Beyond the Gates review: the new soap is out the gates with a bang

When CBS announced that they were launching Beyond the Gates in partnership with the NAACP, I couldn’t help but think the network was taking one heck of a big swing. In the current TV landscape, many networks are shying away from daily scripted content. Not only that, but in 2009 and 2010 CBS itself axed two of its longtime running soaps in Guiding Light and As the World Turns respectively, effectively leaving The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful to carry the daytime soap torch, along with General Hospital on ABC and Days of Our Lives on Peacock.

Once CBS made preparations for Beyond the Gates and started leaving breadcrumbs about what viewers could expect, I found myself slowly becoming intrigued. As someone who watched As the World Turns and is a massive fan of Law & Order: SVU, how could I not be thrilled to learn that Tamara Tunie was helping to anchor the show’s cast? Then when you add Hollywood legend Clifton Davis in the mix along with B&B vet Karla Mosley, you could have considered me excited.

Then there's the intriguing plot. A show centered on the Duprees, an affluent Black family with generations of wealth, power and prestige who apparently have their fair share of secrets and enemies. Soap lovers know you want a powerful family at the heart of any good daytime drama, as you need the people trying to be them and the folks trying to take them down to cause a good dose of chaos. And given the litany of trailer and promo videos for the new series, there is lots of chaos.

With all that anticipation built up, imagine how happy I was to see that Beyond the Gates lives up to all the hype. It may be early into this venture, but it’s a remarkable soap and for a number of reasons.

Starting with the casting, Tunie and Davis paired as the matriarch and patriarch of the Dupree family was a brilliant decision. The two veteran actors play off each other well, and for the show to be brand-new, I oddly want to hold their dynamic in high regard as if I’m referring to The Young and the Restless Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) and Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott)... however, I'll stop short of doing that just yet.

But the breakout star of Beyond the Gates is hands down Mosley as Dani Dupree. She brings so much energy to the character, and it’s highly entertaining watching Dani give into some of her worst impulses and doing things that a Dupree probably shouldn’t do. Her highs and lows are what make for an enjoyable soapy ride.

Moving beyond the casting, kudos to the writing. Michele Val Jean and her team have done a fantastic job with the pacing of the show so as a viewer, you don’t feel like you're constantly watching cyclical conversations about the same thing with no movement or resolve. So far, the 37-minute episodes don’t feel stale and don’t leave me desperately wanting the dialogue to be more meaningful or the scenes to move more quickly.

Speaking of scenes, it’s hard not to fall in love with the freshness of the new stages and the variation of their use. You don’t watch Beyond the Gates episodes and the characters are largely tied to a bigger-than-life mansion or a restaurant. They’re constantly moving and changing, which lends to the great pacing.

Now if I have to talk about the cons of the show, let’s zero in on the theme song and opening credits. As a package, it won’t wow you and it’s fairly forgettable. Perhaps it’s the legacy of The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful, but their opening theme songs and images tend to strike more significant notes. (The Young and the Restless theme song was even cultivated into Mary J. Blige’s “No More Drama.”)

So all in all, should you watch Beyond the Gates? Absolutely. New episodes air weekdays on CBS, and become available to stream the day after on Paramount Plus.