Beyond The Gates Kills Off First Major Character In Fiery Car Crash: 'I'm A Horrible Person,' Series Creator Says
The Grim Reaper paid a visit to Fairmont Crest this week, bringing about the first major character death in Beyond the Gates' seven-month run. (No offense to Kenny the busboy. We're sure he had his fans.)
We're talking about former surgeon Doug McBride, played by Jason Graham, whose body was discovered in the fiery wreckage of a car "accident" seemingly orchestrated by the nefarious Joey Armstrong (Jon Lindstrom), who was literally in bed with Doug's wife Vanessa (Lauren Buglioli) when she heard the news.
Despite the impact of both her shock and her grief, Vanessa was clearheaded enough to suspect Joey of being behind Doug's death, an accusation he vehemently denied. Regardless of whether she chooses to believe him or not, there's no denying that something changed in Vanessa the moment she received that devastating news.
Like most viewers, we were skeptical about Doug's death at first — that is, until Buglioli shared an emotional video of Graham's wrap on set. As you'll see in the video below, the moment has all the makings of an official goodbye, complete with applause and tears.
"I love you all," Graham tells the cast and crew in his on-set farewell. "You guys are family for life." Watch the video via Buglioli's Instagram post below:
The comments on the post became a love fest for Graham, with co-stars like Lindstrom calling him "one of the best I've ever had the honor to play with." But the best comment came from series creator Michele Val Jean, who took full credit for the tragic twist in four simple words: "I'm a horrible person."
Graham has been with the CBS soap since it premiered in February, with Doug making his first appearance in the pilot episode.
Though this marks Beyond the Gates' first major character death, it's not the first time the cast has experienced a surprising shake-up. That came via the show's first recast in May, when Maurice Johnson was swapped out for Keith D. Robinson as Dr. Ted Richardson. You never know who'll be coming (or going) next on this show.
Let's talk, Gate-keepers: How do you think Doug's untimely demise will shake things up for Vanessa? Will you miss seeing him around Fairmont Crest? And do you think he's really dead, or could this all be some sort of fake-out? (On a soap opera? Never!) Drop a comment with your thoughts on the show's latest fatal twist below.