All dates below refer to the original US broadcasts unless otherwise stated.

One sourcing limitation: I could not locate an accessible CBS or official YouTube archive explicitly identifying both season boundaries. The episode guides consulted place Season 42 between September 2, 2014, and August 31, 2015. Those dates are therefore supported by secondary episode records, rather than independently confirmed from the official archives you requested. TheTVDB.com

1. Season dates

	Date	Overall episode number
First episode	September 2, 2014	#10,489
Last episode	August 31, 2015	#10,743

The following season begins on September 1, 2015, with episode #10,744. These boundaries follow the September-to-September season convention. TVmaze

2. Characters and actors

The following roster covers the principal cast, recurring characters, children and identifiable story-related guest roles. I cannot certify it as a complete list of every one-episode supporting role or uncredited performer. Characters are alphabetized by the surname used below; familiar alternative surnames are included where useful.

Character		Actor
Ashley Abbott	portrayed by	Eileen Davidson
Billy Abbott	portrayed by	Burgess Jenkins
Delia Abbott — appearances as a deceased character	portrayed by	Sophie Pollono
Jack Abbott	portrayed by	Peter Bergman
Jill Abbott / Fenmore Atkinson	portrayed by	Jess Walton
John Abbott — ghost appearances	portrayed by	Jerry Douglas
Johnny Abbott	portrayed by	Holden Hare and Ryan Hare
Katherine “Katie” Abbott	portrayed by	Reese Staib and Kennedy Staib
Kyle Abbott	portrayed by	Lachlan Buchanan
Traci Abbott	portrayed by	Beth Maitland
Kelly Andrews	portrayed by	Cady McClain
Marco Annicelli	portrayed by	Peter Bergman
Cane Ashby	portrayed by	Daniel Goddard
Charlie Ashby	portrayed by	Aidan Clark
Lily Ashby, née Winters	portrayed by	Christel Khalil
Mattie Ashby	portrayed by	McKenna Roberts
Colin Atkinson	portrayed by	Tristan Rogers
Fenmore “Fen” Baldwin	portrayed by	Max Ehrich
Michael Baldwin	portrayed by	Christian LeBlanc
Gloria Bardwell	portrayed by	Judith Chapman
Jeffrey Bardwell	portrayed by	Ted Shackelford
Constance Bingham	portrayed by	Sally Kellerman
Gabriel Bingham — the real Gabriel, distinct from Adam’s assumed identity	portrayed by	Justin Hartley
Christine Blair Williams	portrayed by	Lauralee Bell
Avery Bailey Clark, née Summers	portrayed by	Jessica Collins
Joe Clark	portrayed by	Scott Elrod
Mariah Copeland	portrayed by	Camryn Grimes
Dr. Cutler	portrayed by	J. Paul Boehmer
Lauren Fenmore Baldwin	portrayed by	Tracey E. Bregman
Kevin Fisher	portrayed by	Greg Rikaart
Tobias Gray	portrayed by	Jeffrey Christopher Todd
Devon Hamilton	portrayed by	Bryton James
Mark Harding	portrayed by	Chris McKenna
Reed Hellstrom	portrayed by	Max Page
Anita Lawson	portrayed by	Catherine Bach
Chelsea Lawson / Newman	portrayed by	Melissa Claire Egan
Dylan McAvoy	portrayed by	Steve Burton
Leslie Michaelson / Shelby	portrayed by	Angell Conwell
Chloe Mitchell	portrayed by	Elizabeth Hendrickson
Winston Mobley	portrayed by	Ryan Caltagirone
Abby Newman	portrayed by	Melissa Ordway
Adam Newman, using the identity Gabriel Bingham	portrayed by	Justin Hartley
Connor Newman	portrayed by	Henry Leark and Owen Leark; subsequently Asher McDonell and Brayden McDonell
Faith Newman	portrayed by	Alyvia Alyn Lind and Mckenna Grace
Nicholas “Nick” Newman	portrayed by	Joshua Morrow
Nikki Newman	portrayed by	Melody Thomas Scott
Noah Newman	portrayed by	Robert Adamson
Sharon Newman / Collins	portrayed by	Sharon Case
Summer Newman Travers	portrayed by	Hunter King
Victor Newman	portrayed by	Eric Braeden
Gwen Randall	portrayed by	Nadine Nicole
Ben “Stitch” Rayburn	portrayed by	Sean Carrigan
Maureen Russell	portrayed by	Meredith Baxter
Barton Shelby	portrayed by	Terrell Tilford
David Sherman	portrayed by	Robert Gant
Marisa Sierras	portrayed by	Sofia Pernas
Courtney Sloane	portrayed by	Kelli Goss
Phyllis Summers / Abbott	portrayed by	Gina Tognoni
Austin Travers	portrayed by	Matthew Atkinson
Esther Valentine	portrayed by	Kate Linder
Ian Ward	portrayed by	Ray Wise
Sage Warner / Bingham / Newman	portrayed by	Kelly Sullivan
Paul Williams	portrayed by	Doug Davidson
Amy Wilson — anniversary guest appearance	portrayed by	Julianne Morris
Hilary Winters, née Curtis	portrayed by	Mishael Morgan
Malcolm Winters	portrayed by	Shemar Moore
Neil Winters	portrayed by	Kristoff St. John

