Characters / Sunset Beach

Michael Bourne

• Big Bad Friend: Micheal's heroic rescue of Vanessa coincides with the arrival of Jamal "Jo-Ho" Muhammad, a friend from the old neighborhood. Little does he suspect what Jo-Jo is using him to get close to Vanessa and her roommate, his battered wife.
• Just Friends: Michael giving Virginia all the wrong signals. No wonder why she turned into a mean and scheming witch in the later episodes.
• Reformed Criminal: Michael, clearing the streets, one crackhead at a time!

Jude Cavanaugh

Rae Chang

Eddie Connors

• Badbutt: "Where's my dough?" Sorry Eddie but the Dick Tracy auditions are down the street.

Hank Cummings

• Hopeless with Tech: "That Internet thingamajig." We know this is 1997, but really?

Joan Cummings

At the start of 1998, the Cummings lost their farm, and the whole clan was relocated to Sunset Beach.

• Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Meg's mother is so similar to Elaine. Both very good women, unfortunately they both have such insecure daughters.

Meg Cummings

Played by: Susan Ward

The Fish out of Water protagonist. After she caught Tim fooling around with their maid of honor (on their wedding day no less), Meg wasted no time in driving all the way to Sunset Beach. Her original intent was to meet Ben, the pen pal she met over the internet, but things only grew more complicated from there. Meg was usually involved in cat fights with Annie, Maria, and Tess over gets to marry the most eligible man in town.

• Brainy Brunette: Meg Cummings in particular.
• Girl Next Door: Meg, Ben's love interest.
• Good Parents:

• Runaway Bride: After witnessing Tim cheating with her maid of honor, Meg says nothing, waits until just before the nuptials.... and steals his convertible.
• Yandere: Even if Ben had killed Maria, it probably wouldn't have made any difference to Meg! She is just too obsessed with him.

Sara Cummings

• Clingy Jealous Girl: Sara can't wrap her head around the fact that Meg and Casey has been good friends ever since before came to Sunset Beach. All she sees is her sister casting her spell on another victim.

Emily Davis

Armando Deschanel Jr. a.k.a. "A.J."

• Clark Kenting: AJ's job is a mystery. He's dressed up like Indiana Jones during the Rosario Jewels plot(!), but assures Olivia that his "job" involves a lot of dull meetings, and he doesn't want to bore her.
• Disappeared Dad: AJ.

Cole Deschanel

Annie Douglas-Richards

Played by: Sarah G. Buxton

Along with Gregory and Virginia, one of the main recurring villains. Annie is peripherally related to the Richards through her father Del and "Aunt Bette." Annie is also a close friend of Ben, so there is some crossover there. She was friendzoned in the first season and pulled every trick in the book to make Meg think that Ben killed his wife. Later on, she was roped into the Richards storyline after discovering that her father wrote her out of his will. To claim her inheritance, she was required to marry Gregory (who was already married) by a specific date, which only complicated things further. She did display some growth in the series beyond the archetypal "slut/bitch."

