Monday, August 17, 2026

Andre Richardson (Sean Freeman) was surprised to see Heather Armstrong (Ashley Jones) in the DMV. The Impaler revealed that she sent the expensive champagne Andre Richardson received and that she’s related to Joey Armstrong (Jon Lindstrom).

Despite the photographer’s protests, Heather Armstrong remained flirtatious and even kissed him. Andre Richardson swiftly left afterward.

Kat Richardson (Colby Nixon) and Chelsea Hamilton (RhonniRose Mantilla) showed Anita Dupree (Tamara Tunie) the concept for their new bag, “The Nikki,” named after Dr. Nicole Dupree (Daphneé Duplaix). The Dupree matriarch worried that her eldest daughter might find the nickname derogatory and advised the duo to ask Dr. Dupree first.

Dani Dupree (Karla Mosley) checked in with Naomi Hamilton-Hawthorne (Arielle Prepetit), who was covering for a hospitalized Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett). Hamilton-Hawthorne told her mother about Tomas Navarro’s (Alex Alegria) attitude about her increased presence at the law firm.

After teasing Navarro when he walked into the office, Dani Dupree assured her daughter privately that she was not getting pulled back into Bill Hamilton’s orbit. The supermodel declared her committed to Andre Richardson.

Navarro later returned to the firm after bringing Bill Hamilton work files to the hospital. When Hamilton-Hawthorne learned what he had done, the two had a tense discussion, prompting the junior partner to take time off.

Vernon Dupree (Clifton Davis) also visited Bill Hamilton and suggested that Hayley Lawson (Marquita Goings) might be spending time with another man. The retired senator warned his former son-in-law not to disrupt Dani Dupree’s peace.

Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) met with Izaiah Hawthorne (Lami Friebe), who admitted that Eva Thomas (Ambyr Michelle) was still trying to adjust after the transplant surgery. Jacob Hawthorne also questioned his brother about Lawson’s connection to Leslie Thomas (Trisha Mann-Grant).

Meanwhile, Andre Richardson spent time drinking at Uptown and reflecting on his past with Heather Armstrong. Jacob Hawthorne tried unsuccessfully to cheer the photographer up, but he also offered to be a sounding board if needed.

Jacob Hawthorne then met up with his wife and told her how Andre Richardson seemed miserable over Dani Dupree. The supermodel eventually found her husband at Uptown’s bar, and the couple left together.

Later, Navarro tried to convince Kat Richardson to “play hooky” with him, but she chose to keep working on marketing ideas for the new ChelseaKat bag instead. After the lawyer left disappointed, Izaiah Hawthorne spotted her and decided to stick around and chat.

Chelsea Hamilton arrived at Garland Memorial Hospital to see her father, and she questioned Lawson’s absence. Bill Hamilton claimed that his wife was present at the hospital doing charity work. The criminal defense attorney revealed that he and Lawson had decided not to move forward with having a baby, much to Chelsea Hamilton’s relief.

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

At the country club, Dr. Kial Rollins (Greg Vaughan) mentioned plans to see Dr. Dupree after Congressman Martin Richardson’s (Brandon Claybon) charity basketball game. Dr. Ted Richardson (Keith D. Robinson) questioned Dr. Carlton Fitzgerald (Robert Christopher Riley), who revealed that he and Dr. Dupree were just friends again.

Vanessa McBride (Lauren Buglioli) told her best friend that Joey Armstrong was apprehensive about her relationship with his sister. Nicole Dupree encouraged the Fairmont Crest realtor to respect his concerns, while Vanessa McBride insisted that her lover didn’t know the new version of Heather Armstrong.

Back home, Bradley “Smitty” Smith (Mike Manning) and Congressman Richardson shared a passionate kiss and wanted more uninterrupted time together. However, Smith had to decline a romantic getaway suggestion because he remained unsatisfied with how the plasma ring investigation concluded.

