Chelsea Hamilton and Dr. Madison Montgomery’s Romance Heats Up Faster Than The Speed of Light

 

Chelsea (RhonniRose Mantilla) isn’t afraid to dive in with young neurologist Dr. Madison Montgomery (Kenjah McNeil). DP: Vincent Steib.

Beyond the Gates continues making soap opera history with its latest story— Chelsea Hamilton and her girlfriend Dr. Madison Montgomery. 

Chelsea, the retired supermodel and newbie purse designer, has explored her bisexual status since the soap’s February debut. Originally, an enthusiastic third for adventurous couples, Chelsea’s the type not to be defined by labels. Craig and Allison, Chelsea’s last polyamorous relationship, saw her choosing to primarily commit to her lesbian side, setting out to separate Allison from her husband for a while. The move seems straight out of the Bill Hamilton playbook, predatory cheating strategies showcasing that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. In her personal life, Chelsea can behave similarly like her father— a man who committed adultery for years. 

Yet, Chelsea has the tendency to fall hard and fast—perhaps a trait of her zany mother Dani Dupree-Hamilton? 

Chelsea and Dr. Madison share wine and affection at the pad that Chelsea shares with her cousin and best friend Kat Richardson. DP: Vincent Steib.

After being dumped by Allison just before June’s Pride Month started, Chelsea meets a mysterious woman at the hottest nightclub in town, flirting up a storm. It turns out Madison is a neurologist— her own father’s stroke doctor. Chelsea holds nothing back, becoming a full-fledged seductress of the highest order, ambushing the gorgeous doctor at the hospital, thirsty as heck despite not getting the water her inpatient father needed. Skipping many steps including the crucial angst part, Dr. Madison succumbs to Chelsea anyway— a couch date, the quickest blink-or-you-miss-it love scene, the introduction to the uppity Dupree family, and the “I love you,” hearts in her eyes. Chelsea and Dr. Madison are moving at the speed of light, ultimately symbolizing the unfortunate U-Haul trope. Does this mean that their fast relationship could crash out at the same pace? Sugar can only jolt the adrenaline for so long. What exactly are Dr. Madison’s intentions towards Chelsea? 

While it may seem downright boring in a soap opera— a genre often thriving on pushing wild, outrageous envelopes and overzealous acting decisions— the fascinating parts about Chelsea and Dr. Madison are their Bechdel Test passing conversations. They center topics such as coming out to their respective families and their individual career paths. Chelsea’s extrovert personality could clash with Dr. Madison’s humbleness. These hardworking women share a common passionate drive and of course— a growing ardor for each other. Sure, we’ve missed the longing looks cementing a fresh romance, but we’ve got public handholding, smooches, and dialogue. With a cast this stacked (and talented), it is pure luck to even receive little tidbits of these lovers.  

Allison (Brianna Roberts) lets Chelsea (RhonniRose Mantilla) that she wants her back. It won’t make Dr. Madison (Kenjah McNeil) pleased. DP: Vincent Steib.

A heavily accessorized Chelsea reassures Dr. Madison that she’s locked in. DP: Vincent Steib. 

Chelsea and Dr. Madison’s romance is put to the test by the sudden reappearance of Chelsea’s married ex Allison. This latest development complicates Fairmount Crest’s overwhelmingly saturated landscape of triangles and quadrangles— Kat/Tomàs/Eva, Hayley/Bill/Dani, Dani/Andre/Ashley/Derek, Nicole/Ted/Leslie. A slightly deranged Allison’s urgent desire for Chelsea pinpoints the Beyond the Gates writers’ leniency on interlopers to create a couple’s conflict. If the other dynamics didn’t exist and the overly rushed Chelsea and Dr. Madison were shown more frequently, this Allison angle would be enticing front burner stuff. After all, it is not everyday you see three Black women fighting for each other romantically in daytime. 

Chanel (Reagan Gomez) and Nova (Rutina Wesley) from Queen Sugar.

Max (Chanté Adams) and Esther (Andia Winslow) from A League of Their Own.

Eva (Gail Bean) and Tye (Jerrie Johnson) from Harlem also had a U-Haul relationship. 