• All Take and No Give: Tim knows his friendship with Annie is one of convenience. She's too self-centered to be anyone's friend.
• All That Glitters: During the stormy phase of their marriage, Annie cries to Bette that she's never been more miserable than living with Gregory. And what's really sad is, she's still trying to hang on onto the house.
  Olivia: Look at yourself, if you can bear it. Whining over some silly little stain when you have absolutely everything that you have ever wanted. You HAVE money! You HAVE Gregory! You've even managed to worm your way into MY family! SOMEhow you've managed to win over my children, and you're STILL complaining, aren't you? And you know why Annie? Because you can Never. Be. Happy."
• Always Second Best: Annie can't compete with the duchess of Sunset Beach. Quoth AJ: "Annie is not fit to pour Olivia a cup of tea."
  • In the earthquake that levels the Richards house, Gregory leaves his new wife hanging (literally) over the gap and hustles Trey/Olivia to the hospital. AJ is left to save her instead. Annie flips her wig and cries not to be left alone. Olivia wins again.
• Anti-Villain: Annie is responsible for most of the trouble in the show. Despite this, she is generally portrayed sympathetically, since she is more petty and short-sighted than anything; and her plots, while stressful to the rest of the cast, are generally limited in the amount of harm they cause. Downright villainy is left to other characters, although she is often coerced into aiding them in some way. Also interesting: Each of Annie's crimes were already committed by her victims at some point or another.
• Bad Samaritan: Wherever there's trouble, Annie turns up like a bad penny. Here, have a baby.
• Bait the Dog: Right before he drops the blackmailer bombshell on Annie, Gregory herds her into Greg Jr.'s old nursery. He admits that having kids is "profound" and that it gave his life meaning, something Annie has been desperately seeking. He speaks hopefully to be a father again. Annie lights up. Her comeuppance is waiting, but for a brief moment, she is happy for once in her life.
• Better Living Through Evil: While deliberating over selling the Rosario jewels, Annie winks at a nearby devil costumer who walks though. "Thanks."
• Brilliant, but Lazy: Annie dropped out of law school and wasted her tuition money on partying (and, conveniently enough, flying lessons).
• Bound and Gagged: During one of Cole's numerous interrogations of Annie, he hog-ties her to her bedposts. After he gleans the information and leaves, along comes Olivia, who chortles over this winning picture. (Bonus: Annie can't talk back with her mouth covered.) But then Cole comes back in and accuses Olivia (correctly) of covering up Trey's abduction. He drags her into the nursery for a chat...then Gregory enters, greatly amused and lying right beside the captive Annie. He even smilingly switches on the baby monitor so they can both listen to Colivia with interest.
  Greg: (click) That ends the audio portion of our program.
  • Everyone keeps ignoring Annie when she's tied up. Rose walks in on Annie, gasps and runs away. Annie is at her wit's end! Then Caitlin comes along and menaces Annie with a knife.
    Rose: Mr. Richards! Mrs Richards—! (sees Olivia) The OTHER Mrs. Richards is tied up in your bedroom!
    Greg: Nevermind about that.
    Rose: (baffled) Whatever you say.
• Brilliant, but Lazy: Annie is an idiot savant. She attended a fleet of private academies and a month of law school, but wasted the rest of Del's tuition on parties.
• Card-Carrying Villain: Annie, enemy of small children and dogs.
• Child Hater:
  • When asked if she's ever considered having some munchkins of her own: "And trade in my bikini for stretchmarks?" Naturally she's Trey's Godmother.
  • Annie hopelessly attempts to guide Olivia through her delivery. She acts like Olivia got pregnant just to spite her.
    Olivia: My water hasn't broken.
    Annie: So break it!
    Olivia: I can't.
    Annie: What do you mean "you can't"?!
  • In one episode, Annie walks into the Evans house uninvited, and gets plugged with a dart gun by Benjy. Annie is so petty, she refuses to give the dart back! "OK, I got more anyway. Bye."
• Clear My Name: Ben is determined to clear Annie of her father's murder. She doesn't exactly make his job easy.
• Cramming the Coffin: Annie hides in Big Al's crematorium casket to avoid arrest.
• Dick Dastardly Stops to Cheat: Annie is ADD, juggling three blood libels against the women in her life... but flash a diamond under her nose and she forgets all about the plan (Rosario Jewels) and shoots herself in the foot. This is the villain Gotham deserves.
  Ben: Annie has a very warped sense of what's right and wrong, if you haven't heard.
• Dirty Coward: Annie flips so easily between smarmy and cowardly. "Um...excuse me Mr. Blackmailer..."
• The Dog Bites Back: After a dozen failed attempts at reconciliation, Annie finally decides she should just implicate Gregory in the Vargas shooting. Then she won't have to worry about being blackmailed any more and can keep "living in the lap of luxury".
  • At the plant, Annie takes this opporunity to tell Gregory what she really thinks of him: Annie leans in for a last kiss and knees him in the groin instead.
  • Following Gregory's supposed death, Annie tries to make nice with the housekeeper, Rose, calling her a "good sport" for letting Annie tie her up and gag her in the nursery earlier. Rose gloats that she works for "the first Mrs. Richards" now. Olivia answers by lobbing Annie's belongings in a duffel bag from the top of the stairs, along with a cheetah-print suitcase container her underwear which scatters all over the floor.
  Annie: (assorted angrish)
• Evil Redhead: Bette crises aloud to God and asks why Annie couldn't be born "a sensible brunette'
• The Friends Who Never Hang: Meg actually lampshades this. Annie has no friends to speak of apart from Ben who gives her a wide berth as is the queen of shit-stirring.
• Freudian Excuse: Annie's got abandonment issues up the yin yang. Del's about as warm as a walk-in fridge, and his daughter is drawn to powerful, distant, well-connected men. The residents of Sunset Beach take it as a given that she's a gold digger, but it's not the whole truth.
• Hated by All: "You're not doing things right if you don't have a few enemies." In that case, Annie deserves the key to the city for her tireless work. When Elaine's restaurant was renamed The Shockwave after the earthquake, Annie was declared persona non grata by the new owner. Judging by her reaction, she's been blacklisted in other places in town, too.
  (getting ejected) "I've been thrown out enough; I know the drill."
• Head-Turning Beauty: Annie — to everyone except Ben. Everyone wanted a piece of Annie in-show, except for the one guy she actually wanted to notice her.
• Imagine Spot: Annie has a runaway imagination. A good thing, too, since she's only ever victorious in her own head. There are dozens of Annie Dreams, but the two constants are as follows: Lesley Anne-Down gets to forget everything she's ever learned about good acting, and Sam Behrens is stuck in a stupid outfit.
  • Another is Olivia's infidelity/drunkenness being amplified to outlandish levels.
• Indy Ploy: It's lampshaded by Annie. Most of her so-called "plans" are improvised.
• Joker Jury: This was lampooned twice. Annie dreamt she was on an episode of Jerry Springer alongside her enemies, each of whom are portrayed as sleazily as possible (devil horns, red mink coats, pencil mustaches etc.), but are adored by the audience. In another, Annie was a contestant on Wheel of Misfortune, with the three podiums belonging to suspects in her rival Francesca's murder. Francesca, the resident Vanna White, presents her "prize" which consists of a lethal injection.
• Love Redeems: Annie is more or less neutered by Jude, a bit of rough who reads her like a book. She had it in her to be the replacement Big Bad, but had a sudden change of heart after getting Olivia black-out drunk (it wasn't funny anymore), and did her best to undo it all. With Jude's guidance, she repairs the broken Richards home (just in time for a double wedding) and even buries the hatchet with Olivia—for an afternoon, anyway.
• Spoiled Brat: Annie is marvelously immature for her age. She always wants what she can't have, talks to herself when alone (this is lampshaded), and can't go five seconds without fantasizing about some Wile E. Coyote scheme to get her out of jams. Note that she is not a brainless beauty; she's well-bred and can apply herself to most anything (like nursing, or flying planes), but her personality froze at age 2 and never developed.
• Unholy Matrimony: Annie and Tim. Prepare for trouble, and make it double.

