Beyond the Gates Recap Dec 24: Ted has three people say hello while Vernon never can say goodbye
In the Beyond the Gates recap for Wednesday, December 24, 2025, Vernon surprises the family and Anita, and Ted’s three visitors bring different types of Christmas spirit.
Beyond the Gates Recap
Nicole stopped at the country club to give gifts to the servers and thank them for their help at Winterfest. Upstairs, Kat went to Ted’s with a present for her dad: his favorite pizza. In the lobby, Chelsea and Naomi went to the club lobby to have a drink and detox from having to spend the morning around Hayley. They were happy to go to the “trouble-free Christmas” with the Duprees.
At a table, Eva and Leslie delighted in the fact that they were having Christmas tea in a country club. Leslie had the day planned for the two of them: movie marathon after lunch, curled up with blankets and hot cocoa.
Leslie grabbed her purse and teased that her “Christmas satchel” would determine if Eva was going to get the Christmas that she needed, or the one she deserved. Eva gave her mom a plaque for the front door of her “shouse” that read, “La Belle Chateau de Thomas.”
Leslie gave Eva teardrop diamond earrings and told her that she had done and said some things she wished she could take back. “You are the best thing I have ever made, and I love you,” Leslie said. been a better daughter than Leslie had been a mother, noting that she’d forgiven her when other people would have forgotten her.
Eva lit up when she got a text from Izaiah, but wouldn’t cancel her plans with Leslie. Eva asked about Marcel, but Leslie said she had no intentions of pursuing that relationship. Leslie convinced Eva to go see Izaiah.
Leslie went to see Ted and offered to spend some time under the mistletoe with him. Ted shot her down but on her way out, Leslie saw Shanice approaching Ted’s door and hid around the corner. “When did that heifer start making housecalls?” she fumed.
Ted opened the door and was surprised to find Shanice there, holding a cake box and singing “Deck the Halls.” Ted said he’d never seen her like that before. “That’s because you’ve never seen Christmas Shanice before,” she smiled as she came inside.
Shanice told Ted that every year, she makes a dozen lemon cheesecakes and gives them to friends. As she took off her coat and revealed her bodycon teal dress with a fringe, Ted asked if the gifted cake meant they were friends. “For now,” Shanice replied as Ted smiled. Shanice took Ted up on his offer to eat pizza and cheesecake as they sat on the couch and watched Scrooge on TV.
Eva met Izaiah at Uptown. Izaiah told Eva how grateful he was to the universe for finding someone like Eva, who understood him. Eva offered to take him to where she hung her stocking with care. “Lead the way,” he said. They went back to Eva’s place and canoodled.
Vernon and Anita were ready for the family to come over. Anita showed him all the decorations and areas prepared for each person to make happy memories. She said it was her happy place and wanted to make it the best Christmas for all. Vernon knew she was pre-planning happy memories to get her through some upcoming rough months.
Vernon told Anita that he couldn’t fight her fight, but he would support her every step of the way. Sharon and Tracy came over, and Anita greeted them warmly. She thanked them for choosing to stay in town for the holidays for her and Vernon.
When Nicole arrived, her disdain for Sharon was obvious, but Vernon thought she was just being cheeky and hilarious. Her fire was fueled when Tracy noted how much Sharon always appreciated Vernon, and Anita called them thick as thieves.
Martin and Smitty came in with the kids, and Dani and Andre.
Everyone was in a great mood and laughed along with Vernon and Anita teasing one another. Vernon forewarned Anita that she’d cry when she saw her gift. She opened it to find the remastered photo of the day they met. “When you are near, the world sings in tune,” the plaque on the frame read.
Anita gave Vernon a leather-bound book of all of his favorite speeches. Nicole gifted her parents with a trip of their choice and gave them 12 months to decide. Kat and Chelsea gave their grandmother their newest ChelseaKat design: The Anita Baby handbag.
Nicole pulled Dani to the foyer and told her that they needed to tell their mom that Vernon was having an affair with Sharon. Nicole insisted it had to be that night, in front of everyone, so they could deal with the aftermath and get straight to the healing. Dani didn’t agree but Nicole said it had to be done, and it had to be done by them. Anita walked up behind them.
Nicole told her mom that there was something that she wanted her mom to know even though it was Christmas. As they told her that they had been through it already and were there for her, they were interrupted by the sound of Vernon playing the piano and singing “Joy to the World” in the living room. Anita laughed and said that Vernon could sing so well, it must be a Christmas miracle, and went to investigate.
Vernon got everyone to join in with the singing as Anita watched in amazement. When he was done, Anita laughed that singing was never his forte, and it must have been a labor of love for him to pull that off. Vernon admitted he’d had some professional help.
Vernon revealed that he’d been taking singing lessons with Sharon, and it required some sneaking around. Anita thought it was the best present she’d ever gotten to hear him sing.
After, Anita wanted to know what it was Nicole and Dani wanted to tell her. They said it was nothing after all, just as Vernon asked everyone to gather in the living room for another surprise. There, he sat at he piano again. He told Anita that the day he met her changed his life forever. Then he played “Never Can Say Goodbye” to her (the Jackson 5 hit that Clifton Davis wrote).