Eva Thomas told Leslie Thomas that she wanted her to find the same kind of love she and Izaiah Hawthorne had found. The Phoenix Street Free Clinic manager questioned her mother about her intentions with Detective Marcel Malone (Darryl W. Handy) and whether she was using him while hoping for another chance with Dr. Richardson.

At the hospital, Hayley Lawson climbed into bed with Bill Hamilton until Shanice Johnson (Ernestine Johnson) interrupted and warned that increased activity could affect his heart rate. The paralegal defied hospital policy and climbed back into bed with her husband, setting off his heart monitor.

Nurse Ashley Morgan (Jen Jacob) intervened, prompting an irritated Bill Hamilton to declare that he was going home. After a confrontation with Lawson, Morgan called security to remove her from the hospital.

Dr. Dupree briefly caught up with her ex-husband about their current relationships. After the exes parted on good terms, the renowned psychiatrist planned a first date with Dr. Rollins.

The Thomas women later ran into Dr. Richardson, who remained cold toward Leslie Thomas while addressing only his daughter. Seeing her father’s happiness with Johnson, Eva Thomas encouraged her mother to move on finally.

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Dr. Dupree and Dr. Rollins prepared to see Noah Rollins (Nick Hagelin) perform at Uptown’s Open Mic Night. Meanwhile, Noah Rollins sat outside with Deanna McBride (Angela Fairley), disappointed that performance slots had filled up. The musician called his father with the news, prompting Dr. Dupree to come up with another plan.

Anita Dupree continued struggling with her vocals as she and Vernon Dupree prepared for a night alone. Their plans changed when their eldest daughter asked her mother to come and see Noah Rollins perform at her home.

Before heading out with Leslie Thomas, Malone was criticized by Jacob Hawthorne for his lack of commitment to his work. At Orphey Gene’s, the senior detective and Leslie Thomas spotted Eva Thomas. The free clinic manager eavesdropped as Malone asked her mother to move onto his boat with him, an idea Leslie Thomas did not like.

Dr. Monica McCormick (Iona Morris) told Johnson and Morgan that she would investigate Bill Hamilton’s complaint and determine whether disciplinary action was necessary. Later on, Hamilton-Hawthorne picked up her best friend for a girls’ night, only for her to discover a Mexican-themed surprise gathering planned by Jacob Hawthorne and Grayson Perez (Jordi Vilasuso).

Dani Dupree surprised Andre Richardson with a bag of fun activities, but the gesture stirred difficult memories for them both. The supermodel flashed back to her past indiscretions, while her husband recalled a time when he was warned about Heather Armstrong. The married duo discussed their feelings, asked each other for forgiveness and eventually reconciled in the bedroom.

Meanwhile, back at Dr. Dupree’s home, a nervous Noah Rollins confided in Deanna McBride, who helped calm him before his performance. The Banneker University student proudly watched as her crush performed his song, “Falling.”

Afterward, Vernon Dupree attempted to question Dr. Rollins about his relationship with Dr. Dupree, but she shut it down. Vanessa McBride noticed her daughter’s feelings for Noah Rollins, as Anita Dupree offered to mentor him.

Anita and Vernon Dupree then left early to continue their evening, and Dr. Dupree and Dr. Rollins enjoyed some alone time.

Izaiah Hawthorne eventually joined Eva Thomas, and the couple left together to go home. Meanwhile, Leslie Thomas apologized for her reaction to Malone’s offer by serenading him.

Thursday, August 20, 2026

While cleaning up the remaining mess from Noah Rollins’ impromptu open mic performance, Dr. Rollins accidentally knocked over a crystal dish Dr. Dupree received as a wedding gift from family, leaving the psychiatrist sad. The accident prompted Dr. Rollins to ask how his girlfriend felt about them hosting a party together in the home she once shared with Dr. Richardson.

Meanwhile, Bill Hamilton was visited by the plastic surgeon and initially assumed he was there to discuss Andre Richardson and Dani Dupree. Instead, Dr. Richardson had come to check on him.