Del Douglas

Played by: John Reilly.

A late friend of the Richards family who, unbeknownst to Gregory, was porking Mrs. Richards on the side. Del also has a loose connection with the Rosario Jewels plot. He spends most of the series partying it up in Hell, portrayed as a boiler room with Del shoveling coal into it. In order to be promoted, he needs to collects souls, and so he spends his time berating Annie and tempting her to the dark side.

• Asshole Victim: No great loss to anyone. Weirdly, he is Bette's brother; she still mourns him even though he was nothing but a ghoul to her and Annie.
• The Corrupter: Del is stuck in a boiler suit, but according to him, he gets a silver watch (and later a gold one) for corrupting souls...and maybe even earn a "management" position.
• Everyone Is a Suspect: He spends his first episode insulting everybody, as is custom.
• Evil Is Hammy: Del is still hamming it up in Hades. Dying was the best thing to happen to this character; he went from a one-note victim to a recurring comedy act in the show. Not surprising that John Reilly was cast as the lead villain on Passions.
• A Hell of a Time: Del's in Hell. These scenes may or not be a figment of Annie's imagination; but we do watch Del greet Francesca upon her arrival in Hell. Annie wasn't present for that scene.
• Laughably Evil: Scenes with Del or Annie are worthwhile for their entertainment value.
• Posthumous Character: Him and Francesca both.
• Start to Corpse: He was murdered at the start of the series to implicate his daughter, Annie.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: It's a battle for the soul of Annie, not-so-subtly waged between Del and his sister.

