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Here's what went down Friday, January 2, 2026 on Beyond the Gates when Bill pulled from his own personal history to help Anita, Shanice and Ted took an important early step, and Hayley picked a strange moment to scheme.
What happened on Beyond the Gates
On Beyond the Gates, Bill and Dani arrived at the Dupree manse, where Bill expressed his sorrow about Anita's cancer diagnosis and Dani apologized for Anita and Vernon having to tell Chelsea and Naomi about it first. The Duprees were forgiving, though Anita wished she could have found an easier way to inform her granddaughters that they might be carrying the same monster as she in the BRCA gene. Dani assured Anita that Naomi and Chelsea were on board with getting screened should she test positive, but when Vernon saw how familiar Bill was in comforting Dani, the patriarch took Dani aside to ask what was going on.
Dani felt that Vernon was reading too much into Bill being there with her; her ex had simply wanted to convey his sympathies to his former mother-in-law after sharing the sad news with his girls. Vernon wondered why Dani wasn't leaning more on Andre, but Dani said she'd be doing plenty of that, as Andre had become her rock. Chelsea and Naomi, especially facing the possibility of inheriting the gene on top of learning that their beloved Gran was sick, needed both of her parents, Dani clarified, and that was all there was to Bill's presence.
Alone with Anita, Bill guessed that she might be feeling similar to the way he had when he had been felled by his stroke. It had made him experience helplessness, and Anita didn't deny same. Bill had been humbled by his body failing him, even though he strutted around like a man half his age. “With a woman half your age,” Anita snarked. Bill conceded the point but let Anita know how much he had hated relying on people as he recovered. “Drop your concerns,” Bill advised, telling Anita to not be prideful or stubborn as her treatment progressed. “People want to help you,” Bill added tenderly. “Let them.”
Bill hugged Anita as he left, and Vernon was ready to accompany the tired Anita upstairs, but Dani wanted a moment alone with her father, so Anita made her way in the house's elevator. Dani revealed that she knew Vernon was keeping a shield up to protect her and the rest of the family. She worried that Vernon thought of doing that as his job, reminding him that he couldn't fix everything. Taking it all on alone wasn't going to help anyone, Dani went on, and she wanted to offer Vernon her shoulder the way he had always made his available.
Vernon recalled that he had been a fighter, both in the Senate and as a proponent of civil rights. But Anita's cancer was something that couldn't be negotiated with, and Vernon didn't know how to fight it. Dani affirmed that Vernon hadn't known how to battle racism, either, but he had stood his ground against it anyway. And though there were days coming when Anita wouldn't be strong enough to fight, Dani continued, Vernon would have his daughters at his side. Vernon became emotional at the thought of being alone in the mansion without the “beautiful, vibrant, soulful” Anita, and, as he began to break down, Dani pulled him into her arms, allowing himself to cry.
At Garland Memorial, Ted approached Shanice, who thought he was there to discuss their New Year's Eve kiss. After they agreed that the buss had been nice, Ted divulged that he wanted Shanice's advice about a problem. Shanice had seen Nicole coming out of Ted's office and didn't feel qualified to talk about whatever was going on between them, but Ted explained about Anita's cancer and the BRCA gene that Kat and Martin might have inherited. Ted lamented that he'd always been able to turn to Carlton, but now...Shanice understood that Ted couldn't determine what his place was in the family following the divorce and cautioned Ted against overthinking. He, Nicole, and the kids were still a unit, and they needed each other.
Shanice became alarmed to learn that Kat had refused to be tested for the presence of BRCA – particularly since, if Nicole carried it, there was a 45-70% chance that Kat did as well. Ted remarked that he had been asked to change Kat's mind; it was just that he didn't know if she would even talk to him, as their father-daughter relationship had been “scratchy” since he'd embraced Eva. When Ted mentioned that he wouldn't know where to start in any case, Shanice didn't want Ted to sell himself short and predicted that the words would come, since he knew Kat better than anyone else.
Smitty was surprised to see Martin coming home to the brownstone, since he had been expected at an pivotal political event. Martin explained how he had cancelled his appearance, since family was more important; Smitty reeled to learn that the “invincible” Anita was facing cancer. Smitty saw the necessity of Dani and Nicole being screened for the tumor-causing gene and emphasized how vital it was for Martin to take the test himself.
After Smitty found it odd that Kat would avoid learning if she had the mutation, Martin hoped that his backing off on the subject would help Kat come around to changing her mind of her own volition. Smitty remembered that he had once done an article on sources of funding for cancer research, and that he still had a contact at the prestigious MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas – the reporter offered to reach out so they could get more in-depth information that could help both Kat and Anita.
Kat continued gulping tequila shots at Uptown; having texted Tomás, he arrived to find his girlfriend drunk. When Tomás chose a glass of water over alcohol, Kat slurred that Tomás just didn't want to go back to Bill's office with booze on his breath, since it could hamper his chances of making partner. Tomás took the jab in stride, and Kat finally admitted that Anita had breast cancer.
Tomás was supportive and suggested that Kat switch to water herself as she went over how Anita was going into treatment right away – though she never once brought up being a possible carrier of BRCA. Kat also ignored a call from Ted, though she let Tomás take her home. Once at the guest house, Kat apologized for her tequila-fueled words about Tomás's ambition and assured him she'd be fine, since Chelsea would be home soon, and they could lean on each other.
After Tomás departed, Kat was surprised to find her father on her door. She let Ted hug her, but she knew he had been trying to call because of her stance on BRCA testing. Ted granted Kat the freedom to make her own choice and promised to support her no matter what that choice was. He knew Kat was scared and presented himself as a safe space if she wanted to talk. Kat remembered how she'd always been able to confide in Ted and confessed that she missed the privilege; she put her head on his shoulder and said she'd always need her daddy.
Tomás returned to the office and ran into Hayley, who was miffed that almost no one was there. After Tomás reiterated that it was New Year's Day, Hayley taunted Tomás about his co-worker, Pauline, being on the clock despite the holiday and hinted that Pauline would make partner before Tomás did. Later, Tomás saw Bill in the hallway, and the two commiserated over both Anita's cancer and how hard Kat, Chelsea, and Naomi were taking it.
“Oh, it's you,” Hayley snapped when Bill entered his office. “How's Dani?” she asked jealously. Bill replied that he had also been with his children, and that he full well intended to keep his promise to tell Hayley what was going on. Hayley cooed that they were supposed to be making their own child, causing Bill to shout that it wasn't a competition. After Bill delivered the news of Anita's cancer, Hayley pretended she hadn't already heard him and Dani talking about it and offered the Dupree family her “sympathy,” apologetic that she had been so “petty” earlier. “Well, you didn't know,” Bill told his straight-faced wife.
Kat was about to take a swig of vodka when she got a call from Tomás, who was checking up on her. Lying that Chelsea was on her way in, Kat hurriedly hung up and stood in silence.
Ted visited Martin and Smitty and relayed how he had just been to see Kat. Despite also being worried about his daughter running away from getting screened for BRCA, Ted counseled Martin that they had to respect her choice, even if they didn't agree with it. That said, Ted was still hopeful that, if they didn't push, Kat would come around to the test by herself.
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Back at the hospital, Shanice received a text from Ted, thanking her for her guidance and asking if she accepted kisses as payment. Soon after, at the brownstone, Ted got a response from Shanice and told the half-truth that he had gotten a message from the hospital. Smitty hoped that all was going well there. Ted surmised that everything was actually going better than he expected.
Beyond the Gates airs weekdays on CBS and streams on Paramount Plus.
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