The former brothers-in-law bonded over being married to Dupree women and their experiences moving on from them. When Bill Hamilton asked what had drawn him so deeply to Leslie Thomas, Dr. Richardson described her as kind, funny and different before flashing back to their first kiss.

Bill Hamilton reminded Dr. Richardson that he had once tried to stop him from going to Leslie Thomas, but Dr. Richardson had been reluctant to accept his help because he believed the criminal defense attorney was acting to benefit the Duprees.

At home, Eva Thomas told Izaiah Hawthorne that she was concerned her mother was backsliding and still fixated on Dr. Richardson. Izaiah Hawthorne struggled to understand the connection between his girlfriend’s parents and asked her to explain it.

The couple’s conversation eventually led the Banneker University advisor to reflect on leaving his former lifestyle behind and learning that an old friend had been in jail and denied parole. He again acknowledged how much Joey Armstrong had helped him during that time.

Meanwhile, Leslie Thomas arrived in her hotel room with Malone, who noticed that she preferred the luxury accommodations to his boat. Leslie Thomas became upset, refused to apologize for wanting more in life and kicked Malone out.

Alone, the free clinic investor flashed back to when she and Dr. Richardson first became acquainted. This blast from the past revealed that the same song Leslie Thomas recently serenaded Malone with had been playing when she first met Dr. Richardson. In the present, Leslie Thomas took it upon herself to arrive at Dr. Richardson’s room with champagne, only to discover that he was not there.

Leslie Thomas later arrived at Uptown and chatted with Perez about her past as a bartender, triggering more flashbacks to her time with her daughter’s father. Perez thanked Leslie Thomas for previously throwing him a lifeline.

Friday, August 21, 2026

Lawson returned to Garland Memorial Hospital after previously being kicked out and told her husband that she was allowed back under certain stipulations. When Morgan arrived, the paralegal threatened to file a complaint, while Morgan agreed to find the answers Bill Hamilton needed.

Andre Richardson and Dani Dupree were eating at Orphey Gene’s when Heather Armstrong unexpectedly arrived and greeted them. Much to the photographer’s surprise, the two women interacted like old friends while he pretended not to know Heather Armstrong.

Dr. Madison Montgomery (Kenjah McNeil) startled Chelsea Hamilton, who woke up from a nightmare. Montgomery returned early from Denmark because it was the one-year anniversary of Chelsea Hamilton’s kidnapping.

Navarro later summoned Dr. Montgomery to the law firm, while Chelsea Hamilton received supportive messages from her family and friends. The handbag designer later met up with her cousin and received a strange phone call. An emotional Chelsea Hamilton was comforted by Kat Richardson.

At the firm, Dr. Montgomery greeted Hamilton-Hawthorne before Navarro arrived and revealed that Mike Davis (Pierce Lackey) was frustrated with how the case was being handled in Bill Hamilton’s absence. Davis soon stopped by and proposed a settlement, which Navarro believed they should consider.

The junior partner was at odds with Hamilton-Hawthorne once again. Although Navarro had created doubt in Dr. Montgomery’s mind, her soon-to-be sister-in-law reassured her.

Dr. Montgomery met with Bill Hamilton’s current doctor to compare notes. Meanwhile, Hamilton-Hawthorne visited her father and filled him in on what happened with Navarro and Davis. When Navarro later came by to see Bill Hamilton, the criminal defense attorney quickly put him in his place.

Dani Dupree arrived at the law firm looking for her eldest daughter, but instead ran into Lawson, who was retrieving Bill Hamilton’s laptop. The two clashed once again.

Andre Richardson confronted Heather Armstrong and accused her of spying on him and Dani Dupree. The Impaler claimed that their group encounter was a coincidence but remained flirtatious.

Andre Richardson pleaded with his ex to leave Dani Dupree alone. Heather Armstrong agreed on the condition that the traveling photographer do something for her. Viewers can watch “Beyond the Gates” on CBS at 2 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.