Beyond the Gates Recap for January 21, 2026: Shanice handled a country club brat and Kat's brat winter continued

Here's what went down Wednesday, January 21, 2026 on Beyond the Gates when Naomi went undercover to get the lowdown on BRCA, Jacob was hot to go undercover at work, and Smitty's new article had undercover implications of its own.

What happened on Beyond the Gates

On Beyond the Gates, Vanessa slammed her phone down at the food court, attracting the attention of Kial. The two realized they had met at WinterFest, with Vanessa apologizing for once again acting out, as she had at the gala. The tone became slightly flirtatious, and Vanessa handed Kial a business card – for her real estate firm. Kial recognized the name “McBride” and made the connection between Vanessa and Doug, offering his condolences when he learned that Doug had passed. Vanessa was surprised to learn that Kial had also lost a spouse, calling it “ a strange club we're in”; she then shared that she'd heard Kial was a bit of a “medical nomad” and asked how he was liking the DMV. Kial replied that he had, so far, discovered some surprises.

Naomi came to Garland Memorial to chat with Anita's practitioner, Dr. Ahn. The lawyer admitted that she had indeed tested positive for the BRCA gene variant which would make her more susceptible to cancer, and she wanted answers. Ahn understood Naomi's need for facts but also advised her to give herself space to feel – and seek out emotional support. The doctor referred Naomi to both a genetics counselor and a social worker; Naomi refused to burden Anita further and didn't have it in her to be a mother to her own mother, who also carried the mutation.

Ahn suggested that Naomi turn to Jacob, but Naomi didn't want to shake things up when she and Jacob had just survived a crisis. Just then, Nicole arrived and wondered what Naomi and Ahn were in conference about. Ahn covered and claimed that she had approached Naomi for legal advice, and Naomi's relief was palpable.

At the police precinct, Jacob took Marcel to task for missing a briefing and wondered why the suddenly more cheerful veteran had blood on his collar. When Jacob saw that the stain was lipstick, he fumed that Marcel was sleeping with the “it's-still-an-open-case psycho Leslie Thomas.” Marcel spat that Jacob hadn't been able to prove the allegations against Leslie and added that Jacob wouldn't be so wound up if he was getting some from his wife.

Elon entered and wanted to discuss Jacob's discovery of a black market plasma ring. “Funny what you miss when you're getting busy with the town pariah,” Jacob told a confused Marcel. Elon was ready to hand out an undercover assignment designed to take the ring down; after Marcel made some vampire jokes, he flexed that he was still the best choice, though his notoriety might mean requiring plastic surgery from Ted. Jacob wanted the case, since it had been through his informant that he had discovered the syndicate. When Elon began to agree with Marcel that Jacob didn't have the experience, Jacob lobbied for the assignment, not wanting to be passed over again.

Police Chief Hawthorne ultimately entrusted his son with the investigation, causing Marcel to jeer, “It's your funeral, kid.” Jacob was ready to work, but when Elon reminded him that he would be on call 24 hours a day, his enthusiasm faded somewhat.

Tyrell surprised his sister and fathers by announcing that he needed a new tuxedo. Samantha cracked that her “Captain Hypocrite Bro” was only ready to “[bow] down to the patriarchy” of debutante culture so he could be “arm candy” for Jessica. Martin did find Tyrell's change of heart convenient, and Smitty frowned that, if Tyrell was truly going to take part in the cotillion, he needed to be all in and not try to make any public statements against it. Samantha further leaked that Jessica had only agreed to attend because it would look good on her UCLA application, but Tyrell said he understood the importance of the event being “a family thing” and vowed to be on his best behavior.

Later, Martin was talking about Tyrell's reversal, but Smitty was distracted by what he was reading on his phone. The reporter divulged that he was working on a new story idea, but it was just a puff piece. Martin remembered his husband's last human interest story about Marcel and hoped that, this time, the human involved wouldn't be so dangerous.

Ted was at a table at Orphey Gene's, telling Shanice by phone that they'd have to go somewhere else besides Obelisk for their date, as the restaurant was closed for a private function. Shanice recoiled at Ted's idea to dine at the country club, since that the was the territory and legacy of Nicole's family. Plus, Shanice was sure that Nicole wouldn't “want to watch her ex high-step on her home turf with a new woman.” Ted maintained that both he and Nicole were dating now, and that he liked Shanice a lot – so he didn't care what anyone thought of his bringing Shanice to the club.

Kat interrupted Ted's call, coming down on her father for “inviting my trifling half-sister's behind all up in my business.” Ted felt that Kat not having inherited the BRCA gene mutation had been joyous news worthy of sharing and was intent that Kat and Eva might need each other someday. Kat sneered that Eva was as much of a genetic aberration as BRCA; Ted was infuriated that his one daughter had equated his other daughter to cancer.

Ted announced that his “apology season” was over – yes, he had erred in cheating on Nicole with Leslie, but he had still been a good father, and, to Ted, Eva was a gift, the same way Martin and Kat were. Kat was horrified that Ted could have the same fatherly feelings for newcomer Eva that he had for Kat, whom he'd known her whole life. “I can't even look at you right now,” Kat said glumly. “That makes two of us,” Ted replied, after which Kat got up and left.

