoeing around each other at Dupree Manor, she busts out the one-on-ones to figure out who’s doing what — and to whom. Dani’s up first, and Anita gets quite the shock when her daughter confesses she’s dating Andre. As in, that Andre.

Instead of falling over from the scandal, Anita gives her stamp of approval and even drops a hearty “brava.” She tells Dani to lean into her happiness and stop waiting for Bill to swoop back in like a rerun. Her only issue? Why are they still hiding it? Anita urges Dani to come clean and ignore Nicole’s passive-aggressive jabs, promising she’ll handle her other daughter herself.

And handle it she does. Nicole tries to act like the moral compass of the family, but Anita sees right through the act. She tells Nicole she’s dishing her personal trauma out to people who don’t deserve it. Anita isn’t here for Nicole’s habit of making everyone else the villain in her sob story. She delivers a verbal reality check so sharp, it could cut glass: if you want to stop feeling like the fool, maybe stop blaming the people who didn’t hurt you.

Nicole and Dani Finally Face Off — and It Gets Brutal

After Anita stirs the pot, Nicole and Dani decide to settle things the old-fashioned way: over drinks and side-eyes at Uptown. Nicole opens by parroting Anita’s theory that she’s projecting her trauma onto Dani. Dani, trying to keep the peace, tells her she gets it and even says she knows Nicole’s sorry. Nicole hits her right back with a cold “You wish,” and suddenly we’re off to the races.

Nicole accuses Dani of hiding Andre like a dirty little secret. Dani tries to defend herself, but it’s clear she’s wounded. She didn’t ask for Nicole’s blessing, but the constant criticism is getting to her. She wants her sister’s support, not another lecture. Nicole, though, thinks Dani is using Andre to fill a Bill-shaped hole in her heart, and she’s not subtle about it. Dani’s reaction? A mix of fury and exhaustion. This sisterly lovefest is hanging by a thread.

Martin’s Secrets Bubble Up While Naomi Gets Involved

Meanwhile, Martin is falling apart at the seams trying to keep his blackmail drama under wraps. Vernon tells him to keep it together or risk derailing Anita’s triumphant return. Martin’s response? Fake it until the blackmailer disappears. Not exactly a sound plan.

Over at Orphey Gene’s, Jacob and Smitty try to connect the dots about what really happened with Marcel. Naomi enters the chat when Jacob confesses everything about the mysterious “reporter” and the theory that Marcel and Joey could be working together to shake down Martin. Naomi immediately wants to tell Vernon, and Jacob doesn’t fight her on it.

Later, Martin opens up to Smitty just enough to say he’s sorry for not supporting his dreams and promises to stop scaring him with all the nighttime drama. But Smitty knows there’s more to the story. He just hasn’t pried it out yet. One thing’s for sure — whatever happened with Marcel is about to explode.

Kat and Eva Call a Truce… Kind Of

Over at Garland Memorial, Ted’s on apology duty again, this time telling Andre he’s sorry for Nicole’s latest outburst. Andre thinks Dani’s not nearly as in as he is, and honestly, he’s not wrong to be concerned. Ted shifts focus to Eva’s first day on the job, filming her like a proud dad while Kat makes it very clear she’s not thrilled about training her half-sister.

After some sarcastic barbs and a few veiled threats, the sisters finally stop the sniping and get to work. Kat even helps Eva figure out what to focus on, although she might be steering her a little bit in the wrong direction. Eva barely catches the shade when Kat tells her to ignore an alert about Ted’s recertification. Sisterly bonding, BTG-style.

By the end of the episode, Anita and Vernon finally get a moment alone, but Anita senses something is off. She asks if there’s something Vernon isn’t telling her about their so-called kingdom. He responds with a kiss and a vague declaration of love, but that look in Anita’s eyes? She’s not buying the happily-ever-after just yet. Not even close. Soap Opera Reviews delivers daily spoilers and recaps so you never miss a thing. We live for the drama!