The adult roster is supported by contemporary appearance records and casting reports. The children’s roles require particular care: Connor changes performers during the season, while Faith alternates between two actresses. Soap Opera Network Community

Additional guest roles include Clarence portrayed by J. Downing, appearing in the conclusion of Ian’s scheme, and the ship’s captain portrayed by Philip Anthony-Rodriguez, involved in Jack’s captivity storyline. en.wikipedia.org

3. Main plots

Phyllis returns and Sharon’s paternity deception unravels

Phyllis’s recovery threatens Nick and Sharon’s reconciliation. She interrupts their wedding, and the truth eventually emerges that Sharon altered Summer’s paternity results: Nick, rather than Jack, is Summer’s biological father. Nick ends his relationship with Sharon, and their subsequent custody dispute over Faith deepens her distress. Soap Opera Digest

Adam returns as Gabriel Bingham

Adam survives his presumed death and undergoes reconstructive surgery. With Sage’s assistance, he assumes the identity of Gabriel Bingham, whose grandmother Constance believes he is her grandson.

Back in Genoa City, Adam tries to reconnect with Chelsea and Connor while concealing his identity. His proximity to Chelsea undermines her relationship with Billy. Jack discovers the truth before most of the town, and Chelsea eventually learns who “Gabriel” really is. The wider public exposure of Adam belongs to the following season. Wikipedia

Victor replaces Jack with Marco

Victor arranges for Jack’s lookalike, criminal Marco Annicelli, to impersonate him. The deception affects both Jabot and Phyllis, who believes she is sharing her life with Jack.

Meanwhile, the real Jack is held captive by Kelly and later faces further danger before returning home with Marisa’s help. Victor subsequently shoots the real Jack while believing he is dealing with Marco. The storyline culminates in Marco’s capture and removal from Genoa City. Wikipedia

The Valentine’s Day disasters

A snowstorm produces several simultaneous emergencies: a plane carrying members of the Winters family crashes, the Underground collapses, and a fire threatens Chelsea’s building.

At the Abbott cabin, the younger characters lose consciousness after Fen spikes the punch. Austin is discovered apparently dead, triggering a cover-up and a prolonged murder investigation. Toni’s Young and Restless Spoiler Site

Austin and Courtney’s murders

Austin’s death exposes his affair with Abby and devastates Summer. Courtney investigates suspicious evidence but is killed shortly before she is due to marry Noah.

Sharon becomes a suspect, while Kevin and Mariah continue searching for answers. Detective Harding is eventually exposed as the killer connected to Marco’s operation. en.wikipedia.org

Neil discovers Hilary and Devon’s affair

Neil regains his sight and discovers that his wife Hilary is involved with his son Devon. His grief and anger contribute to his relapse into drinking.

After Hilary and Devon marry, she disappears during their honeymoon. By the season’s closing episodes, Neil’s involvement in her disappearance becomes central to the story. Soap Opera Digest

Michael’s prostate cancer affects his marriage

Michael receives a prostate cancer diagnosis. His fears about treatment, sexuality and his future lead him to withdraw from Lauren and push her toward Cane. The resulting tension also damages Cane and Lily’s marriage, with Lily becoming involved with Joe Clark. soapoperadigest.com

Nikki’s relapse and Christine’s pregnancy loss

Nikki struggles with alcohol dependence, initially finding a drinking companion in Maureen. Later, an accident involving Nikki and Neil causes Christine to lose the baby she is expecting with Paul, leading to criminal proceedings and bitter recriminations. TV Guide

New relationships and pregnancies

Nick develops a relationship with Sage, who becomes pregnant and marries him. Sharon grows close to Dylan and also becomes pregnant, but conceals a miscarriage near the end of the season.