Carlton visited Nicole with theatre tickets and remarked that he had once seen Hamilton starring an understudy for Lin-Manuel Miranda, but that it hadn't been the same. Nicole got the meaning that Carlton saw himself as Nicole's leading man, not Kial, and grinned that Carlton might be jealous. When Carlton admitted that he didn't want “Dr. Travel-A-Lot” to cut in line ahead of him, Nicole realized she had blindsided the absent Carlton by going to WinterFest with Kial but went on that she was in a place where she was exploring what would work for her in her new normal – and that didn't necessarily mean monogamy.

Carlton understood why Nicole didn't want to tie herself down so soon after ending her marriage and asked if she had any real interest in Kial. Nicole had enjoyed her time with Rollins and conceded that she'd felt a spark with him – yet it was Carlton with whom she had been feeling a true connection. “I have some attributes you haven't seen yet,” Carlton replied confidently, but his kiss with Nicole was intruded upon by Kat, who burst in instructing her mother to tell “her ex” that he couldn't talk to her the way he just had.

Nicole sternly reminded Kat that she had taught her to knock; Carlton took the faux pas in stride and departed, looking forward to taking Nicole on their date later. Kat found the coupling of Nicole and Carlton to be “weird but sweet,” but when Kat ranted about Ted taking Eva's side while the family was dealing with “the big C,” Nicole warned that Kat's never-ending resentment was eating away at her and changing who she was.

After Nicole relayed that Anita's cancer was a sign that time was precious, and that Eva wasn't giving Kat a second thought, Kat confessed that she had no idea how to stop hating Eva. After all, she hadn't inherited Nicole's forgiveness gene – she had instead gotten Dani's “scorched earth, shoot-up-the-country-club-in-revenge” gene. Despite Nicole worrying that Kat would be laser focused on Eva until “the Second Coming,” Kat countered with, “or until Eva's self-inflicted downfall.”

Kat moved on to Martin's, but he wouldn't co-sign his full sister's feud with his half-sister either. “I know, I'm exhausted with myself,” Kat sighed, remaining frustrated that no one would “deliver [me] from Eva.” Samantha appeared, excited that Kat had come to give her “deb lessons,” but even then Kat couldn't help popping off about people liking options (in the case of cotillion dresses) like they enjoyed having an extra daughter.

Samantha tried to empathize with Kat gaining a sudden sister and imparted a technique she and Tyrell frequently used where they would picture switching places with the person they were mad at. Kat balked, but Samantha likened it to trying on a dress. She counseled her aunt to start with trying to see Eva from Eva's point of view, then visualizing what it would be like not to hate her...and landing on what it would be like to be her. Kat understood that Samantha had forgiven June; Samantha added that doing so had given her back to herself. As Kat processed this, Smitty got a text relating to his mystery article and made himself scarce, earning a concerned look from Martin.

Shanice took a second call from Ted and proposed that perhaps they should limit their outings to places where people they knew wouldn't see them together. Ted initially teased that Shanice could be his “dirty little secret,” then got serious and swore he wasn't going to camouflage his actions anymore; he was proud to be with Shanice anywhere. Shanice wanted to observe “the girl code” and tell Nicole she was going out with her ex first, but when she tried, Nicole got an emergency call, which upended her chance.

Seeing Carlton at the diner, he and Ted exchanged uncomfortable pleasantries until Ted remarked that he had inexplicably given Carlton advice about dating his own ex. “I'm being an ass, aren't I?” Carlton granted – though Ted said it was progress that he wasn't feeling an urge to punch him. When Ted said he had a date, Carlton snarked that at least his competition for Nicole was down to one man instead of two. Ted remembered that Nicole had allowed Dr. Rollins to escort her to WinterFest and couldn't help getting a kick out of Carlton being blocked by a guy who spelled his name “K-I-A-L.”

Ted squired a nervous Shanice into the country club; she was flustered and conscious that strangers would be judging her. Shanice felt better for a moment once Ted said he only wanted to concentrate on her, but then the couple was accosted by Fairmont Crest gossip Anastasia, who sassed Ted for trading in “thoroughbred Dupree heiress” Nicole for “untamed mustang” Shanice.

Shanice immediately cut in and asked, “Did Antiques Roadshow just compare me to a wild horse?” Anastasia kept up her attitude, so Shanice declared herself a “golden showstopper” and Anastasia an “old overbred filly” that “no one wanted to ride anymore.” Ted was as amused as he was shocked, and when Anastasia sniffed, “I never!,” he added, “You never will if you keep acting like that.”

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Anastasia departed aghast, leaving Ted and Shanice to laugh over the encounter. However, just as they began to make themselves comfortable in the banquet room, Nicole and Carlton arrived for their own date. Ted was unruffled, but when Nicole put it together that “this” was what Shanice had wanted to talk to her about, Shanice demurely concurred that she hadn't wanted Nicole to find out “this way” that she and Ted were seeing each other.

Beyond the Gates airs weekdays on CBS and streams on Paramount Plus.

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