Beyond The Gates - S2Ep81 - 05.04.26 - Martin receives fatherly advice from Ted (1/2)

After accidentally interrupting a surprisingly tender moment between his now-divorced parents, Martin admits that he and Kat had been worried about them, given the emotional weight of the day—it would have been their wedding anniversary, and it also marks a year since everything fell apart. Ted and Nicole gently but firmly remind him that their well-being isn’t his burden to carry; it’s a parent’s job to take care of their children, not the other way around. Once Nicole leaves, the conversation turns more personal. Ted opens up about the guilt he carries—both for the role he believes he played in Leslie’s downward spiral and for the lies that contributed to the family’s collapse. But he doesn’t stay in that space for long. Shifting into fatherly guidance, he calls Martin out for repeating similar patterns, especially when it comes to keeping secrets and making choices behind his husband Smitty’s back. Martin doesn’t push back. He acknowledges his mistakes and insists he’s trying to fix them. Still, there’s a clear weight on him as he confesses how trapped he feels by Joey’s hold over him—how one moment on a deserted country road has continued to shape his life and derail his dreams. The scene closes on a quiet, emotional note as father and son embrace, both carrying their regrets but finding some measure of understanding in each other. Follow @MartinandSmitty on Twitter/X