The Bennett family is a middle class family of Irish descent living in the fictional town of Harmony on NBC's daytime drama Passions. The Bennetts were on the ruthless Alistair Crane's bad side for years, but they earned Alistair's full wrath in the summer of 2005 when Alistair's granddaughter, Fancy, complained to her grandfather about Sam's son, Noah, incensing the Crane patriarch. As a result, Sam was fired from his position as chief of police, a move which divided the Cranes and Bennetts and threw the police force into turmoil. After Alistair fell into a coma in 2006, his wife, Theresa, reinstated Sam as police chief; once Fancy and Noah broke up, the brunt of the vendetta ended.
Contents
- First generation
- Second generation
- Third generation
- Extended family
- Hidden Passions
- Supernatural Incidents
- References
The Bennetts have married into many of the other families in Harmony, including the Cranes, the Lopez-Fitzgeralds, and the Standishes - Sam and Grace's three children, Noah, Kay, and Jessica, and Kay and Jessica's children, Maria and Samuel, are Standishes, and Kay and Jessica inherited the magical powers that runs in the Standish female line, though Jessica (as Kay says in the series finale) "chooses not to use it".
First generation
(James Hyde)
Sam is the Harmony Chief of Police and was married to Grace for much of the series. With Grace, Sam had three children: Noah, Kay, and Jessica. Sam and Grace also took in Grace's teenage niece, Charity, as their own, in 1999. In 2001, Sam learned that he is the father of teenage flame Ivy Winthrop's oldest son, and the heir to the Crane legacy, Ethan Crane. After Grace left for Italy, Sam reconnected with and became engaged to Ivy.
(Dana Sparks)
Grace was married to Sam and the mother of their three children; Noah, Kay, and Jessica. She lost her memory in a fire twenty years prior to the series premiere, and so was unaware that, as a Hastings, she possessed magical powers of goodness. Grace and Sam take in her orphaned niece, Charity, in 1999. She left Sam, bound for Italy, in 2004, after David Hastings claimed to have married her before she had amnesia; when she learned the truth, she left him. However, Grace died in an explosion in London before she could make it back to the States.
(Dalton James, 1999–2000; Ryan McPartlin, 2000–05)
Hank is Sam's much-younger brother and was best friends with Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald in high school. A ladies' man, Hank returned to Harmony in August 1999 and began dating Sheridan Crane. Unfortunately, Hank's involvement with the French drug cartel led several of their hitmen to target Sheridan, and the FBI was forced to fake her death. Eventually, Hank realized that Sheridan was in love with Luis, and Hank stepped aside in order to allow the two to be together. After Ryan McPartlin was recast as Hank, the character became radically different; much of Hank's questionable past was ignored, and he joined the Harmony Police Department. Hank had few storylines thereafter, and served in a supporting capacity until the character dropped off-canvas in June 2004.
Second generation
(Travis Schuldt, 1999–2002; Eric Martsolf, 2002–08)
Ethan is the son of Sam and Ivy, though he believed Julian Crane to be his father for the first two-and-a-half decades of his life. Throughout the character's run, Ethan was caught in a tormented love triangle between childhood sweetheart Gwen, for whom he felt fondness and obligation, and the family maid's daughter Theresa, for whom he felt love and passion. Ethan was married to Gwen for much of the soap's duration, although each woman bore him two children; Little Ethan and Jane from Theresa, and Sarah (who is stillborn) and Jonathan from Gwen. Ethan and Theresa finally wed legally in the series finale.
(Lindsay Hartley)
Theresa became infatuated with Ethan as a young girl and eventually became engaged to him in 2000. However, due to her lies and Gwen and Rebecca Hotchkiss's machinations, Ethan left her. Theresa spent the next seven years fighting to win Ethan back, during which she gave birth to their three children, big Jane and Little Ethan and Jane. Theresa and Ethan married in August 2007, but the marriage was invalid because Theresa's husband, Alistair Crane, was still alive. Ethan and Theresa were ultimately legally wed in the last moments of the series finale.
(Dylan Fergus)
Noah is the oldest child and only son of Sam and Grace. He returned to Harmony in 2005 after dropping out of graduate school and became involved in an on/off relationship with Fancy Crane. After a painful break-up, he dated and eventually wed Paloma. They announced their pregnancy in the series finale.
(Silvana Arias, 2004–07; Hannia Guillen, 2007–08)
Paloma took an interest in Noah at Kay and Fox's engagement party in November 2006 and eventually won the heartbroken young man over. After a few trials and tribulations, they were married in July 2008 and discovered that they were expecting a baby shortly thereafter.
(Taylor Anne Mountz, 1999–2000; Deanna Wright, 2000–03; Heidi Mueller, 2003–08)
Kay is the oldest daughter of Sam and Grace, and spent much of her childhood crushing on best friend Miguel. However, when Miguel took an interest in Kay's newfound cousin Charity, Kay turned to dark magic, eventually imprisoning Charity in a block of ice and seducing Miguel, becoming pregnant in the process. Even after the birth of daughter Maria, however, Miguel still pined for Charity, and when he left town to search for her, Kay turned to Fox Crane. The two became engaged, but Kay came to regret this decision when an available and interested Miguel returned to Harmony. Kay married Fox because she believed that he was dying, but leaves him when she learns his illness is a sham. She and Miguel were eventually married in July 2008.
