Beyond the Gates Recap for Thursday, April 3, 2025: Bill had an alarming reaction to Naomi's refusal and Doug's bills came due

Here's what happened on the April 3, 2025 episode of Beyond the Gates

Beyond the Gates' Nicole realized that Vanessa wanted to sleep with Joey | Image: CBS

On Beyond the Gates, Nicole took a call from Ted and marveled that, for once, she had no appointments. That left her free to meet Vanessa and then talk to Eva about planning the Richardsons' anniversary party. Ted suggested that they fly to Maui, where they met, instead of throwing the party, but Nicole said the wheels were already in motion.

Later, Ted thought back to a moment — a moment new to us — where Nicole had been up late at night worrying about “Sherry.” Nicole found it odd that “Sherry” had been suicidal, only to minutes later claim she was in control of her life. Bill mused that “Sherry” was seeing another doctor, but Nicole had checked with the colleagues she had recommended. Nicole kept her promise to Ted that she wouldn't look for “Sherry”, even if she found the woman a mystery she couldn't crack.

At the country club, Randy was surprised that Doug was spending so much time gambling at the casino when he had a roster full of heart patients. Doug conceded that he had rescheduled a few minor procedures but nothing that would put a patient's life at risk. Doug was simply telling his staff that he was spending extra time working on the heart machine that hadn't gone into service yet. Randy was concerned about Doug's losing streak and his ability to repay Joey. Doug, again, felt his luck was about to change.

Randy saw Vanessa coming and ducked out. While Doug deflected by commenting on Vanessa's wardrobe, Vanessa revealed that she had seen Randy leave...and that she knew he worked for Joey. Doug relayed that Randy had had it rough since childhood and that Doug had tried to steer him in the right direction; Randy may be doing odd jobs for Joey, but nothing illegal. Vanessa knew that Randy could handle himself in that world, but she worried about Doug associating with him and recommended that he put some distance between them.

Doug, on the other hand, didn't like Vanessa helping Joey to buy a house, but when Vanessa protested that she was just trying to score a sale, Doug backed off, blaming his stress on the hospital schedule that was “kicking [his] butt.” Vanessa suggested that Doug not take on as many surgeries; Doug thought back to himself at the gambling table and promised his wife that the “situation” wouldn't last much longer.

Doug nearly ran into the arriving Nicole on his way out of the club; when the shrink noted that he seemed anxious, he repeatedly said he was fine. Nicole advocated for Doug and Vanessa going away on a vacation together, but Doug said that the “ships passing in the night” format of their marriage seemed to work for them. Doug thanked Nicole for reminding him to slow down and departed to take care of some “business.”

Joey met with Vanessa and smiled, saying that he liked the view. After Joey noted that he wasn't a member of the club because he had been rejected, he and Vanessa flirted with each other heavily. The realtor showed the casino owner more properties on her tablet and surprised him by saying she was looking forward to meeting his mother and showing her potential houses. Nicole came upon them and sassed that she didn't know her reservation was for three.

Vanessa introduced Nicole to Joey, who beamed that he knew of Nicole's contributions to the community. Joey asked into clinics to which he could provide benefaction and went on his way. Nicole was disconcerted that Joey was Vanessa's client; Vanessa waxed poetic about how well-read and sweet Joey was. Mrs. McBride was aware of the man's reputation, but commissions could come from “any damn body.” Nicole pointed out how Vanessa had drooled when Joey walked away, so Vanessa conceded that he was fine. “And dangerous,” Nicole reminded Vanessa.

Vanessa revealed that she knew Joey walked on the wild side based on her research, which she conducted on all her clients. She had even watched some of his cooking tutorials. “And are you tempted by his tortellini?” Nicole asked wryly. When Vanessa said she was always tempted, Nicole replied, “Yeah. I know you stray.” Vanessa was certain Nicole didn't and wanted to know what the Richardsons were going to do for their anniversary. Nicole outlined how she and Ted were going to start with a simple dinner and how Eva had come up with an idea for a party afterward. Vanessa smiled that the Richardsons and their “sickeningly happy marriage” deserved to be honored.

As Nicole recalled how she'd known right away that Ted was her forever person, Vanessa lamented that she had once felt that way about Doug. Whatever spark there had been wasn't anymore. Nicole felt Vanessa should make a clean break if she no longer loved Doug. Vanessa claimed it would be complicated to separate her life from Doug's – she loved Doug, even if the McBrides had long ceased to be in love. Their arrangement worked. Nicole wanted more for Vanessa and couldn't imagine sustaining an “arrangement” like that with Ted.

