Beyond the Gates Recap Jan 8: The Duprees band together, minus one
In the Beyond the Gates recap for Thursday, January 8, 2026, Anita knows how to celebrate life while Kat knows how to avoid it.
Beyond the Gates Recap
At the Dupree mansion, Anita tried telling Vernon he didn’t need to sit all day while she had chemo the next day. But Vernon said he’d keep himself occupied and give her space — and be within reach if she needed to hold his hand.
Anita shared with Vernon that she wanted to throw a Mardi Gras party and was having Rowena cook a special meal. Vernon was happy for her to rest and also have company.
Carleton stopped by Nicole’s house and offered his support while she waited for her test results. Nicole was happy to find out that Carleton liked horror movies, too, and they hung out to watch one but Anita called.
At the brownstone, Martin, Smitty, and a bottle of Tide talked about Tyrell. Smitty reminded Martin that the kids had a lot on their minds with Anita’s cancer and the possibility of their other family members at risk.
Smitty took a call about a story he was beginning to work on and then thought he and Martin should take advantage of being home alone. Before they could, Vernon called.
Dani was surprised to find Andre cooking her an Italian meal that he got from Joey’s Instagram account. They ate pasta in bed and told one another how good they were for one another. Dani worried when Vernon called.
At Chelsea and Kat’s, the cousins argued about their perspective on cancer and their mother’s genetic testing. Kat was focusing on work rather than think about the family’s health crisis.
Kat promised to handle things in her own way. “You committed harder to pinky swears,” Chelsea cried. She said Kat was her ride or die and needed her to promise to do whatever she could not be taken from her.
Kat said that she’d be willing to get a mammogram but nothing more. As they argued, Chelsea asked how Tomas would feel and said a life together was more than just the pretty parts.
“And you think he’ll dust me if I’m damaged goods?” Kat snapped. Just then, Tomas stumbled through the door. “Sounds more like a cat fight than ChelseaKat in here,” he said.
Chelsea stormed off as Tomas tried to calmly prod Kat to give her family some grace. Kat cried on his shoulder, wondering why her family wouldn’t let her be in denial.
Tomas invited Kat to dinner. As they were leaving, Anita called Kat but she chose not to take the call. “Not tonight,” she said, “time for some self-care with you.” “I’m self-care?” Tomas asked, surprised. Kat said he was, and they left together.
At Uptown, Naomi asked Ashley if she knew much about triple-negative breast cancer. She shared her concerns about her grandmother while Ashley offered her support.
Naomi told Ashley how everyone was dealing, including how Bill was being supportive. Ashley told her friend that it was okay to be worried, but Naomi confidently said that she believed information was power.
Ashley asked about Andre, and Naomi told her he was being very supportive. Ashley said that this crisis might hit different for him after losing his parents. Naomi agreed and said she would check in on him.
At the Duprees, Anita, Dani, Andre, Martin, and Chelsea arrived. Martin thought it was odd that Kat would ignore a summons from Grand, but Chelsea told him quietly that she was probably avoiding her after their fight.
Naomi came in, worried about what kind of family meeting it was. Anita announced that she loved New Orleans, and all of them had learned over the years about their favorite places, food, and entertainment.
Anita said that they had planned a trip to Mardi Gras, but decided to bring it to them instead. “Tomorrow I have a date with destiny, but tonight, we’re going to bring the spirit of the Big Easy right here to Fairmont Crest.”
Anita told them that Mardi Gras was about celebrating before Lent, and she wanted to do just that. She said that the second line was about any celebration, not just the last one. Vernon announced the opening, and they all danced to the kitchen to get gumbo.
Eating king cake, Dani and Nicole noted that only Anita would throw a party to make everyone else feel better. They both promised to be there for Vernon.
Naomi asked Andre how he was doing, noting that going from Honeymoon in Vegas to genetic testing wasn’t what he signed up for. “It’s exactly what I signed up for,” Andre told her.
Nicole and Martin both left messages for Kat, encouraging her to show up. Chelsea also texted her and apologized for their fight.
Anita gave a toast, talking about her chemo and the results coming all on the same day. She asked them to take some of the energy they wanted to extend to her and use it on each other.
Anita said to cover for her by taking notice of who was up, down, sad, or reclusive, and give them support. The family took a group photo together.
At Uptown, Tomas noted that Kat’s phone was blowing up, but she put it down and enjoyed her date with him.