Death came to Fairmont Crest this week. CBS’ Beyond the Gates delivered its first major character exit on Thursday, killing off former surgeon Doug McBride, played by Jason Graham, in a fiery car wreck.
Doug, who has been married to Vanessa McBride (Lauren Buglioli) since the show’s premiere in February, perished in what initially appeared to be an alcohol-fueled accident. But this being a soap opera, suspicions quickly turned to foul play — specifically Joey Armstrong (Jon Lindstrom), who has been carrying on an affair with Vanessa. In fact, Joey was literally in bed with her in Puerto Rico when Vanessa received the devastating news.
Buglioli captured the heartbreak on screen, posting a behind-the-scenes farewell to Graham on Instagram, where the actor told cast and crew: “I love you all. You guys are family for life.” The post sparked an outpouring of love, with Lindstrom calling Graham “one of the best I’ve ever had the honor to play with,” while series creator Michele Val Jean jokingly claimed credit for the gut punch, writing: “I’m a horrible person.”
Graham exits after appearing since the pilot episode. His previous credits include 9-1-1, All American: Homecoming, and Sistas.
Though Doug’s death marks the show’s first major loss, it’s not the first shake-up. Earlier this year, Keith D. Robinson stepped in to replace Maurice Johnson as Dr. Ted Richardson in Beyond the Gates’ first recast.
Still, Doug’s absence will ripple across Fairmont Crest — especially for Vanessa, who now finds herself mourning her husband while questioning the motives of the man she’s fallen into bed with. As Vanessa herself says in the episode: “Doug died thinking I was mad at him. Those can’t be the last words he heard me say. It’s too cruel.”
Beyond the Gates has already been renewed for a second season. The soap from Michele Val Jean is averaging a 67% boost in multiplatform viewership over its time period last year and currently beats ABC’s General Hospital among women 25-54 on broadcast, according to Nielsen.
So, Gate-keepers — was Doug’s death a permanent goodbye, or is there more to this story? On a soap, nothing is ever final.