Vanessa didn't want to talk about Joey anymore, but Nicole warned that, given Joey's reputed dirty business deals, “there are walks you take – and walks that take you.” Nicole swore that she had no intention of acting on her attraction to Joey and that she was too into self-preservation to not choose her boring life with Doug over the dangerous but delicious Mr. Armstrong...but Nicole knew Vanessa better.

Once she brought dinner home and engaged in marital banter with Ted, Nicole expressed her worry about Vanessa's interest in Joey. Ted understood right away, but when Nicole told Ted about how Joey was buying a house for his mother, Ted reported that the woman had died the previous year.

At the casino, despite Randy's protestations, Joey took Doug aside after Doug lost yet another round. Doug promised he didn't need another loan to bail him out; Joey sternly said Doug did need to start paying what he already owed. Joey hoped the money was coming soon...for both their sakes.

Caroline reported to Bill that Mike had had some “watercooler conversations” in which he had proclaimed he was innocent of the sexual harassment charges against him — plus some closed-door meetings with his other partners. Naomi arrived and tried to decide between censuring Bill for his misconduct with his clients, having him suspended, or having him disbarred for holding a meeting with her clients without her being present. Bill put Caroline on the spot, attributing the error to her when Naomi said she had been deliberately misinformed about the time of the meeting. Caroline apologized, but Naomi assured her that she knew Caroline had been ordered to misdirect her.

Bill started the new meeting by asking Mike's accusers if he had outright said he wanted to see them without their attorney in the room. They admitted he hadn't. Bill was prepared to offer the women $1 million each. “How soon?” one of them asked; Bill added that they could also come back to work at the firm with a hefty raise, plus head up a committee designed to review the firm's anti-harassment policies. The ladies looked ready to jump, but Naomi wanted to confer with her clients — alone. After Bill and Caroline excused themselves, Naomi advised caution in looking over the settlement agreement, but the ladies were excited by it and started talking about what they would do with their money.

Naomi rained on their parade by pointing to the massive amount of taxes they'd have to pay on such a lump sum, plus there was nothing in the agreement that said Bill couldn't fire them again the day after they returned. When the women championed the proposed anti-harassment committee, Naomi refuted it, saying the firm didn't have to enact any new policy introduced — and there was certainly no guarantee that Mike would change his behavior. They would likely be dismissed again, this time for no reason they could sue for.

While Bill gloated that Naomi's clients had seemed persuaded, Caroline was stunned that Bill had offered them that much of a payout. She understood that Bill wanted to make the case go away but sussed out that it was more about healing the rift with his daughters. Bill divulged that he wanted to preserve his legacy for Chelsea and Naomi and give them one parent they could look up to since it wouldn't be Dani. Caroline admired how confidently Naomi had handled Bill, as well as Naomi's audacity in threatening to have Bill deprived of the privilege to practice law. Bill conceded that part of him wanted to battle Naomi in the courtroom to see who came out on top. But if he did, he would show his daughter no mercy.

Naomi and her clients further deliberated the merits of accepting or refusing Bill's settlement. The money was sweet, and getting their jobs back was wonderful, but they'd have to resume working with Mike, who now hated them because of the suit. There was also the matter of the other partners turning against them over having to pony up the three million. The women again dreamt of what they could do with so much — and one of them asked Naomi if she was urging them to decline the offer for their best interests or her own.

Bill came back to the office, ready to make the settlement paperwork official. Naomi tore up the documents and said she and her clients would see Bill in court. After her dramatic display, Bill declared Naomi her mother's daughter; Naomi countered that she could take anything Bill could dish out. Bill asked to see Naomi privately. "Do you really hate me that much?” he asked. Naomi swore the case wasn't personal. She remembered how Bill had taught her to love the law and how to respect its power. Naomi wanted to use it as a tool to make things better and admitted that she didn't hate Bill, which Bill was very glad to hear.

Naomi affirmed that her lawsuit was not an attack on Bill; she was a lawyer, and she was dedicated to serving her clients. Bill noted that Naomi had failed to do that by negating his settlement offer. Naomi scoffed that the offer had been full of holes, but Bill declared that Naomi was pressing on for herself and Dani, who was not Naomi's client. “Dad, this isn't about you!” Naomi exclaimed. “The hell it isn't,” Bill retorted. Bill insinuated that Naomi was doing everything because she was mad about what had happened with Dani. Naomi called Bill a selfish narcissist, but as they argued, Bill began slurring his words. He confessed that his hand had suddenly gone numb.

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

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Edited by Erin Goldsby