Avery and Dylan’s relationship breaks down amid Joe’s interference. After being raped and wrongly identifying Joe as her attacker, Avery leaves Genoa City to rebuild her life. Soap Opera Digest

4. Births

Child	Date	Details
Katherine “Katie” Rose Abbott	November 17, 2014	Victoria gives birth after Maureen locks her in a storage room. Billy and Stitch help deliver the baby. Billy is subsequently confirmed as her father.

Katie is the season’s principal on-screen birth. Christian Newman is born on October 7, 2015, during Season 43, so his birth should not be included here. en.wikipedia.org

5. Recasts and SORAS

Character	Change	Date	SORAS?
Adam Newman	Justin Hartley succeeds Michael Muhney. Reconstructive surgery forms part of the explanation for Adam’s changed appearance.	November 5, 2014	No: adult-to-adult recast.
Kyle Abbott	Lachlan Buchanan succeeds Hartley Sawyer after Kyle’s absence.	February 25, 2015	No new child-to-adult SORAS: Kyle was already an adult.
Faith Newman	Mckenna Grace temporarily resumes the role alongside the continuing tenure of Alyvia Alyn Lind.	December 2014–early 2015	No: child-to-child substitution.
Connor Newman	Asher and Brayden McDonell replace Henry and Owen Leark.	April 2015	No major SORAS: Connor remains a young child.

Hartley’s debut and Buchanan’s first broadcast date are documented in contemporary casting reports. The Faith substitution was linked to Lind’s other acting commitments. Soap Opera Digest

Boundary clarification: Gina Tognoni’s debut as Phyllis occurred on August 11, 2014, before the season dates used here. Likewise, Burgess Jenkins had already taken over as Billy before September 2014.

6. New characters

Character	First appearance	Role
Maureen Russell	September 8, 2014	Nikki’s drinking companion; subsequently revealed as Kelly and Stitch’s mother.
Joe Clark	October 1, 2014	Avery’s former husband, whose business dealings and attempts to reclaim her create conflict.
Sage Warner	October 28, 2014	Constance’s companion and Adam’s accomplice; later Nick’s partner.
Constance Bingham	November 13, 2014	Gabriel’s grandmother, who initially believes Adam is her grandson.
Katie Abbott	November 17, 2014	Victoria and Billy’s newborn daughter.
Gwen Randall	December 3, 2014	A Jabot employee who becomes involved with Devon and later Neil.
Tobias Gray	December 5, 2014	A Jabot laboratory employee spying for Victor.
Marco Annicelli	2015; the impersonation is revealed in April	Jack’s lookalike, recruited by Victor.
Winston Mobley	March 24, 2015	The prosecutor involved in Neil’s case.
Marisa Sierras	June 2, 2015	Marco’s former lover, who helps Jack and later becomes involved with Noah.

The dates come from contemporary casting reports and character introduction records. Marco’s entry distinguishes the revelation of his identity from scenes retrospectively attributed to the impersonation. soapoperanetwork.com

Not included: Emma Randall, Luca Santori, Christian Newman, Simon Neville and Elise Moxley debut after August 31, 2015, during Season 43. Wikipedia

7. Departures

Character	Date or period	Circumstances
Malcolm Winters	September 11, 2014	His two-episode family visit ends.
Chloe Mitchell	October 14, 2014	Her brief return to commemorate Delia ends.
Maureen Russell	December 2, 2014	Her guest storyline concludes.
Constance Bingham	Late 2014–early 2015	Dies during Adam and Sage’s storyline; her final appearance in this initial run is January 2, 2015.
Austin Travers	February 2015	Killed; Matthew Atkinson continues appearing in subsequent flashbacks and related scenes.
Courtney Sloane	April 6, 2015	Killed before her wedding; later appears in newly created flashbacks.
Kelly Andrews	May 22, 2015	Killed during Jack’s captivity storyline.
Tobias Gray	May 2015	Dies following a car crash.
Avery Bailey Clark	July 21, 2015	Leaves Genoa City following her assault and the collapse of her relationship with Dylan.
Mark Harding	August 24, 2015	Dies after a confrontation with Paul and Dylan.
Marco Annicelli	August 2015	Captured and sent back to Peru; this ends his main storyline, although a later appearance falls outside this season.