(Justin Hartley, 2002–06; Mark Cameron Wystrach, 2006–07)
Fox and Kay fell for one another during a time of war between the Crane and Bennett families and eventually became engaged. However, when Fox discovers that Kay was planning to leave him for Miguel, he pretended to be dying to trap Kay, whom he married in January 2007. When Kay learned the truth, though, she left him. Fox was murdered a month later, leaving Kay a wealthy widow.
(Jesse Metcalfe, 1999–2004; Adrian Bellani, 2006–07; Blair Redford, 2007–08)
Miguel at first had eyes for only Charity and was stunned to find that he had fathered Kay's daughter, Maria. However, after his attempts to find Charity proved to be futile, Miguel returned to Kay, and they were married in July 2008.
(Mary Elizabeth Winstead, 1999–2000; Jade Harlow, 2000–03; Danica Stewart, 2003–08)
Jessica is the youngest child of Sam and Grace and was initially a sweet, good-tempered child. However, after her mother leaves, she rebelled and eventually fell into the clutches of Spike Lester. Spike hooked Jessica on drugs and coerced her into prostitution. Jessica finally ended their relationship and left town to give birth to their son, Sam, before entering drug rehabilitation.
(Christopher Maleki)
Spike is a sleazy club owner, pimp, and drug dealer who hooked a teenage Jessica on drugs and forced her to become a prostitute. He also convinced her that she had murdered customers in order to blackmail her, and convinced her to marry him in June 2006 so that he couldn't testify against her for her supposed crimes. After burying a pregnant Jessica alive in 2007, Spike was arrested, Jessica left town to give birth to their son, Sam.
(Molly Stanton, 1999–2004; Emily Harpers, 2006–07)
Charity is the daughter of Faith Standish, who was Grace's identical twin sister. After her mother's death in a fire, Sam and Grace take Charity in as their own child. Charity unknowingly possessed powers of goodness that were supposed to come into total fruition once she had sex with her true love, Miguel. However, Kay and Tabitha Lenox prevent this from ever happening, and Charity left town in 2004 after making a bargain with Death; she would stay away from Resee so that his daughter Maria could live. She moved to the Bahamas at one point, and it was later insinuated that she had become a nun.
Third generation
(Sarah and Thomas Buhl, 2002; Colby and Grayson Button, 2002–03; Nicholas Graziano, 2003–04; Colton Shires, 2004–08) Born in June 2002, Little Ethan is the eldest child of Ethan and Theresa. His father was originally believed to be Julian Crane, and during this time he was adopted by Alistair Crane (as Theresa's husband) in 2005. The final two years of Passions focus heavily on the secret of Little Ethan's paternity and Theresa's attempts to either disclose or hide this information from Ethan.
Sarah is the daughter of Ethan and Gwen. After an altercation, Sarah was a stillborn baby in Los Angeles in October 2003. Her death was the catalyst for many new stories in the Gwen/Ethan/Theresa triangle, the conception and birth of younger half-sister Jane.
(Caleb and Jonah Gilpin, 2005; Kacey Malmsten, 2005–06; Camille and Kate Schwary, 2007–08)
Jane is the daughter of Ethan and Theresa and was born severely premature in December 2004. Theresa won custody of Jane when she was an infant.
(Jack and Nathan Ecker)
Jonathan is the son of Ethan and Gwen and was born (off-screen) in May 2007, despite the fact that Gwen was believed to be barren. Jonathan becomes deathly ill late in 2007 but survives after older brother Little Ethan donates part of his liver. His father Ethan married his step-mother Theresa on the series finale and his mother Gwen went to prison; for various crimes, such as blackmail, fraud, bribery, and murder of not only Pilar's sister and nephews in Mexico, but also attempted murder on everyone in the basement of the church. His step-mother Theresa is now raising Jonathan as her own son with his father Ethan.
(Sloane Kiley, 2003; Hannah and Lauren Maddox, 2005; Mercedez and Isabella Soto, 2005; Layla and Logan Wheeler, 2005–07; Abby and Emma McCoy, 2007) Born in July 2003, Maria is the daughter of Kay and Miguel. Maria was born severely premature and suffers respiratory problems. During Miguel's two-year absence from Harmony, Maria's primary paternal figure was Fox Crane.
Baby Sam was born off-screen in late 2007 or very early 2008 to Jessica and Spike. After Sam's birth, Jessica finally breaks free from Spike's criminal influence once and for all and focuses on raising her baby while living in a drug rehabilitation center.
Extended family
Samuel was the Chief of Police and the father of Sam and Hank Bennett; both his son and great-grandson were named in his honor. He was apparently an important businessman and landowner in Harmony during the 1920s, but lost everything during the Great Depression when he was forced to sell his land and businesses to the Cranes. Both Samuel and his wife Margaret died sometime before late 2005.