Ben Evans

Played by: Clive Robertson

• Byronic Hero: Ben.
• Clueless Chick-Magnet: Ben's got some amazing game. He's running a household full of women and all helping to raise a son that one of them mothered, and 2 out of 3 are in love with him. Either that or he is incredibly oblivious to what's going on in his world.
• Locked Door: The locked room in Ben's house which no one is permitted to enter. It turns out to be Maria's art studio which was spattered with red paint...or it it?
• Man of Wealth and Taste: Ben dresses like a Disco Dracula at times. Everyone is dressed appropriate for the weather in Kansas, and Ben has on a turtle neck (not British enough).
• Tall, Dark, and Snarky: Ben gained a dry sense of humor in later episodes.
• Why Are You Not My Son?

Derek Evans

• Answers to the Name of God: Derek's first line to Ben. "Not in God's name Ben...in mine."
• Ax-Crazy: Derek makes Jack Torrence look sedate.
• Sickbed Slaying: Attempted by Derek Evans as Ben/Tim is in convalescence.
• Spot the Imposter: When "Ben" is having a flashback about the murders he commuted on the island you can be sure it's Derek. Funny how Derek and Ben always are wearing the same clothes, but it would make the viewers suspicious otherwise. Derek eventually locks his brother up with the intention of stealing his house, his girl, his nightclub and his riches. Fortunately, he still has a telltale scar on his shin from the Terror Island attacks.
• Stalker Shrine: Derek's lair. At first, it appears to belong to Ben. When the genuine article turns up, he is startled by the Polaroids of him and Meg hanging all over the place.

Virginia Harrison

• Psychotic Smirk: Virginia in the title sequence (second version).
• Villainous BSoD: Once the jig is up, Virgina slips into catatonia and is carted off to the bin.
• Yandere: Had a memorable example in the character of Virginia. She was so obsessed with winning the heart of her longtime close friend Michael, that she first tried to set up his current girlfriend Vanessa with her doctor to make it look as though they were cheating, then when that didn't work tried to impregnate Vanessa with the doctor's sperm via a turkey-baster and when that didn't work went to a voodoo specialist to give Vanessa a fictional illness called "Martin's Syndrome".

Vanessa Hart

• Going for the Big Scoop: When we first meet Vanessa, she's being targeted by gangsters for her exposé on a public housing project in South Central, which is a front for money launderers.

Bette Katzenkazrahi

• Ambiguously Jewish: Bette always looked like she wandered off the set of The Nanny. Her last name, Katzenkazrahi, is an artifact of her last marriage.
• The Confidant: Bette has a horror story for any situation.
• Cool Aunt & Fun Personified: Bette. Bette has the personality of Roger Rabbit.
• Drop-In Character: Bette began and ended the series as one.
• Extreme Doormat: Her niece is a maniac and Bette treats her like an Olsen Twin. She might be accidentally the arch-villain of Sunset Beach because she put everything in motion with her ignorance.
• The Friends Who Never Hang: In addition to being a MASSIVE enabler (to Annie, Eddie, et al.), she is pretending to be Olivia's friend in exchange for free rent. She and Olivia are not friends, they were never really friends. Bette is a giant moocher and just as sleazy as Annie, in a way.
• Morality Chain: Bette knows about the Douglas' apathy toward her niece. When shaming them doesn't work, she takes Annie to task for her behavior. Bette is the biggest thing standing between Annie and Olivia straight-up killing each other.
• Of Corpse He's Alive & Out with a Bang: Bette suggests getting in touch with her ex-husband, "Big Al" Kennedy Esq., for help after Annie is charged with murder. The couple celebrates their reunion in a hot tub, but Bette proves too much woman for Big Al to handle, and he dies before Annie's court date. When confronted, Bette pretends that the bobbing, begoggled carcass next to her is still alive.
• Pen Name: Bette, the "Queen of the Night".

