Some beloved characters just missed our 50 Greatest Soap Couples list. Were critics and fans torn about who was really the love of someone's life, or the most interesting, or fun, or exciting, or relatable? Whatever each person enjoyed most when watching a soap opera couple, there were years of memorable stories and couples that just missed our countdown. One of them was an ANOTHER WORLD favorite. Below is a quick look at "The Many Loves of" Cass Winthrop, played for more than two decades by Stephen Schnetzer on three different soaps.Who was the love of Cass's life?
THE CONTENDERS
Kathleen McKinnon (Julie Osburn) and womanizing Cass met when she was Felicia's personal assistant. Cass was still getting over Cecile DePoulignac and Kathleen helped him track her down in Majorca. Back in Bay City, Cass borrowed money from loan shark Tony the Tuna and couldn't pay it back. So he went in hiding, dressing as a woman named Krystal Lake. Unfortunately Tony became smitten with Krystal and started dating "her". Cass finally got out of it by agreeing to turn Tony's niece, Dee, into a high society girl. Through all of this Cass and Kathleen fell in love. She became paralyzed, thanks to Carl Hutchins, but worked hard to regain the use of her legs for her wedding to Cass. On their wedding day, Cecile kidnapped Cass and took him to an island. Eventually Cass and Kathleen were reunited and got married but soon left town. Cass returned seven months later and revealed Kathleen had died. She would turn up alive in 1991. Admission: Cass and Kathleen are my all-time favorite soap opera couple.
Frankie Frame (Alice Barrett) was a quirky annoyance to Cass at first while she was investigating the murder of her uncle, Jason. She eventually was the person who discovered that Cass's girlfriend, Nicole Love, was the killer. Eventually Cass fell for Frankie while they were investigating Lucas, former lover of Cass's best friend, Felicia. Cass and Frankie planned to marry but Ryan Harrison kidnapped her on their wedding day. They married the following week but soon Cass's ex-wife, Kathleen, turned up alive and Cass was torn between the two women. Cass eventually chose Kathleen unaware Frankie was pregnant with his child. But Cass couldn't stay away from Frankie and Kathleen left town. Cass and Frankie eventually married again in 1993, and honeymooned on the Orient Express. In 1996, Frankie was brutally murdered by Fax Newman, leaving a more mature Cass to raise their daughter, Charlie, alone.
Lila Roberts (Lisa Peluso) had a complicated life and needed the legal services Cass provided very often. By this point, schemer Lila thought Cass was too moralistic (if she'd only known him years earlier!) and she was determined to marry Matt Cory no matter what Cass said or did. Cass managed to stop her wedding to Matt, infuriating Lila. Cass helped deliver her baby, Jasmine, but soon Jordan Stark kidnapped the baby. He then brain-washed Matt (don't ask) into marrying Lila. Once married, Lila realized life as a Cory wasn't all she dreamed of and was unhappy once again. Once the brain-washing wore off, Matt and Lila split and Cass and Lila decided to be together. But soon a Frankie look-a-like, Anne, showed up. On the last day of ANOTHER WORLD, Frankie's ghost appeared and gave her blessing as Cass and Lila married (after he was rescued from a gorilla kidnapping).OTHER WOMEN
Felicia Gallant (Linda Dano) and Cass were lovers years before either came to town and resumed their relationship early on after their arrivals in Bay City, but soon realized they were better off as best friends. They helped each other through numerous struggles over the years and had many fun adventures together as well, along with their friend, Wallingford.Cecile DePoulignac (Nancy Frangione) and Cass were lovers but he was two-timing her with Felicia. By that point in her life, Cecile wanted to marry Peter Love and almost did which made Cass want her even more. On her many return visits Cecile was always involved with Cass from kidnapping him to claiming her daughter, Maggie, was his. She stirred up trouble like no one else.
Cass was with other women, most notably Nicole Love. But their chemistry never compared to the women above.
Which couple that Cass was involved in was your favorite?
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