Margaret was the mother of Sam and Hank Bennett, the grandmother of Ethan Winthrop, Noah, Kay and Jessica Bennett, and the great-grandmother of Ethan II, Jane and Jonathan Winthrop, Maria Lopez-Fitzgerald and Samuel Herbert Bennett. Both Margaret and her husband Samuel died sometime before late 2005.
(Justin Carroll, 2001–04; Julian Stone, 2003)
David is an English photographer who claims to be the amnesiac Grace's first, legal husband; eventually, it is learned that this is false, and he was being blackmailed by Sam's ex-girlfriend, Ivy Winthrop. The revelation that she was married to David stunned the devoutly Catholic Grace, and matters were further complicated when David claimed that she was the mother of his son, John. Grace slowly falls for David, and though she still loved Sam, the stress of David and John's presence eventually tore apart Sam and Grace's marriage. After Sam and Grace broke up and Grace returned to David, Grace's two daughters became furious with her, and their and Sam's cold behavior toward her eventually led her to move to Italy with David and John in mid-2004. Ivy's schemes were eventually exposed in late 2006 by Kay Bennett, and when Grace confronted David off-screen, he confessed his involvement. Grace quickly leaves him in order to return to Sam, and David's fate is never revealed, nor is the basis for Ivy's blackmail of him.
(Jack Krizmanich)
John is David's son. In 2001, Ivy brought John to Harmony from college, ostensibly to "reunite" him with his long-lost mother, Grace Bennett. John was thrilled to finally meet his mother, unaware that his father was being blackmailed into participating in Ivy's scheme. While in Harmony, John briefly dated Simone Russell. Eventually, Sam and Grace split up, and Grace moved to Italy with David and John. Ivy's scheme was revealed late in 2006, whereupon Grace left David. John's reaction to this news was never revealed, nor was the identity of his real mother.
(Dana Sparks)
Faith was the identical twin sister of Grace and the mother of Charity. Faith was a reculsive woman who lived on the run with her daughter for years, hiding from forces she claimed killed her family because they hold the magical powers to destroy evil. She was also on a mission to find her amnesia-ridden identical twin sister, who vanished many years ago and was unaware of the evil forces that hunt them. By chance, Faith ran into Grace's husband, Sam, in a chatroom, leading to an online meeting between the two sisters. Unbeknownst to Faith, Sam and Grace's neighbor is Tabitha Lenox, the witch behind much of the Standish family's tragedy. When Tabitha learned that Faith and Grace plan on meeting in person, Tabitha set Faith's home on fire, hoping to kill Faith and Charity and prevent Grace from learning of her magical abilities. Charity survived the fire, but Faith died on September 13, 1999. She occasionally appears as a ghost later in the series.
(Molly Stanton; Heidi Mueller)
Prudence was, according to Hidden Passions, the sixteen-year-old seventeenth-century daughter of the prominent Standish family in Harmony. In 1693, Prudence witnessed Tabitha "conversing with demons in the woods" and determined to tell the townfolk of Tabitha's witchcraft. Tabitha showed Prudence that she, too, had unique and strong powers, and Tabitha encouraged Prudence to use her powers for evil. Prudence wanted to use her powers for good, however, and Tabitha prophesied that one of Prudence's descendants would eventually use her powers for evil (that prophecy came true in the form of Kay Bennett). Prudence at first kept quiet, but later testified against Tabitha and urged the townspeople to condemn Tabitha to death by fire; Prudence watched as Tabitha was bound to a stake and cursed her as well as all of her descendants to die by fire. (That curse which came true when Faith died in a fire set by tabitha and when grace died in a bus that exploded when she was on her way home from Europe)Tabitha arose out of her own ashes within weeks and disguised herself as Margaret Good, a "cousin" of Tabitha who sought to murder Prudence on her wedding day. Tabitha failed, though she did kill Prudence's groom, who was an ancestor of Martin Fitzgerald. Prudence and the rest of her family then fled Harmony.
Hidden Passions
In the book Hidden Passions, Sam and Hank's parents were Benjamin Bennett and Margaret Joyce Bennett. They had at least four sons, including Sam and Hank (at least two sons were between Sam and Hank). Information in the book has not been confirmed on-screen and is not considered to be official since the information seen on the show contradicts much of what was said in the book. The show has never confirmed the name of Sam and Hank's mother or the existence of the other brothers.
Supernatural Incidents
All the women of the Standish family by blood have supernatural powers; out of all the standish descendents Charity Standish is seemingly the most powerful Standish descendent prophercized to be born with extreme powers of goodness. Some standish women have the power to see visions of the past, the present or the future, well others have an affinity for witchcraft, but none of the Standish descendents powers are seemingly as potent as Charity's. It is unknown if any of the men of the Standish family by blood have any supernatural powers.
Tabitha Lenox cursed all Standish descendants to die by fire (that prophecy which came true when Faith Standish died in a fire and Grace Standish who died in a bus that exploded). Tabitha also prophesied that one of the Standish descendants will use their powers for evil. The prophecy came true in the form of Kay Bennett; whether she used her powers for good or evil, every spell she cast led to disaster. Since Tabitha embrace goodness at the end of the series; it is very likely that the cursed on the Standish descendants has been lifted.
References
Bennett and Standish families Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA