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‘Beyond the Gates’ Creator Michele Val Jean Recalls Writing Tony Geary’s Daytime Emmy-Winning Story Where ‘General Hospital’s’ Luke Revisits Raping Laura

By Michael Fairman

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Photo: CBS

As General Hospital fans, co-stars and former colleagues mourn the loss of eight-time Daytime Emmy winner, Anthony Geary (ex-Luke Spencer), tributes and remembrances are pouring in across social media, television entertainment and news program and more.

Now, in a just released new episode of Soapy Hosted by Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart, Beyond the Gates creator, head writer, showrunner and executive producer, Michele Val Jean, chats on her soap opera writing experience, and launching the first daytime drama on broadcast television in over 25 years and the first Black-led, one-hour soap in history, to boot.

In an ironic twist on timing, this conversation with Val Jean was taped back in October of this year around the presentation of the 52nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards as explained at the opening of the episode by Rebecca Budig, but released today on December 16. Anthony Geary passed away on Sunday, December 14 from complications from an unnamed medical procedure three days earlier at the age of 78.

Photo: ABC

Michele Val Jean spoke on her time on General Hospital as a script editor and script writer, working under then executive producer, Wendy Riche. Val Jean began her GH journey in 1993 and had several writing stints throughout her career with the ABC soap opera.

Speaking on writing for and working with the legendary Geary, Val Jean explained that she spent a lot of time in his dressing room changing the dialogue for him, but from that grew trust and was key to opening the opportunity Val Jean had hoped for, to reframe Luke’s rape of Laura (Genie Francis) at the Campus Disco back in 1979, and to call it out for what it was.

MICHELE’S PERSONAL STORY, GOALS FOR GENERAL HOSPITAL AND TONY GEARY

Val Jean expressed, “We (Tony and I) got to be friends, and we got to the point where he trusted me enough to agree to do the rape story.”  Then in a heartbreaking moment, Michele shared that she had been raped as young girl, so she knew from experience what is what and it needed to be corrected in story.

“When I was growing up I was raped. I had just turned 12, and I had lost my father three months before. He died in July. I was raped in September. So, I know what rape is. I know what it looks like. So, when Luke raped Laura, and she’s screaming ‘No!” and he’s taking her down to the floor, that’s rape, and because Tony and Genie had so much chemistry, the show started to call it a “mutual seduction,” explained Michele.  “And I was like, ‘That’s not what I saw.'”

Photo: Almay

“So when I was on the show and I had some input into story. I had three goals. One, was to call a rape, “a rape.” Two, was to win Tony Geary am Emmy because he hadn’t won one since 1983. And the other one, three was to sort of exercise my own demons, because where I grew up on the south side of Chicago, you didn’t have therapy. There was a trial. My rapist went to jail. And then after all that was over, I was just supposed to put it behind me and move on. It was really shattering.”

The head scribe used her tools as a storyteller to work through her pain and grief of her own rape, but to also clear up any confusion is soap history that Luke did indeed rape Laura. “So, I wanted to kind of put myself back together through telling that story. I knew I couldn’t come at it directly because Luke and Laura had been together for decades at that point. I had to come in through another door, and that was through Lucky (Jonathan Jackson).”

“YOU GET AN EMMY!”

Finally in 1998, Val Jean spearheaded the story that would see Luke’s admission to his son that he raped his mother. “So, I had Lucky come on the aftermath of Elizabeth’s rape and see how shattered she was, and to go through her recovery with her. Then, find out that his father had done that to his mother and that just blew up the whole family. Everyone involved in that story got Emmys. It was like Oprah! ‘You get an Emmy, and you get an Emmy.” We (Tony and I) worked really closely together through the whole thing. I felt like it was like my rapist didn’t own that afternoon anymore, I did,” recounted Michele.

Photo: CBS

Rebecca Budig shared on the story point, “I commend Tony because a lot of times you don’t want your character to look bad and that’s a big admission, right?” To which Val Jean, replied, “He embraced it. I put him on a couch, sat him on a couch, and gave him a nine minute monologue with flashbacks when Lucky said, ‘I need you to tell me what happened that night.’ And that is what Tony won the (1999) Emmy for. It was that monologue.”

THE NEW FRONTIER – BEYOND THE GATES

Later, Rebecca and Greg speak to Michele about the importance of the creation of Beyond the Gates and representation of Black characters and families on the soaps. “I didn’t like that black people were always the “best friend,” or you know, a family who would be there for a minute and then they move on, expressed Val Jean. “It’s really, really gratifying to be able open the door to this world.”

