Beyond the Good Girl: Why It’s Time for Ashley to Be Bad on Beyond the Gates
Since day one, Beyond the Gates has presented Ashley Morgan as a moral compass — the sweet, reliable friend and nurse who patches up wounds and doesn’t create them. But her saintly act is on life support, and for the sake of Ashley’s own well-being, it’s time to pull the plug on being the good girl.
Ashley Morgan of Beyond the Gates
On Beyond the Gates, Ashley Morgan, played by Jen Jacob, is one of the sweetest residents of Fairmont Crest. Or at least, she was…until she became a realistic, flawed person, and her whole world became a ball of confusion. Now, torn between her need to put others first and her attempt to follow her heart, everything has blown up, and the worst thing possible has happened: Ashley defied her innate need to help and hurt someone.
Ashley spent the last few years with her nose to the grindstone to get her nursing degree while dating her ever-doting boyfriend, Derek Baldwin (Ben Gavin), a fireman who was happy to sit in second position while she established her career.
After graduation and landing a job at the hospital, Ashley and Derek tried moving in together, but just like two empty-nesters who suddenly realize they have nothing in common after the kids move out, they found they had no compatibility as a serious couple.
Ashley wanted the apartment back, so Derek exited, and Andre Richardson (Sean Freeman) entered. The former playboy could see a long-term future with Ashley, but she couldn’t figure out what she wanted. Long story short, Ashley missed her opportunity, Andre married Dani (Karla Mosley), and Ashley thought she wanted Derek back.
Sure, Ashley lied about her feelings for Andre, but should that define her? We say yes! In fact, we want her to lean all the way into it.
Good Girl, Just Go Bad Already
Ashley needs to quit being a victim of her own circumstances and just own it: she’s not a saint. In fact, if there’s anyone on the show that she’s similar to, it’s Hayley (Marquita Goings) — even if Dani Dupree (Karla Mosley) herself doesn’t think so. Ashley knows that Andre is married to Dani, the mom of her best friend Naomi (Arielle Prepetit). Sure, Andre shot Ashley down — but if he didn’t, Ashley would’ve stolen him away. Is that really so different than what Naomi’s friend Hayley did with her dad, Bill (Kyle Timon Durrett)?
What we’d like to see is Ashley quit crying over spilled milk and knock over the carton. Let her find out that Derek made out on her couch with his coworker on his way out the door, and let it be the catalyst for the real Ashley to emerge. Put Fairmont Crest on notice that she’s back on the market, and stop beating herself up for being confused about her feelings.
It’s not the end of the world that she had a soft spot for Derek when he was down and out, or not want to admit that you feel more for someone than you thought you did. That girl has a smile that could light up a room; she doesn’t need to be mean, but she could at least find some fun.
But…maybe Ashley’s self-inflicted guilt trip is for another reason. If Ashley found it that easy to lie, and to lie about lying…maybe it’s an inherited trait. She might put dating on hold for now, but if she’s gunshy about romance, there’s another guy she could be interested in: finding out who her father is. Maybe he’s a little closer to home than she knows, and could take a gamble on that.