Beyond the Gates Recap for December 23, 2025: Joey planted seeds while the Dupree sisters wrestled with Ted's news

Here's what went down Tuesday, December 23, 2025 on Beyond the Gates when Donnell got the real deal about his parents' marriage, Bill revealed more about his childhood, and Anita shared her devastating diagnosis with Vernon.

What happened on Beyond the Gates

On Beyond the Gates, Bill was amazed that Hayley served him whiskey instead of more of her herbal tea; he didn't know that Hayley had just poisoned it. Hayley pitched a fit when Bill revealed that his offer to buy the house in St. Bart's had been refused, since the sentimental owners had decided to keep it. Though Bill determined to find them another vacation property on the island, Hayley didn't want to hear any empty promises and was even less thrilled at the prospect of staying in town for Christmas.

Hayley resented that she continued to be ostracized by Fairmont Crest's residents and reminded Bill that she was his family now, not the Duprees. Bill replied that Hayley knew what she'd be in for once she started pursuing her best friend's father, but Hayley exploded and yelled that it had been Bill who had pursued and sweet talked her. When Bill said that St. Bart's would still be there, Hayley took off, telling Bill she was giving him a preview of what it would be like to miss her.

At the country club, Vanessa and Joey smirked over her last-minute request for him to play Santa at a holiday party, since all of her escorts were otherwise occupied. They were surprised by the appearance of Donnell, who proclaimed that Joey was taking his father's place...as Santa, that is. After Donnell announced that he had just stopped by to pick up some equipment from home on the way to a ski trip, Joey decided the college student and his mother needed some alone time and bid them adieu.

Vanessa was glad to hear that Donnell had bounced back from the loss of his father and finished his semester on the dean's list, but Donnell implied that his sister, Deanna, wasn't doing as well. After Vanessa finished a video chat with Deanna, Donnell said that Deanna was still in therapy and didn't want her mother to worry that she was struggling with her grief. Vanessa was impressed that Donnell was looking after Deanna, though Donnell had been using his bereavement to come to terms with the fact that his parents hadn't had the marriage they'd tried to portray, given the fact that Doug had kept secret becoming an alcoholic gambler.

Once Donnell said that both he and Deanna had noticed the indifference between Doug and Vanessa when they'd come home from college, Vanessa admitted that the relationship had been complicated, and that she and Doug had evolved into something closer to friends than husband and wife. Though Vanessa denied it, Donnell could tell that Joey was “feeling” her and assured his mom that he was on board with her finding someone who lit her up now that Doug was gone.

A petulant Hayley arrived at the country club and complained when she couldn't get a spa appointment. Joey noticed her and sat down uninvited, wondering if Bill had told her about his suggestion that Bill run for Martin's congressional seat. Hayley scoffed that Bill already had plenty of power, but Joey described the power that Hayley would have, being able to influence policy and showing up all those in Fairmont Crest who had shunned her by having articles written about her in Vanity Fair. Joey could tell that Hayley was intrigued, but Hayley got a text from an ill Bill and got up to leave. When Joey said goodnight to Mrs. Hamilton, Hayley cracked, “I prefer queen,” which got a chuckle out of the casino owner.

Hayley returned home to find out that Bill wasn't sick at all – he had merely wanted to talk to her. He brought out a drawing he had made as a child based on the lessons his deceased mother had taught him about the meaning of Christmas, starting with sharing, caring, and giving. The concept left one wish for himself, and this year Bill's wish was for Hayley to know that his love was sincere; she didn't need to keep feeling like she was getting Dani's leftovers. Hayley didn't believe that Bill had never mentioned the drawing to Dani; Bill confided that his mother's tradition had died with her, and that there were “things that happened” regarding his childhood that he had never told anyone. Bill now wanted to revive his mother's tradition with Hayley, and the couple kissed.

At the Dupree manse, Vernon took from Anita's stoic tone that something was wrong with one of their daughters, or Martin. Anita matter-of-factly explained that she had, in fact, been to the doctor, as Sharon and Tracy had said...where she had been given a diagnosis of breast cancer. Vernon was confused, since Anita had said everything in her routine checkups had indicated a clean bill of health. Anita clarified that such had been true until she'd undergone a mammogram, which had led to an ultrasound that had uncovered a lesion; her biopsy had confirmed it.