Tess Marin

• Babysitter from Hell: Tess is the nanny from hell. A few character derisively refer to her as "Mary Poppins".

Gabi Martinez

Played by: Priscilla Garita

Well-intentioned seductress and Paula's half-sister. After trying to seduce Ricardo, Gabi took him to court and accused him of raping her, which nearly destroyed his career. (It was notable for giving the viewers a courtroom storyline, and Gregory an opportunity to remind us that he's a lawyer.) Thanks to Gregory's deductive reasoning, the court realized that Gabi was not evil, just traumatized, and the judge exonerated Ricardo. Still apparently not getting it, Gabi had another tryst with Antonio, which drove Ricardo over the edge (and may or may not have caused an earthquake).

• False Rape Accusation: When Ricardo backs out of their one-night stand, Gabi blows the whistle and drags his name through the mud for a month.
• Ms. Fanservice: Gabi seems to think she's living in a nudist colony.
• Villain Team-Up: Eddie/Gabi is a bit too similar to Annie/Tim.

Casey Mitchum

Casey, the lifeguard. He's best friends with Michael, but his occupation is mostly an excuse for him going shirtless a lot of the time. He harbored a crush on Meg, to the irritation of her sister.

• Bouncer: Somewhere along the line, it became a running joke that Tim'll be the one to eject Tim from church, the restaurant, the apartment, and other places.
• Bourgeois Bohemian: Casey comes from good stock but got tired of the corruption. He became a wildlife advocate and protested against a few of Liberty Corporation's building projects. Gregory still has a memory of Casey waving signs outside his office.
• Lesser Star: Casey is buff and...dependable. That's about the size of it.
• Mr. Fanservice: Casey is almost always seen shirtless or, if he is wearing a shirt, it will be completely unbuttoned.
• Secretly Wealthy: Casey went to Stanford, but he decided law school wasn't for him, and was disowned by his rich dad. His mother is a famous photojournalist.
• Surfer Dude:

Amy Neilsen

Brad Niklaus

Caitlin Richards

• Pillow Pregnancy: Played straight with Caitlin's "pregnancy."

Gregory Richards

Played by: Sam Behens

A criminal defense attorney who owns the biggest house in Sunset Beach (1 Ocean Drive), a media conglomerate, real estate, and more. He's also an organized crime figure, though this is only slowly revealed. His main motivations throughout the show are: to kidnap Cole's son as punishment for (figuratively) robbing the cradle with Caitlin, and push through a new resort development. Both plans got away from him, and he went underground after murdering Francesca and failing to to implicate Cole in it. His wife had a form of battered wife syndrome when it comes to him and his cronies. It's also crazy how Gregory can do such hideous things to Olivia and still consider her his soulmate.

