Beyond the Gates Spoilers October 2: Joey Armstrong Plots to Protect Vanessa as Impaler Fan Buzz Erupts

FANS SAY JOEY ARMSTRONG IS THE IMPALER, BUT HIS OWN SISTER ALREADY CLAIMED THAT CROWN

TL;DR: On Friday, October 2, Joey plots to protect Vanessa while Heather sits in the catbird seat. Fans are whispering that Joey is secretly The Impaler, but Heather claimed that title in June, and the suspect Nicole just landed on is still unnamed.

Joey’s Next Move Is Defense, Not Revenge

The Beyond the Gates spoilers October 2 lineup has Joey Armstrong doing what he swore he would do: protect Vanessa McBride. Friday’s preview says Joey plots to keep her safe while Heather sits in the catbird seat. That’s a man who just watched his protection plan fall apart.

And now fan chatter is asking a wild question about him. A buzzy social post this week floated the idea that Joey, the man playing Vanessa’s bodyguard, is secretly The Impaler, and one fan chimed in that Nicole is close to the truth. It’s a delicious idea. It also runs straight into a June confession the show has never taken back.

Wednesday’s episode filled in the ugly details of the carjacking that blindsided Joey on Tuesday. Vanessa was carjacked while showing a property, and Marco, the guard Joey had put on her, lost track of her while dealing with a fire in an alley. Furious, Joey called his sister, who didn’t pick up. Then he raced to the hospital.

Would you trust Joey to keep you safe after Wednesday? Write to our editor at amber@soapoperamagazine.com and tell us whether Vanessa should stay under his roof.

Nicole Blames Joey, Just Not for the Reason Fans Think

Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson did not hold back. She tore into Joey for failing to keep her friend safe, knowing his men were supposed to be watching Vanessa, and she figured one of his enemies had used Vanessa to send him a message. Joey’s answer was cold: the person responsible will be dealt with. Vanessa couldn’t understand why Nicole kept blaming him.

Notice what Nicole did not say. She never accused Joey of the carjacking, and she never called him The Impaler. Her fury is about the danger that follows Joey around. Then came the chill. Later in the episode, Nicole realized her profile of The Impaler, a malignant narcissist, fits someone she knows, and she didn’t say who.

Is Joey Armstrong The Impaler on Beyond the Gates?

No, not according to anything that has aired. On June 5, Joey met The Impaler at his own casino and reacted with a stunned “You!” On June 8, his younger sister, Heather Armstrong, told him, “I am The Impaler.” She had built a male persona on purpose, which is exactly why so many people assumed the boss was a man.

Joey Armstrong did make a tidy suspect before that. In May, the police questioned him about the plasma ring, and he sent word through his right hand, Randy, telling The Impaler to stay off his turf. The writers used him as a red herring, then handed the crown to his sister.

The Question Fans Should Be Asking About Joey

Here’s the part most coverage skips. When Heather unmasked herself on June 8, she offered her brother a partnership, and the show has never said whether he answered. Add the way Joey Armstrong refused to name names to Vanessa on Wednesday, though she could tell he knew. The juicier question isn’t whether Joey is The Impaler. It’s how much of his sister’s empire he has been willing to let slide.

That’s what makes Wednesday’s final beat so tense. While Vanessa soaked in a bath at his place, Joey ordered Marco to bring Heather to him. He is also holding the unsettling video of Heather that Andre Richardson handed him last week, and Andre is the one who found Vanessa after the carjacking. If you’ve been following Heather’s long game with Andre, you know she rarely lets a threat sit still.

Martin and Smitty Have Their Own Impaler Problem

The Impaler’s shadow reaches well past the Armstrongs. Bradley “Smitty” Smith insists The Impaler set him up with doctored Uptown footage, and Heather happens to own Uptown. His husband, Martin Richardson, sees his re-election land in jeopardy on Thursday, with Hayley’s tapes already hanging over his campaign. Unmasking Heather could clear the man he married.

My Money Says Nicole’s Suspect Is Heather

My gut tells me Nicole’s someone is Heather. Nicole has distrusted her since September 9, when she warned Joey that Heather was “infiltrating the Dupree family” and ordered him to keep his sister away from her grandkids. Back on September 22, Nicole described The Impaler as a cold-blooded, charming egomaniac. Heather fits that like a glove.

Don’t be surprised if the fan buzz still has a point, though. Joey Armstrong is not The Impaler, but he is sitting on enough secrets to be the next person Nicole aims that profile at. If Heather walks through his door, somebody in that room is getting exposed.

Is Nicole’s mystery suspect Heather, Joey or someone nobody is watching? Tell us in the comments and make your case.

Every move Joey, Heather, Vanessa and Nicole make next is waiting in this week’s Beyond the Gates spoilers.

Joey Is Guilty of Plenty, Just Not This

Joey has Kenny’s killing on his conscience and a casino full of secrets, so it’s no wonder fans want to pin The Impaler on him too. But the crown belongs to his sister, and the show put it on her head in June.

We say Nicole is about to name Heather, and Joey will have to choose between his sister and the woman he swore to protect. Team Joey says he’s the only one who can stop Heather. Team Nicole says he’s the reason Vanessa got hurt. Pick your side on our Facebook page.