Nobody does cheating storylines better than soap operas, and many daytime fans would argue that nobody within that pool does 'em better than CBS's The Young and the Restless. After all, not only does the soap boast daytime's longest female-female rivalry -- which stemmed from a torrid affair -- its name also implies that its characters are on the lookout for the next exciting thing (or person) around the corner. So instead of doling out candles in celebration of Y&R's 42nd birthday, which takes place today, Thursday, March 26, Soap Central is listing some Y&R situations where RLS (Restless Lover Syndrome) was front and oh-so-center. We can't list 'em all, considering there have been so many, but these are a few that made us hope that RLS isn't transmitted through the television set.
Katherine/Phillip/Jill
It could have been the affair to end all affairs, but instead, the tryst between Phillip Chancellor (Donnelly Rhodes) and Jill Foster (Brenda Dickson) was the beginning of daytime's longest female-female rivalry. You see, even though Phillip's wife, Katherine (Jeanne Cooper), was a raging alcoholic and slept with pretty much everyone (including stable boys), she was none-too-thrilled when her hubby decided to repay the favor and sleep with Jill -- Katherine's hired help and confidante. The situation only got stickier when Jill announced that she was pregnant with Phillip's baby, which prompted big P to ask Katherine for a divorce. A couple of things transpired after that, the most dramatic being a drunken Katherine swerving off the road in an accident that ultimately killed Phillip. Thus began the lifelong feud, as Soap Centralreports, between Jill and Kay -- Jill accusing Kay of murdering her true love, and Kay accusing Jill of stealing hers.
Michael/Lauren/Carmine
Animotion's Obsession should have been the theme song for the affair between Lauren (Tracey E. Bregman) and Carmine (Marco Dapper), a relationship that began as a casual tryst but ended up as quite a killer connection. Lauren turned to the bartender when her husband, Michael (Christian Jules LeBlanc), was involved in the arrest of their troubled son, Fenmore (Max Ehrich). All was well between the cheating pair until Lauren decided to forgive her hubby and call it off with Carmine -- an action that prompted the hunk to become obsessed and start stalking her. Angry about his parents' marital woes, Fen first tried framing Carmine for drugging him and later shot him in cold blood. Fen almost went to prison for murder until Michael realized Carmine was secretly alive and working with the FBI to put someone else away. The news saved the day, but it didn't stop Carmine from sending a postcard from Puerto Rico, just to remind Lauren -- and viewers -- that he could return at any time.
Neil/Hilary/Devon
It's hard to say whether love or revenge was the driving force behind the complicated situation between Hilary (Mishael Morgan), Neil (Kristoff St. John), and Devon (Bryton James). The father/son pair started out hating the executive assistant, who held Neil responsible for her mother's death and therefore tried to make his life a living hell. Despite the rocky start, both men started falling for her, and she ultimately married Neil. However, though Hilary felt good about the security she received from her marriage, she felt even better between the sheets with Neil's son, Devon. After a few mattress mambos, the unfaithful pair realized they were crazy about each other and decided to come clean about their affair. However, just before they spilled the beans, an accident left Neil blind, and Hilary and Devon feared if he learned the truth, it would worsen the recovering alcoholic's condition. Unfortunately for them, Neil regained his eyesight and was shocked with the image of his wife and son in bed together. Furious and deeply hurt, Neil returned to the bottle and later confronted the pair during a horrible plane crash. But the drama didn't stop there -- much to everyone's shock and surprise, Hilary declared that she'd never loved either of them and had done everything as a continuation of her initial revenge plot! Whether or not that's true remains to be seen, but there's no question that Hilary is quite the troublemaker.
Jack/Nikki/Victor/Ashley
Not long after Victor (Eric Braeden) took in stripper Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott), turned her into a classy lady, and married her, he found himself supremely attracted to Ashley (Eileen Davidson), who was living at the ranch following a traumatic breakdown that was caused by the reveal that golf pro Brent Davis was her real father. Noticing the pair's attraction, an upset Nikki slept with Jack (Peter Bergman). She later realized that she wanted to fight for her marriage, but it was too late -- Victor and Ashley were together and in love. Feeling desperate, Nikki faked a relapse of a health condition, prompting Victor to run back into her arms. Meanwhile, Ashley found herself pregnant with Victor's baby, but feeling jilted, she had an abortion. Ultimately, Victor realized that Nikki had lied about her relapse and intended to return to Ashley -- until he found out about Ashley terminating her pregnancy. He berated the almost-mom, which caused her to have another breakdown and find herself without a memory in a New York City mental institution. And folks, that was just the beginning of the decades-long drama between Genoa City's Jack, Nikki, Victor, and Ashley.
READ MORE: Eileen Davidson on Y&R and DAYS returns and her upcoming "sham" of a story
Chris/Snapper/Sally
There's been a lot of sex in daytime, but only one character has been officially credited as the first to discover sex on a soap opera: Jill Foster's big brother, William (William Gray Espy/David Hasselhoff), who preferred to be called Snapper. The medical student felt family pressure to date well-bred and wealthy woman Chris (Trish Stewart/Lynn Topping), but his rebellious spirit prompted him to keep a waitress named Sally (Lee Crawford) on the side. Things got complicated after Chris was raped, and though Snapper was supportive of her and the resulting sexual problems they faced as a couple, he continued to sleep with Sally. Meanwhile, having fallen for Snapper and wanting him all to her herself, Sally threw away her birth control pills and got pregnant. Too bad the pregnancy came hot on the heels of Snapper deciding to propose to Chris! An upset Sally decided to pass the baby off as another man's, but the truth eventually came out -- and it caused Chris, who was pregnant with Snapper's baby, to have a miscarriage.
Adam/Chelsea/Dylan
Though Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan) was married to Adam (Michael Muhney) and secretly pregnant with his baby, she was upset by how much time her husband spent with Sharon (Sharon Case), which prompted her to throw her wedding ring at him and hop into bed with Dylan (Steve Burton). When an accident left Adam in the hospital, Chelsea realized she wanted to fight for her marriage, but upon once again seeing the closeness Adam shared with Sharon, she lied and claimed that her unborn child actually belonged to Dylan. The ruse lead to a marriage between Chelsea and the former war vet, who suffered a serious bout of posttraumatic stress disorder upon finding out that little Connor wasn't really his. Eventually, Chelsea and Adam reconciled with her RLS being the least of their problems that followed (which, as viewers know, includes a hit-and-run accident involving a child, the supposed death of Adam, and the character's secret return as "Gabriel").
Sharon/Nick/Phyllis/Brad/Victoria
In a game of Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe, several of Genoa City's characters betrayed one another in a messy soap opera situation. Following the death of her eldest daughter, Cassie, Sharon (Sharon Case) betrayed her husband, Nick (Joshua Morrow), by sleeping with Brad (Don Diamont), who was married to Victoria (Amelia Heinle). Meanwhile, Nick found himself in bed with Phyllis (Michelle Stafford), which ultimately ended his marriage to Sharon. Phyllis ended up pregnant with Nick's baby, Summer, in the mid-2000s, but the tables turned in 2010, when Nick left Phyllis after getting Sharon pregnant. History was dredged up yet again in 2014 when a paternity scandal had Jack believing that Summer (Hunter King) was actually his, though Sharon later confessed to having switched the test results. In addition to proving that RLS runs rampant in Genoa City, the messy situation showed that history always has a way of resurfacing -- something viewers should keep in mind as Y&R delves into its 42nd year on the air.
What has been your favorite Y& R storyline involving cheating? Are there any former triangles or quadrangles you'd like to see re-explored? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below, on our message boards, or by submitting Feedback.