• Ambition Is Evil: Gregory spent his life trying to be everything his father wanted, and succeeded.
• Archnemesis Dad: What a piece of work Gregory turns out to be, controlling his family with an iron fist and expecting them to jump at his every whim.
• Badass Boast: Gregory is a true master, we all have to admit that.
  (to A.J.) "And by the way, even if you did own the beach, you're forgetting something: I own the courtroom. And if you are stupid enough to pursue this, that's where you'll be."
  • Gregory threatens to bring suit against the hapless Dr. Brock (who was blackmailed into helping Annie) for killing his son and authorizing his "cremation" without Gregory's consent. "I'm gonna have such an airtight lawsuit against you, your lawyer's gonna need an oxygen tank to fight it."
  • "I don't care who you hire Olivia. I don't care if Ken Starr signs on and you raise Clarence Darrow from the dead."
• Badass in a Nice Suit: Gregory's dressed for success.
  Greg: (in the alley behind the Deep) You know something, A.J., I'd fight you but I'm wearing a new suit and I don't think it's worth ruining over Olivia.
• The Charmer: Greg is one smooth S.O.B. Even he seems to unconsciously realize what a colossal dick he is and tries to make it up to the women in his life. They can't resist him.
  • Greg woos Annie with a Chicago song. Well, he can't be all bad.
• Cheshire Cat Grin: Gregory invents the Trollface. Done it in a selfie? You owe him $5.
• Concealing Canvas: Gregory loves him some hidden safes. There's one behind the Buddha statue at the Richards house and another hidden in a conference room table at the Media Center.
• Control Freak: While Olivia tries, in her clueless way, to encourage her children to pursue their own course in life, Gregory spies on them and runs background checks on their dates. He keeps Olivia on a tight leash. When outsiders threaten the sanctity of his family, Gregory confines and constrains their movements and bribes/intimidates the interloper to leave. He is so controlling and paranoid that he instructs Tim the "chaffeur" to monitor his wife and daughter's movements and report back to him.
• Corrupt Corporate Executive: Some of Gregory's methods are 'a little unorthodox', as he mentions the Japanese were 'too conservative' for him.
  • Greg is fine with Ben dying in the caves for his "carelessness" and taking the whole pie for himself.
• Deal with the Devil: Gregory offering to represent you pro bono.
• Deceptive Disciple: Del was Gregory's partner and something of a mentor. Gregory orchestrated his death to acquire his stake in the Liberty Corporation.
• The Farmer and the Viper: Cole agrees to testify on Ricardo's behalf...only to be arrested by Gregory the minute he steps out of the courtroom.
• Good Hair, Evil Hair: You can tell when Gregory is feeling nice because he doesn't over-gel his hair.
• Hello, Attorney!: We get to see Gregory's legal prowess in action during Ricardo's rape trial.
• Henpecked Husband: Gregory has quite a sorry domestic situation, to say the least. He doesn't really get along with his kids. He doesn't trust his wife. Olivia regularly cheats on Gregory, sleeping with three men in a month, and twice in Gregory's own bed.
• How the Mighty Have Fallen: Even Sam Behrens looks slightly dazed and in disbelief at what he's come to: hanging around a power plant in a fat suit and pretending to be a long-lost uncle to steal his own house back. At least he can take solace in being smarter than anyone else in the show, since nobody sees past his terrible disguise.
• If I Can't Have You…: At one point, Olivia asks Gregory directly why he keeps stonewalling a divorce if he detests her so much. The conclusion she reaches is that Gregory views her as part of his capital and can't stomach the idea of somebody else taking it. He doesn't deny it.
• Living Lie Detector: What makes Gregory such a frightening husband and an intimidating antagonist. He cross-examines everybody, deflecting lies and taking people apart without any real effort.
  • Played for Drama in the ending, when Olivia unmasks "Tobias" and has a rush of mixed emotions about his faked death. Gregory asks if she missed him, and looks on with stunned amazement when she truthfully answers yes.
• Overlord Jr.: All Gregory cares about is the baby, Olivia is merely the delivery service.
• The Perry Mason Method: Gregory can finagle a confession out of anybody, even his family. This is what it sounds like when a master chef is flipping his knives.
• Smite Me, O Mighty Smiter: A lapsed Catholic, Gregory goes a little nuts after his Olivia supposedly miscarries. He tears apart the nursery in his house, and the last item he grabs is the crucifix on the wall. He points it skyward and declares that from this day on, he's going to be even more evil than before.
• Smug Snake: Eddie.
• Soap Within a Show: Another dream sequence, again starring Annie, pays homage to the olden days of soaps and is aptly titled Search For Dignity. The cast are all sporting vintage 50's garb and hair.
• Take Over the City
• Tyrant Takes the Helm: Gregory's recent purchase of the Sunset Beach Sentinel. It's a propaganda organ.
  "I have very high standards, Miss Hart. I'm sure in time you'll come to appreciate that."
• Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Not even Gregory is free from daddy issues. The scion of the Richards clan, his will to impose himself on Sunset Beach was a misdirected attempt to impress his father, an odious man with whom he always had bad relations. Olivia remembers him as a crusading young law student, though whether she is right or not is kind of hard to prove (College Boy Gregory brought trumped-up assault charges on A.J., suggesting he was a douchebag even then). Adult Olivia regards her husband with a mix of fear and loathing that’s effective in showing how his moral compass has decayed since then.