These are character exits or the ends of guest runs; they should not all be interpreted as permanent departures from the series. TV Guide

8. Returns of established characters

Character	Date	Details
Ashley Abbott	September 3, 2014	Returns to a sustained role in Genoa City and Jabot’s business.
Malcolm Winters	September 10–11, 2014	Shemar Moore returns for a two-day visit involving Neil and the Winters family.
Chloe Mitchell	October 14, 2014	Returns for the anniversary of Delia’s death.
Adam Newman	November 5, 2014	Justin Hartley begins playing the surviving Adam, whose identity remains concealed from most characters.
Amy Wilson	November 25, 2014	Julianne Morris appears in Nick’s special anniversary episode.
Kyle Abbott	February 25, 2015	Returns with Lachlan Buchanan taking over the role.

Malcolm’s dates are confirmed by CBS’s own publicity archive. soapoperanetwork.com

Ian Ward’s September 4, 2015 return falls in Season 43, just after the boundary used here. Wikipedia

9. Weddings

Completed weddings

Couple	Date	Details
Jack Abbott and Phyllis Summers	April 14, 2015	Their wedding is followed by the captivity and impersonation storyline involving Kelly and Marco.
Devon Hamilton and Hilary Curtis	August 14–17, 2015	The ceremony spans episodes; they complete their marriage on August 17 despite Neil’s interruption.
Nick Newman and Sage Warner	August 27, 2015	Marry in Chancellor Park, with Kyle officiating.

The distinction between August 14 and August 17 matters for Devon and Hilary: contemporary coverage promoted the wedding for Friday, while Monday’s episode completes the ceremony. enstarz.com

Interrupted or cancelled weddings

Couple	Date	Outcome
Nick Newman and Sharon Newman	October 3–6, 2014	Phyllis interrupts the ceremony; no marriage takes place.
Noah Newman and Courtney Sloane	Early April 2015	Courtney is murdered before the wedding can take place.

Sharon and Dylan’s wedding, and Abby and Stitch’s wedding, occur later in 2015, during Season 43. soapoperanetwork.com

10. Deaths and pregnancy losses

Character deaths

Character	Date or period	Circumstances
Constance Bingham	Late 2014	Dies during the storyline establishing Adam’s identity as Gabriel. Her initial run includes an appearance on January 2, 2015; that final appearance should not automatically be treated as her death date.
Austin Travers	February 16, 2015 — discovery of his apparent corpse	Murdered during the Abbott cabin storyline; Harding is later exposed as the killer.
Courtney Sloane	April 6, 2015	Murdered by Harding after discovering evidence connected to the case.
Kelly Andrews	May 22, 2015	Dies during Jack’s escape from captivity.
Tobias Gray	May 2015	Dies following a car crash; his death becomes entangled with the murder investigation.
Mark Harding	August 24, 2015	Fatally shot during the confrontation involving Paul and Dylan.

For Austin, the table distinguishes the broadcast discovery from the precise fictional moment of death. For Tobias, the available records disagree on the exact final date, so the month is safer than a falsely precise day. Fandom

Pregnancy losses

Parents	Date	Event
Paul Williams and Christine Blair	March 4, 2015	Christine loses their unborn child following the road accident involving Nikki and Neil.
Dylan McAvoy and Sharon Newman	August 2015	Sharon miscarries and conceals the loss from Dylan.

Hilary’s disappearance is not a death. Likewise, neither Adam nor Jack dies during this season despite their respective presumed-death and shooting storylines. soapoperaspy.com

11. Y&R / B&B Crossovers

Y&R characters appearing in B&B

Character	Actor	B&B broadcast date	Story
Gloria Bardwell	Judith Chapman	November 20, 2014	Visits a Forrester Creations fashion show and reconnects with Eric Forrester, whom she previously met in Genoa City. Their encounter includes business talk and flirtation.

This crossover is confirmed by contemporary reporting announcing Chapman’s appearance and its broadcast date. Michael Fairman TV

B&B characters appearing in Y&R

No on-screen visit by a B&B character was identified within September 2, 2014–August 31, 2015.

Rick Forrester and Caroline Spencer’s visit to Y&R occurred on April 14–15, 2014, before this season. References to the Forresters during Devon and Hilary’s wedding preparations in 2015 are shared-universe connections, rather than on-screen character crossovers. Wikipedia