In addition to Val Jean, Beyond the Gates costume designer, Jeresa Featherstone sits down with Greg and Rebecca and shares how she draws inspiration for her crowd-pleasing looks that have come to define Beyond the Gates and how she gives each character on the canvas a distinct look and fashion sense.

Now below, check out the full episode of  “Soapy” featuring Beyond the Gates creator, Michele Val Jean and costume designer, Jeresa Featherstone.

Then let us know, what did you think about the heart-tugging story of Michele’s past and how she worked with Tony Geary in the key storyline that had Luke admitting to Lucky that he has raped his mother, Laura which shed the optics on the controversial plot point of 1979 ‘General Hospital’ and more? Share your thoughts via the comment section.

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I applaud her for writing the wrong and having it called a rape; a romance should have never been born from it, though.

Another occasion when Genie was robbed of an Emmy!

Exactly. Genie herself said in an interview no writer spoke to her at all or got any input from her. The show was always concerned about Tony at the expense of Genie. And that continued until he retired. You will never convince me he didn’t play a part in keeping her off the show all those years.

Genie also said in a interview, point blank, that Tony was not the one keeping her off the show. Make of that what you will.

But I fully agree, he was always given preference to her, from 1979 onwards. He’s said in interviews, particularly about the 78-83 era, he was treated like a prince. I did appreciate that he said his first Emmy win was 1/2 hers. I haven’t see the subsequent wins, but I have seen interviews where he and JJ say they are confounded that she gets left out.

Watched the entire podcast interview. Michele Val Jean is so down to earth and engaging. For those who love the genre she has lots of soap stories and not an unkind word about anyone. I hope she writes a book. Jeresa Featherstone was so inspiring for someone so young. This was my first time watching the podcast. I plan to seek out some of the earlier episodes. Rebecca and Greg are really really good and very well informed.. They should give up the day jobs and do a podcast full time.

Beyond the Gates

RATINGS: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Scores Third Most-Watched Week Since Its Premiere With ‘The Young and the Restless’ Crossover Event

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The tornado that ripped through Fairmont Crest and put the lives of the characters of Beyond the Gates and several from The Young and the Restless in jeopardy had viewers tuning-in for the week of June 8-12.

The highly-publicized crossover event kicked off on the Tuesday, June 9 episode of Beyond the Gates where six residents of Genoa City came to to visit the D.C./Maryland country club for a fundraiser for Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon), only no one expected a twister to tear into the proceedings, leading to several storylines intersecting as people were trapped with one another with Eva Thomas (Ambyr Michelle) being the most severely injured and now requiring a liver transplant to survive.

According to the ratings report from CBS and Nielsen ratings and as supplied to Variety, Beyond the Gates brought in on average 1.8 million viewers throughout the wee. That is up 11% from its season-to-date numbers and it makes the crossover/tornado episodes its third most-watched week for the soap since Beyond the Gates premiered back on February 24, 2025.

Photo: CBS

A GENOA CITY TOUCHDOWN

With the strength of the story, its special effects and bringing over cast of the top-rated, The Young and the Restless which included: Eric Braeden (Victor Newman), Michael Mealor (Kyle Abbott), Peter Bergman (Jack Abbott), Susan Walters (Diane Jenkins), Melissa Ordway (Abby Newman) and Bryton James (Devon Hamilton), the Thursday, June 11 episode was the week’s most-watched.

According to the numbers, the Wednesday June 10 episode brought in the most total viewers for the week with 1.87 million (up 17% week-to-week), followed closely by the Friday, June 12 episodes which had 1.84 million watching.

Photo: JPI

Over on The Young and the Restless, the week of June 8-12, also saw an increase based on the early return that week of Shemar Moore as Malcolm Winters wrapping up his leg of the story where viewers learned he had a son Holden Novak (Nathan Owens) with Stephanie Simmons (Vivica A. Fox), and survived his bone marrow transplant surgery thanks to Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn).

Y&R scored 3.11 million viewers for the week up 2% from its season average with the June 8 and June 9 episodes featuring Moore averaging 3.2 million viewers and up 9% year-over-year.

So, did you enjoy the tornado episodes of Beyond the Gates and seeing the residents of Genoa City crossover to Fairmont Crest? Share your thoughts via the comment section on the latest ratings for the two CBS daytime soaps.

