Leslie Bailey

I go way back... decades...with soap operas. I was an ABC girl. All my Children, One Life to Live, General Hospital, then later Ryan's Hope. But I must correct myself, I actually started my soap opera viewing days with The Young and the Restless on CBS. I always noted that there was only one Black person on the shows...maybe two. But they were usually cops or detectives. I remember Laurence Fishburne on One Life to Live as a kid, and his father, Al Freeman, Jr. WOW! I remember Angie and Jessie on All My Children! I was so hurt when Jesse died...like it was real! NOW, decades later here we go! Beyond the Gates, African American cast! YES! Let me say, I LOVE the show! Beautiful cast, beautiful costumes, and spot on dialogue! And oh my goodness...the HAIR! I don't care whether weave or natural, the hair is LAID! Not a strand out of place. And that doggone Anita Durpreé. Heck, GREY never looked so lovely! Even the antagonist, Leslie, Dana...whatever she calls herself, her hair is fantastic! And Dani with those eyes! The show is perfectly cast. Each actor holds their own. The show started out FULL STEAM on day one! I said, this is crazy as heck! But then I had to remind myself that it's a soap opera; it's suppose to be CRAZY! I love that it centers around a Black family, rich, powerful, established, with a beautiful family history of making a difference in the world... pioneers! A family made up of politicians, doctors, lawyers, celebrities, rich history and so much more. It's great seeing Clifton Davis! Always liked him. The storylines are great and intriguing; got me on the edge of my seat! That damn Joey and Leslie! How are their storylines gonna end!? They both need to "get got'! And then there's Jacob's father, the corrupt detective. I love that the stories are not dragging out as soap operas tend to do. The show is moving at a nice pace. Some of the storylines are boring; not really interested in Ashley and Derek, but I certainly am not bored..not at all! Speaking of Joey, though...his one card table is cheesy! :) The fashion show was a bit lacking. Most of the people there were Dupreés. And the country club and the diner are a bit low budget. I hope with the success of the show they will get an increased budget. And this is not a complaint just an observation. The rest of the sets are great! I DVR it and watch the entire week over the weekend. That way, I can also breeze through the commercials. I hope the show continues with great writing and great acting. And keep the fashion shows coming! Such a treat! BEYOND THE GATES! Beyond fantastic...A WINNER!

I loved the original Equalizer TV show and the 2 movies with Denzel Washington are great as well. So far, though too early to tell, being only 2 episodes in, I like the TV show with Queen Latifah. I must say, the daughter is annoying and unnecessary. She’s a liability that has never been an issue for the character in the original show or the 2 movies. Her true identity is also already being sought and the CIA is reeling her back in to work for them. All of this steers away from the secret and covert maneuverings of the Equalizer and makes the Equalizer vulnerable and less powerful in my estimation. All that said, I like the show and will continue to watch. It is scheduled on my DVR, so I can blast through the commercials. This show is the first network show I have watched and embraced in decades. We do not watch network TV in this house, so this is saying a lot. Not trying to get too deep with it. Just gonna watch and enjoy seeing all the bad guys get it by a badass woman, no less!!