Black women falling head over heels with each other onscreen remains a rarity. Television and film have a longstanding preference for interracial LGBTQIA couples from Cheryl Dunye’s classic The Watermelon Woman to Maria Maggenti’s The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls Falling in Love. Even this Buzzfeed list contains mainly white or interracial TV lesbian couples. Every now and again, a thoughtful Black woman filmmaker makes slow burned sapphic cinematic masterpieces: dee rees’s Pariah, Wanuri Kahiu’s Rafiki, and Natalie Jasmine Harris’s Pure and Grace are prime examples. Nova and Chanel were short-lived territory in Queen Sugar, Max and Esther briefly steamed up the sadly cancelled in A League of Their Own, and Eva and Tye got engaged in Harlem. Chelsea and Dr. Madison adding to this equation has the opportunity to shift the narrative in a powerful way— to inspire a new normal that other TV/film writers could build off on. 

Madison and Chelsea are having problems with Allison. DP: Vincent Steib.

Beyond the Gates, a soap opera staunchly committed to being a revolutionary force, provides the “love in the afternoon” lunch hour with some gorgeous Chelsea and Dr. Madison interactions. As the two women navigate their journey among the affluent Fairmount Crest community, let’s pray that intriguing twists and turns keep their union strong. Although this may be challenging as we’ve seen the characters interact in the same locations each week, Chelsea and Dr. Madison should be attending the movies together (especially the big D.C. queer film fest), taking trips to the pool, shooting photo booth strips, hopscotching and pushing each other on swings, dancing, sharing ice creams and cakes, throwing down a game of Uno, and all kinds of lovey duvey activities to squeeze into their tight schedules. Interrupt our broadcast shenanigans with a sweet induced drama that’ll make our hearts race and burn. 

Chelsea does have a type though— Dr. Madison and Allison look alike. May the best woman win. DP: Vincent Steib.

The key to crafting groundbreaking material as sensitive and rare as Chelsea and Dr. Madison is to reflect on the viewers at home. Analyze the question— is this a valid, authentically rendered romance that audiences deserve to bear witness to? The brave writers must prove that this story truly represents a Black sapphic love worth vouching for. 

‘Beyond the Gates’ Can’t Make Us Hate Eva Thomas

Eva Thomas (Ambyr Michelle) is currently being dragged through the mud at Fairmount Crest. 

Eva Thomas has been our favorite Beyond the Gates character since the soap opera’s big February debut. The parted Afro wearing, bohemian styled former hairdresser stepped onto the scene as noted psychologist Nicole Dupree Richardson’s assistant after her own deranged mother Leslie Thomas hit Eva’s predecessor Laura Peterson with a motorcycle (unbeknownst to Eva). Of course, Eva discovered just how awful her single parent was during Ted and Nicole’s anniversary party. Yikes.  

In the beginning, despite not having held any previous administrative experience, Eva gets the job based on Nicole’s other assistant Mona Wilson’s recommendation. Eva tries to be the best person for the job, going above and beyond her duties to ensure Nicole that she’s the right fit. However, Eva is Leslie’s tool into ingratiating with Nicole’s family as a means to gather dirt on Ted’s wife— as Ted was Leslie’s affair partner and Eva’s biological father! Plastic surgeon Ted Richardson, lauded by Nicole as a better man than her ex-brother-in-law Bill Hamilton, cheated on his wife long ago. Sadly, Nicole doesn’t know about Ted’s straying. Shaped by Leslie’s ironed manipulation, a conditioned Eva plays niceties while carrying the burden of her mother’s hatred. 

Eva (Ambyr Michelle) the assistant at Nicole’s home office near the gorgeous framed art on the wall. 

The main reason that we must advocate on Eva’s behalf is because a crazy woman named Leslie raised her— a woman who is not even stable enough to adopt a cat. Leslie may have been super abusive to Eva, inciting her to hate the Richardson and Dupree clan prior to meeting them, likely ingraining into Eva’s development that she’s less than. Leslie continuously lied and gaslit Eva into believing things that weren’t true, fed her the most outlandish information in hopes of passing down her ire. The moment a happy, enthused Eva returned home from helping Nicole write her awards dinner speech, a jealous Leslie offered no congratulations or praise. She sought to bring Eva to a sunken, depressing place— a hole of her creation. It showed that that was perhaps Eva’s upbringing. Any amount of Eva’s joy that did not benefit Leslie would be cruelly snatched away. When Eva started suspecting Leslie’s foul games including how an awakened Laura became too ill to leave the hospital, Leslie shut it down by nastily elevating her voice and calling Eva, “little girl.” To say “little girl” is almost as belittling as men spouting out “females” or white men shouting “boy” to full grown individuals. This was Leslie’s way of bringing down Eva, mentally and psychologically and to ensure that her “weapon” kept running at revenge coded factory settings. 