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Beyond the Gates

‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Karla Mosley Weighs-in on Dani Dupree’s Love Life Endgame: Are You Team Bill or Team Andre?

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Last week, viewers of CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates watched as a tornado ripped through Fairmont Crest. In its wake, people were trapped with one another or seriously injured.

For Dani Dupree (Karla Mosley), she found herself stuck in an elevator with her ex-husband, Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett). And wouldn’t you know, one thing led to another, and the two gave into their unresolved feelings for one another and did the deed.

Meanwhile, Dani’s current husband, Andre Richardson (Sean Freeman) suffered a minor injury to his leg, and was worried sick in the ballroom because he had no idea where Dani was after the twister decimated the place. Eventually, Dani and Bill part ways go back to their families and act like nothing happened.

Photo: CBS

When Dani is reunited with Andre, he professes his love for her even more than ever. As for Bill’s current wife Hayley Lawson (Marquita Goings), she could care less because she was making out with Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor, Y&R) in a closet at the country club!

THE TORNADO MAY HAVE CHANGED DANI’S HEART

For months, Beyond the Gates viewers have found themselves torn; rooting for Dani and Bill to get over themselves and get back together, or rooting for Dani and Andre, because its clear he truly loves her, even though their marriage may not have started out as the greatest love affair of all time.

Karla Mosley opened up to PEOPLE on Dani’s romance plight and who the writers of the soap might ultimately pair her with, expressing “I cannot say. I honestly have no idea.”

As it seems now, this triangle of Andre/Dani/Bill is about to heat up even more following Dani’s elevator exploits. However, according to Mosley, the popularity of Dani and Andre came as surprise to the writers, which has led to the romantic drama. “The writers did not think Dani and Andre were gonna pop off the way that they did,” explained Karla. “Originally, they thought Bill and Dani would be back together by the end of season one. And then it was like, ‘wait, what is happening?’”

Photo: CBS

WRITERS ARE TAKING THE PULSE OF THE FANS

The decision to not have Dani and Bill reunite within season 1 or half-way though season 2, Mosley shares is a sign of the times: “The old soap trope is the torn woman who goes back to her man. But I think there are enough women now who are like, I want to see her win.”

In the end, Karla believes that in this case, fans speaking up, can also translate to the writers room and influence their potential decision of who should be the ultimate man for Dani. She tells Beyond the Gates viewers,  “Keep talking about it, y’all.”

Meanwhile, questions remain: Could Dani and Bill’s elevator sex find her pregnant with his child, which would make this whole situation more messy? Stay tuned.

Now, let us know, who do you want to see Dani ultimately with … Bill Hamilton or Andre Richardson? Weigh-in via the comment section below.

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Beyond the Gates

Phillip Boyd Makes His Debut on ‘Beyond the Gates’ in Recurring Role of Dr. Miles Arnold

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A new face emerged on today’s episode of CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates when actor, Phillip Boyd made his debut in the recurring role of Dr. Miles Arnold.

In story, Dr Arnold is a doctor and surgeon and on the June 16 episode, Miles had to sadly deliver some disappointing new. Neither of Eva’s (Ambyr Michelle) parents, Ted Richardson (Keith D. Robinson) or Leslie Thomas (Trisha Mann-Grant) is a donor match for the life-saving transplant surgery Eva desperately needs.

Eva, among others, was injured in the tornado that ripped through Fairmont Crest and its devastating aftermath. She sustained critical injuries during the storm and was trapped with her half-sister, Kat Richardson (Colby Nixon).

Courtesy/CBS

Phillip Boyd recently appeared on The McCord List, where he talked about his career between working in Los Angeles and Atlanta and said about his latest acting gig, “Dr, Miles Arnold works in the hospital. There’s something that happens, a natural disaster and a lot of the characters on the show are at this event and something tragic happens and they’re rushed to the hospital.”

The actor is also appearing in the final season of Tyler Perry’s Netflix series Beauty in Black where he shows up in 7 episodes. Boyd previously appeared in short term roles on General Hospital, The Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives. In primetime, he also played the role of Mitch on 90210 and played Oscar in Tyler Perry’s The Haves and Have Nots for five-seasons.

So, so you think Beyond the Gates might make Phillip Boyd’s role bigger over time on the soap? Will Kat be the match that Eva needs? If not, who? Many people were ruled out on today’s episode. Drop you thoughts and picks for the donor via the comment section.

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