‘Beyond the Gates’ Twist! Derek Baldwin’s Shocking Fate Explained by Ben Gavin

Beyond the Gates delivered one of its biggest twists yet on the May 20 episode with the unexpected death of Derek Baldwin. For original cast member Ben Gavin, the dramatic turn came as a complete surprise.

“It was definitely a shocker,” Gavin recalls of getting the news in late December 2025 that his character would be killed off. “They made it pretty clear this was something that they needed, and for the sake of the story, it couldn’t just be anyone. It had to be someone that they started to really care about to hook the audience, and I understood that.”

Gavin says executive producer Julie Hanan Carruthers personally explained how Derek’s exit would unfold. In the storyline, Derek took a bullet for Jacob [Hawthorne, Jibre Hordges] during the climax of the long-running blood plasma sting operation, then died at the hospital. “She made it pretty clear that, ‘You’re gonna die a hero,’” he recalls. “And Derek’s got a hero complex, so it’s only fitting. I get the nature of it, but it didn’t make it any less difficult to swallow.”

Even so, Gavin admits he could see the writing on the wall when it came to his alter ego’s future. “Derek didn’t have a family, didn’t have parents around, and he didn’t have a job, so I knew there was a chance of being an expendable character,” he points out. “But also, they really did a lot in the second season to boost the character’s value. I’ve noticed the audience in the second season has turned for the better for Derek. He’s not a pushover anymore, which I appreciate.”

CBS

Gavin says filming Derek’s final episodes was a memorable experience. “It was awesome,” he relays. “It was not the typical day on set of a soap. We were doing multiple takes, and I’m glad they put that time and effort into it. I know it’s a big storyline in general, but being that it was my character’s farewell, I’m glad there was a lot of attention put into it. It really felt like they cared about it.”

That emotional weight carried into Gavin’s last day on set, particularly during Derek’s goodbye with ex-girlfriend Ashley, played by Jen Jacob. “The very last shot I did was where I tell Ashley to not be afraid and that I love her,” he says. “They really took their time with it, which I appreciate, because there are not many opportunities on a soap where we can really take our time with moments; it’s run and gun. So, I’m lying on this gurney, and I’m going through all the mental stuff before the shot, and then nothing’s happening, and I’m kind of like, ‘Alright, let’s do this.’ And then everyone came out onto the stage, and they said, ‘You’re wrapped.’”

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Afterward, Gavin’s time on the series was celebrated. “They had a big send-off for me, and actors who weren’t even working that day showed up,” he shares. “I mean, the tears that were flowing from my castmates and crew family were really heartwarming. It left me feeling like I made the impact on the people of this show that I could only hope to make. They weren’t just sad for Derek, they were sad to lose me as a castmate, as a colleague, and that meant a lot. I told them on that day, ‘Being a part of this show is a badge of honor that I’ll wear for the rest of my life. I’m truly blessed.’”

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Looking back on his time with the soap, Gavin says the relationships he built behind the scenes remain one of the most rewarding parts of the job. “The highlight off-screen was just getting to know and love my castmates and the crew,” he reflects. “The time spent in the hair and makeup room, you can’t beat that. If you’re having a bad day or you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, you go in that hair and makeup room, and next thing you know, you’re smiling. Also, my castmates — Jen [Jacob] and Ernestine [Johnson Morrison, Shanice Johnson], I love those people, I truly do. Ernestine’s still one of my closest friends. And then getting to work with Ambyr Michelle [Eva Thomas], and Trisha [Mann Grant, Leslie Thomas], those were probably some of my highlights on screen. I noticed a lot of the fans were saying, ‘Hey, finally we got someone who will put Leslie in her place,’ so that was fun for me. I enjoyed that, for sure.”

CBS

Although Derek may not have always been a fan favorite, Gavin says he deeply appreciates the passion viewers brought to the character and the show as a whole. “I thank them for sticking with it, and for all their wonderful criticism and their wonderful support,” he offers. “That’s what feeds this medium — them saying, ‘Oh, I hate this guy,’ ‘Oh, I love this guy,’ ‘I can’t believe he did that,’ and ‘I wish he would do this.’ That tells me that they’re invested, and that’s all you can ask for. I’ve never been on a soap before. I never even did a day player on a soap, and I’ve never seen a fan group so highly invested in the characters. It’s amazing.”

Now turning the page professionally, Gavin is already focused on new opportunities. “I produced a television pilot called Cougar that we’re shopping around right now, where I play the title character,” he reveals. “It’s based off a movie that I did that just released called Winterset. You can find that on Amazon [Prime Video]. The character is far different from Derek Baldwin. I’m putting my all into these new projects that are coming my way. I’m using Joe Reitman as an acting coach, who helped me through the end of the show, and just growing as an actor.”

And given soaps’ long history of surprise resurrections and secret relatives, Gavin says he would gladly return if asked back. “Oh, sure,” he says. “I mean, on the last day after we filmed the last scene, one of the directors came up to me and was like, ‘I’ve been doing soaps for 30 years. Evil twin brother, you just never know.’ And I was like, ‘Hey, I’m open for it.’ If they want to do a dream sequence for a day, I’ll be there. That’s my family, and they changed my life for the better. If they call my name, I’ll be there.”

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