Olivia Richards

The matriarch of the Richards family who flits between good and evil.

• Broken Bird: According to Wikipedia LAD had nightmares about her character, it's easy to see why; she just popped out a kid IRL and her character is trying to steal her own baby back and she's burnt out and having meltdowns in every scene...and yet she says she enjoyed SB more than B&B? There's grit in this little lady.
• Chekhov's Skill: Olivia was a nurse, handy for picking up a hospital line and paging a nurse, diverting her from her rounds. Her American accent needs work though. (How can LAD say mean things about Olivia's nurse skills, after all she knows to say "stat" and everything.)
• The Freelance Shame Squad: The mother of all embarrassments as a Surprise Party catches Olivia in mid-tipple.
  Annie: For she's a joll-y good fell-ow... ♪
• Lady Drunk: Olivia staggers to work each morning, when really what she wants to is lie in bed and get hammered on Vodka all day.
• Mama Bear
• Moment Killer: Why is it that every time Olivia and Gregory want to have sex there's always an interruption?
• Mrs. Robinson: Olivia slept with Cole like three times. Nice try blaming it on the champagne.
• Off the Wagon: Olivia's battle with the demon vodka. She seemingly kicks the bottle after escaping her doomed marriage, but relapses courtesy of a Voodoo potion to make her crave booze all the time.
• Really Gets Around: Olivia is the town dornknob. Everyone gets a turn.
• Silk Hiding Steel: Olivia is pretty scary when she's loaded, though few people ever see that side of her. Stone-cold sober, though, she's even more dangerous as she chokes Annie into near-unconsciousness, decides it's not worth the bother of an insanity plea, and proceeds to take her apart with the efficiency of Queen Cersei. Annie admitted on a few occasions that despite all appearances to the contrary, Olivia is the toughest bitch she's ever known.
• Spanner in the Works: Gregory planned to have Eddie kill Del, rob his securities from the briefcase and pin the gun on Annie, but he didn't count on Olivia sleeping with Del.

Sean Richards

Played by: Randy Spelling

• '90s Hair: Why isn't he headbanging to "What is Love"?
• 90% of Your Brain: A Randy Spelling rap lyric.
• Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: Sean throwing the keys to new Mercedes back to his dad.
• Unfavorite: Sean.

Tyus Robinson

Elaine Stevens

• Advertised Extra: Leigh Taylor-Young as Elaine, den mother to the Surf Central gang. Olivia takes the piss in style by pointing out that Elaine can't pour a mug of coffee without reciting The Ballad of Roberto Deschanel, which seems to have become her punchline and one character note. She is later unmasked as Del's shooter and sent away from Sunset Beach.
• Chekhov's Lecture: Due to the nature of daytime TV, it is necessary to consistently remind the audience of who Lorenzo Deschanel is and Elaine/Paula's parable about the sunset. To keep the universe in balance, Stevens women are the most monotonous people on the face of the planet.
• Serial Spouse: Bette, a whopping seven times. She's always on the lookout for the next Mr.Wrong.
  • For what it's worth, Husband No. 4 drowned in a hot-tub. When Meg and Annie began pelting each other with vases, the urn containing his ashes was a casualty.

Paula Stevens

• Cars Are Forever: Paula's chest tattoo from when she was kidnapped.
• Toilet Seat Divorce: Her soliloquy about "I love you yet, we cannot be together" as if they are in some Greek tragedy, not just a squabble about whose apartment to live in.

Tiffany Thorne

Antonio Torres

• Badass Preacher: Well, Antonio did survive a bomb blast.
• Sexy Priest: For a priest, Antonio gets pretty busy. Not many archdioceses can claim one of their people slept with his brother's girl and accidentally taped it.