Vernon was upset that Anita had told Tracy and Sharon before him. Anita explained that she had needed the perspective of other women first, and, after Anita also attributed her silence to hoping the health scare would be a false alarm, Vernon apologized and felt bad that Anita had had to receive her prognosis alone. He vowed he would be there for her as she waged her battle. “Cancer picked the wrong damn family to mess with,” the former senator stated, resolved.

Meanwhile, Nicole burst out laughing when Ted informed her that Vernon was having an affair. The shrink spat that the next thing Ted would say was that Anita had a secret meth lab and accused her ex of making up a lie to soothe his own guilty conscience. Ted would only say that “this person” had seen Vernon going into Sharon's hotel room and had gotten no denial from the man when confronted. Nicole sensed that Ted was trying to protect someone and got out of him that his source was “Dana.”

Ted agreed with Nicole's contention that Leslie was a psychopath, but noted how genuine Leslie had seemed when she'd told him what she knew about Vernon. Nicole railed that “Sherry,” Leslie's alias, had also seemed genuine when she'd pretended to be suicidal on the hospital roof; the divorcée was certain that Leslie was trying to ruin her Christmas by goading her into checking with Vernon, which would only cause chaos in the family. After Nicole pronounced Vernon a better man than Ted, the surgeon merely said, “Just thought you should know,” and left.

At Dani's house, she and Andre had just finished having sex, which had been augmented by her “signature” tantric yoga move. Later, they were enjoying their time together in the living room when Nicole arrived on the door unexpectedly. Andre could see that Nicole needed to talk to her sister and went out to pick up dinner. Dani guffawed hysterically when Nicole mentioned that Vernon might be cheating; once she calmed down, Dani insisted that their father would never throw everything away for a fling. However, when Nicole reported that something had seemed off with Anita at lunch the other day, Dani had to admit that she had gotten “weird vibes” from both their parents, and that Anita had practically begged Dani to take care of Vernon should something happen to her.

Ted stopped into Orphey Gene's, where he encountered Shanice savoring a piece of the establishment's famed peach cobbler. Shanice deemed it “therapy in a bowl,” but when Ted wanted to order some for himself, she had to deliver the news that she had gotten the last piece. Ted chuckled that they were once again in a situation where they both wanted the only remaining dish. Shanice split what she had left with Ted and found out that, with Martin and Kat planning to be at the Duprees for Christmas, and Eva with Leslie, he would be spending the holiday alone.

Andre came in for his takeout and caught Shanice tenderly offering Ted a place at her family's table if he wanted to take her up on it. “That was...” Andre started once Shanice was gone – “...nothing to look into,” Ted finished. Ted and Andre began reminiscing about Ted's brother (and Andre's father) Stan, who religiously went to football games with Ted even though he hated the sport. Andre missed Stan, as did Ted, who thought back warmly on how they'd bonded over “cheap beer and burnt nachos.” Andre gifted his uncle with great seats to a game and suggested they carry on the tradition together. Ted was more than willing.

Dani wanted answers and tried several times to phone Vernon, but she would only get shunted to voice mail, as Anita had pled with Vernon not to take the calls; she wasn't yet ready to tell anyone else in the family about the cancer discovery. When Anita sighed that the odds were not in her favor, as Black women had a higher mortality rate from the kind of cancer she had, Vernon dug in and said that Anita had beaten the odds her entire life being a girl from Cabrini-Green who'd had the kind of career she did. Anita countered that she had lost more awards than she'd won and decreed that no one else was to know of her diagnosis. She wanted to see the smiling, worry-free faces of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren all year – and for everyone to have “the best damn Dupree Christmas ever,” because it could be her last. Vernon vowed Anita would have her wish.

Though Dani was ready to march over to her parents' home, Nicole advised her to hold back. “They'll tell us when they're ready,” Nicole opined, adding that presenting them with their concerns would only end up ruining everyone's Christmas. Dani realized that doing so would also show Vernon how little they thought of him.

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Alone, Vernon stared at a picture of Anita and began to cry. Anita came upon him and backed away, silently sobbing herself in the foyer.

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

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