Rituals (TV series)

Storylines

Characters

The Robertsons

• Carter Robertson Chapin Husband of Christina and Headmaster of girls school, Haddon Hall. He is the illegitimate son of Patrick Chapin, father of Jeff. Was run down by a car, and used a wheelchair for mobility. After he divorced Christina, he later married Marissa Mallory ; and after his divorce was finalized, married Christina's youngest sister, Lisa.
• Christina Robertson Chapin Wife of Carter and sister of Sara Gallagher and Lisa Thompson. She was a close friend of the late Katherine Chapin and was given the Chapin Diamond as a result. She later divorced Carter and eventually attempted to marry C.J. Field, but she shot and wounded him and killed Sara. She and C.J. divorced after realizing she couldn't live with having killed her sister. As a result of what happened, she later became a nun and spoke the final lines in the series, "Each person's life is unique, but the rituals remain the same."
• Jeff Robertson Chapin Son of Carter and Christina. In the beginning, a student at Harvard, but after being beaten up by Eddie Gallagher, lived in Wingfield again. Best friend of Brady Chapin, who later became his uncle. Turns out to be as scheming as his parents were.

The Chapins

• Patrick Chapin Head of the Chapin family. Head of Wingfield Mills and Chapin Industries, as well as one of the wealthiest people in Wingfield. The Chapin family, who live at an estate called The Willows, also were the founders of Haddon Hall, Wingfield's local women's college. He is the father of Brady, Taylor, Carter Robertson and Michele Davenport ; and the grandfather of Julia Field. The funeral of his wife, Katherine, was the opening scene of the show which eventually sets in motion most of the plotlines. He eventually died himself as a result of a heart attack, while in a romantic clinch with Christina Robertson, who had fallen in love with him.
• Brady Chapin Son of Patrick, brother of Taylor, and half-brother of Carter Robertson and Michele Davenport. He is an irresponsible playboy, but was also a champion horseback rider. He fell in love with Dakota Lane, aggravating his ex-girlfriend, Noel Gallagher. He eventually married Dakota and they had a child together.
• Taylor Von Platen Daughter of Patrick, sister of Brady, and half-sister of Carter Robertson and Michele Davenport. Head of the board of trustees at Haddon Hall. a crassly materialistic and money-mad woman, she was married five times. Taylor is resented by her daughter and they clashed repeatedly. She made her first appearance interrupting her mother's funeral by stepping off a helicopter with a race horse's victory wreath. She is also involved with Logan Williams, although she is angered at him for being the executor of her mother's will. She had affairs with a lot of men, including Bernhardt Kraus. She gained a personal assistant in hard-working student Patty DuPont, whom she matched up with Bernhardt. Had a rivalry with Christina Robertson when she embarked on an affair with her father.
• * Carson "C.J." Field Wealthy former husband of Taylor Chapin and father of Julia. He helped the Chapin family out of financial straits when he married Taylor. He became Governor of Virginia and fell in love with Sarah Gallagher after her first husband's death. They were engaged and were happy until her sister, Christina, killed her and wounded him. He married Christina, but they divorced soon after the marriage because she couldn't live with what she had done to them. Was once married to a woman named Margot and had a son named Mark with her. Was in love with Sarah Gallagher, but was shot by her sister, Christina, whom he later married and divorced soon after.
• * Julia Chapin Field Daughter of Taylor Chapin and C.J. Field. She resents her absentee mother, Taylor, which prompts her to have a closer relationship with her father. In order for her to acquire her grandmother, Katherine's jewelry, she has to remain in Wingfield and graduate from Haddon Hall, which she did. At first very headstrong and spoiled, but with time, she mellows and becomes more mature, becoming Dakota Lane's closest friend and staunchest supporter. Has doomed relationships with Logan Williams ; Bernhardt Kraus and Luther "Lucky" Washington, half-sister of Mark Field.