Carmen Torres

• As Long as It Sounds Foreign: Carmen's adorable mix of Spanish and English. que va = nonsense.
• Cassandra Truth: Señora Carmen is Cassandra. Always right but nobody listens to her. She even senses the earthquake coming. She heard it from a seagull! Why is this so difficult for people to believe?
  "No one listens to me! The CARDS! The PEARLS! There's NO MISTAKING THEIR WARNINGS! THERE ARE FORCES AT WORK MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU OR I!"
  • Following the explosion at the resort, a crisis center is set up inside The Shockwave. Sara gets in Carmen's face for playing cards during a town emergency, even though Carmen predicted the Cummings losing the farm.)

Maria Torres-Evans

• Apocalyptic Log: Maria's diary entries, which were secretly forged by Annie. She makes Ben sound like some kind of wife-beating lunatic.
• Foot-Dragging Divorcee: Mostly enforced. Maria's quack therapist tells her that the best way to regain her memories is to move in with Ben. A convenient tumble down a staircase rekindled her love. When that doesn't take, Ben and Maria's full-grown love child, Benjy, comes out of the woodwork. Maria is twice duped by Derek into thinking he's Ben, and it also comes out that Benjy is Derek's son. With nothing left to tie her down, Maria accepts custody of Benjy and finally moves out (in her own time, of course.)

Det. Ricardo Torres

• 10-Minute Retirement: "Listen, Chief, I've mislaid my fiancée, so I need my job back so I can continue looking for her on the department's dime." And what a joke that the Chief is in such denial she would just continue to stack piles of paperwork on Ricardo's desk after he quits.
• And I Must Scream: Stroke victim Ricardo is trapped in his body, tormented with the knowledge of his brother railing his fiancee. Ricardo's heart goes plooey as Antonio marries him off.
• Cowboy Cop: Ricardo is much calmer once he resigns from the force!
  • Noir!Ricardo uses toothpicks as thumbscrews to get Annie to talk! (Dream Ricardo is Private Dick. "It's Rick. Rick Ardo.")
• Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist: Ricardo.

Tim Truman

• Aside Glance: Tim, who rarely gets a dream sequence, has an overblown adolescent fantasy about Meg falling into his arms SECONDS after catching Maria in bed with Ben. Tim, to the audience: "What? It could happen!" (Now they are just taking the piss.)
• Career-Building Blunder: Smash into a socialte's car, come away with a limo driver gig.
• Casanova Wannabe: Annie's right. "White Ricky Ricardo" is a good description of Tim.
• Heel–Face Door-Slam: Poor Tim never could figure out who's side on he's on. He meets his maker shortly after discovering that he's been working for Derek by mistake.

Francesca Vargas

• Almost Dead Guy: Francesca takes over a week (Real Life time) to finally die. She briefly coughs to life after being shot, gets carted off to South Bay, and survives multiple attempts on her life while hooked up to an IV.
  Annie: People die faster in the opera.
  • As Antonio reads her last rites, Francesca points the J'accuse finger at Gabi before blacking out.
  • Annie is booted out of Francesca's room by the nurse, but she soon returns to take "Frannie" out. Fran grabs her arm as she makes for the IV! That's some impressive strength for someone on her deathbed. Cole even asks "why won't you die" in a later scene.
• Dragged Off to Hell: Tyrus calls time of death. Flames sprout up around Fran and she disappears into a ring of fire while screaming NO! Holy shit.
• Everyone Is a Suspect: Cole's ex-lover and partner in crime, Francesca Vargas. She was not here to make friends. After assembling a blackmail file on virtually everyone in town, she meets her gruesome end: getting shot and then jumping out of a cake. Her murder case is left open for months, though she continues to annoy in Annie's nightmares and the "Del's in Hell" dream sequences. The mystery was finally tidied up when Annie discovered Gregory did it.

Mark Wolper

• Mauve Shirt: Mark Wolper, one of the male twenty-somethings, had a brief fling with Caitlin that didn't take off. That was the end of the line: He was selected to die on the island cruise. As a consolation prize, Mark continues to feature in the many, many flashbacks of him mouthing the name of his killer.
• Romantic Runner-Up: Mark, repeatedly.
• Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Mark, unfortunately. Worse yet, he dies while staring into the eyes of his supposed mentor.