CBS soap Beyond the Gates has killed off its first character since the series premiered in February, with Jason Graham's Doug McBride the unlikely man to bite the dust. Viewers saw the former surgeon killed off in a fiery car crash that appears to have been orchestrated by Joey Armstrong (Jon Lindstrom), who has been having an affair with Doug's wife, Vanessa (Lauren Buglioli). The show introduced Doug and Vanessa as a married couple, but despite Vanessa's liaisons with Joey, the episode revealed that she is suspicious of his involvement in her husband's death.
On social media, Lauren posted a tribute to her "husband," sharing a video of the two on set for Jason's final moments, with the cast and crew applauding him. "I love you all," Jason can be heard telling those on set, adding: "You guys are family for life." Lauren captioned the post: "I love you, husband @jasongraham69 @beyondthegatescbs," alongside a broken heart emoji, while Jon commented: "One of the best I’ve ever had the honor to play with. Thank you @jasongraham69."
But as we all know, being killed off on a soap doesn't always mean you're gone forever as one fan pointed out: "It's a soap, no one is ever REALLY dead. Right?" Jason could therefore come back as Doug, and it's a hope some are holding on to as series creator Michele Val Jean also commented on Lauren's post, taking full credit for the heartbreak with the words: “I’m a horrible person.”
Elsewhere, fans praised Lauren for her performance, with one writing on X: "Vanessa is breaking my heart in these scenes. Lauren Buglioli is PUTTING IN WORK." Another added: "Oh, Lauren Buglioli clocked tf in to work on this day, y'all! Give her her 10's, her flowers, her things, her crown, all of it! She's doing an amazing job as Vanessa today!"
Premiering on CBS on February 24, 2025, Beyond the Gates is set in one the most affluent African American counties in the United States, outside of Washington DC, and "at the center of this community are the Duprees, a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family" who have "juicy secrets and scandals waiting to be uncovered". It was the first new major soap on a network since 1999.
It follows the Dupree family, consisting of matriarch Anita (Tamara Tunie), her husband Vernon (Clifton Davis), and their children Nicole (Daphnée Duplaix) and Dani (Karla Mosley). Nicole is married to husband Dr Ted Richardson (Keith D. Robinson) and they are parents to Martin (Brandon Claybon) and "Kat (Colby Muhammad), and Ted's nephew Andre (Sean Freeman); Martin's husband is Smitty (Mike Manning), and they share two children: Samantha (Najah Jackson) and Tyrell (Jaden Lucas Miller).
Dani's family includes children Naomi (Arielle Prepetit) and Chelsea (RhonniRose Mantilla), shared with ex-husband Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett). Naomi is married to Jacob (Jibre Hordges), while Bill tied the knot with his daughter Naomi's friend Hayley (Marquita Goings).
The series underwent a major change earlier in the year when Maurice Johnson left the show, with CBS recasting Ted with Keith. The doctor had become the Fairmont Crest's villain at the time when his affair with Leslie and the birth of their daughter, Eva, was unveiled dramatically.