The Gallaghers

• Eddie Gallagher Husband of Sara, and father of Tom and Noel Gallagher. He is the brother of Mike. Eddie owns a Motel and Bar called Gallagher's and once worked at Wingfield Mills. A very vicious, brutal and evil individual who is quite abusive towards his family. He is murdered in self-defense by his once-loyal daughter, Noel, for physically and sexually abusing her.
• Tom Gallagher Son of Eddie and Sara, brother of Noel, half-brother of Michele Davenport. A police officer later security guard. Despises his father, and will protect his mother and sister from his wrath. Husband of Diandra Santiago, whom he met while he was a soldier in her home country of San Rafael. Upon his return, Eddie threw him and Diandra out of his house. This only cements his hatred towards his father. He later died as a result of radiation poisoning at a power plant he was guarding. Diandra returned to San Rafael and raised their child alone.
• Mike Gallagher Half-brother of Eddie. Husband of Lacey Jarrett. An artist and art teacher at Haddon Hall. He and Lacey have issues with adopting a child. Had an affair with his nephew's wife, Diandra, and they gave birth to a daughter. He and Lacey divorce acrimoniously and he leaves town on his motorcycle.
• Diandra Santiago Gallagher Wife of Tom Gallagher. She is the niece of a former Latin-American politician named Enrique Santiago. She came from the country of San Rafael. Eventually returns there to raise her child with Tom alone after his untimely death from radiation poisoning.
• Lacey Jarrett Gallagher Wife of Mike Gallagher. She is a physical education teacher at Haddon Hall, who later became the school's Dean of Women and then much later on, became the first female president of the school. Adopted mother of Katie Burns. She and Mike divorced and he left town, but she remained in Wingfield.
• Sara Gallagher Wife of Eddie Gallagher, and mother of Tom and Noel. Later revealed to be the mother of Michele Davenport sister named Lisa, who later married her former brother in-law, Carter Chapin. She and Eddie owned a motel and bar called Gallagher's. She is killed by Christina, and her daughter, Michele, took over management of the motel and bar.
• Noel Gallagher Scheming daughter of Eddie and Sara Gallagher, and sister of Tom; she later gained a half-sister in Michele Davenport. She is a student at Haddon Hall, who is wanting to be a singer. At first, she idolized her father and did whatever he told her to do, until it came out that he abused her both physically and sexually. She later killed him in self-defense and revealed this at her mother's murder trial. At first in love with Brady Chapin, but she later realizes that Brady was unattainable, and as such, falls for Brady's nephew, Jeff Robertson Chapin.

The Washingtons

• Maddie Washington The Chapin family housekeeper, and mother of Lucky.
• Luther "Lucky" Washington Son of Maddie Washington, an investigator, who embarked on a doomed interracial affair with Julia Field.

The Lanes

• Dakota "Koty" Lane An actress, daughter of Cherry Lane. She eventually fell in love with wealthy Brady Chapin, and gained a champion and close friend in his niece, Julia Chapin Field. Had a brain tumor which was successfully operated on. She gave birth to a child, and she gave the child to Lacey. She and Brady finally married and had a child together.
• Cherry Lane' Mother of Dakota Lane. A masseuse who wanted to be a singer. She was a bona fide survivor, but she was always looking out for her daughter's best interests. She eventually married a researcher named Roger Gibson.

Other characters

• Logan Williams A successful and published playwright, and a former paramour of Taylor Chapin. Executor of Katherine Chapin's will, which angered Taylor.
• Marissa Mallory A scheming research assistant at Chapin Industries. She later married Carter Robertson, but it was annulled by Carter himself after he wasn't divorced from Christina. This led to Marissa teaming with Christina to get revenge on him.
• Bernhardt Kraus A scheming businessman who was once engaged to Julia Field, but was forced to break up with her by Taylor and was manipulated into marriage to Taylor's personal assistant, Patty DuPont. However, he truly fell in love with Patty and they left Wingfield happily.
• Michele Davenport Secretary for Carter Robertson Chapin. She had an affair with him, which later caused her to be fired. She teamed up with Carter's ex-wife, Christina, to get even with him. She later revealed to have been the daughter of Sarah Gallagher and Patrick Chapin. After her mother's death, she managed the motel and bar she had owned.
• Lisa Thompson Chapin Scheming youngest sister of Sara Gallagher and Christina Robertson, a former prostitute from Washington, D.C., who came at the behest of Christina. She later married Christina's former husband, Carter Chapin.
• Patty DuPont A plain-Jane but very hard working student at Haddon Hall who later became Taylor Von Platen's personal assistant. She was also the former roommate of Taylor's daughter, Julia Field. She married Julia's ex-fiancé, Bernhardt Kraus after the scheming Taylor matched them up. She and Bernhardt truly fell in love and they left Wingfield happily.

Broadcast