Eva (Ambyr Michelle) and heartless mama Leslie (Trish Mann-Grant) scheme together.

As Eva interacts further with Ted and Nicole, however, her stance softens, soon blossoming into reluctance and regret. Often, she’s pictured with her mind operating against Leslie’s wishes, instead fantasizing about being pictured in the Hamilton family photographs. She has seen their genuine kindness and feels an affection that must have been severely lacking in the Thomas household. Eva then makes moves to protect them at Nicole’s awards dinner, having her wig-donning mother thrown out. It was certainly a demonstration of Eva’s manipulative tactics put to good use— a notion that the girl’s allegiance shifted, that in her heart of hearts, she knew intuitively that Leslie was in the wrong. 

The style of Eva (Ambyr Michelle)— cutesy chic turtlenecks, cozy sweaters, and patterned tops— could be the height of soap opera fashion. Lipsticks are always on point.

The other downside in Eva’s world is Kat— the uppity, spoiled daughter of Ted and Nicole who hated Eva on sight. An ice cold Kat goes on and on about Eva’s lack of experience and cracks on Eva’s clothes and hairstyling employment yet rarely sees the hospitalized Laura, the girl she can’t wait to see back at the job. Kat’s instincts regarding Eva’s intentions may be right on some instances, but her behavior indicates that she views Eva as a simple peasant undeserving of respect and care. Then add the boring Tomas character as another division between Eva and Kat. The classicism was enough without a triangle element. Now we have the virgin Kat versus the around-the-way Eva with Eva having already spoken about past men discarding her. Heck, Leslie is bound to throw Eva under the bus in the same deliberate manner as throwing a framed picture of them in the trash can! Eva needs girl friends, unconditional girlfriends, not a man that her sister’s radar is failing to vet on. We’d love to see a healed Laura become Eva’s bestie, an eventual storyline of Eva rescuing Laura from more harm, and a tender slow burn romance (with a better man) for Eva. 

Eva’s devastations are felt by the viewers watching her despair. Her whole life has been a complete lie and she has to pick up the scattered pieces.

Thus, the colossal reveal happens, Eva finally learning that Ted never knew she existed, that the carefully calculated vengeance was fueled by Leslie’s jealousy of Nicole and nothing more. Kat’s then dead to Kat, fired by Nicole, and disowned and kicked out by Leslie. It is Ted who promises a hotel room and eventual apartment to the abandoned young woman who slept in her car. While Mona and the hoity-toity Dupree women Anita and Dani attempt to sink Eva’s self-esteem to lower degrees, our girl has won money at the casino (here’s looking at you, Dr. Doug McBride— the addict) and vows to begin anew. 

Side note: Leslie showed more hurt / sympathy at losing Mona’s friendship and more love for Teddy than she ever did for Eva. Goodness, a tough watch. Thankfully, Eva wasn’t present for that. 

Poor Eva.

Apparently, Eva’s March 13th fantasy of being Ted’s (Maurice Johnson) perfect daughter will come true this week right down to the blazer material. We hope she returns to her unique style that sets her apart from the other women. Surely, Ted will accept her true fashion, either or. 

Eva Thomas couldn’t be possible without portrayer Ambyr Michelle’s masterful performances each week, showcasing the extreme depth of Eva’s inner turmoil— the emotional nuances of pain, sadness, anger, and love. Michelle renders remarkable vulnerable complexities, broadcasting resilience and dignity to this wronged character, a beautiful, riveting woman determined to make amends. She operates well with her chosen scene partners, especially Trish Mann-Grant (terrific at being an unrootable doppelgänger villain). Their storyline contains the juiciest entertainment elements, the most dynamic duo to the afternoon. By putting Michelle and Grant in huge positions during the three day exposè complete with the following aftermath showed the soap’s strongest acting and direction since the debut. They both received Soap Opera News’s Performers of the Week and Michelle had this honor for Soap Wire as well. They must be bound for nominations galore at next year’s Daytime Emmy Awards. 

If anyone deserves the nod and the win— it’s Ambyr Michelle, eligible for the new Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama category. 

Eva Thomas has been on fire from the very beginning. We only hope the fuel remains lit.