TWO SCOOPS EXTRA: The new and improved Chad DiMera

Chad DiMera is back in Salem, but is he new and improved? Bigger and badder? In a special extra helping of Two Scoops our columnist weighs in.

Sometimes a Two Scoops column isn't big enough for an exciting week on DAYS! Last week, we had a lot of love affairs to discuss, so I've taken to my blog to talk about the latest DiMera return. That would be Chad, and he's no longer a hipster.

To make this easier, I'm going to break it down into two parts -- casting and the character. I'll start with the casting. Gone is lanky but dreamy Casey Deidrick, who had a sly smile and charisma to spare. The new Chad is Billy Flynn. He's definitely handsome and rather intense, but a stark contrast to Casey's Chad, and I think that was on purpose (and I'll explain that in a bit).

So far, Billy seems to be a fine actor. He's nailed his scenes with James Scott, Kate Mansi, and Lauren Koslow. He definitely has a chutzpah. And, let's face it, he has soap abs. So he passes the initial take the car out for a test drive criteria. I'll bite. I'm all in to see what he does with the role. Yes, let's talk about the role. It appears that Chad has taken a hard left turn into Evil DiMeraville. He's no longer guilt-ridden over a tiny little lie that he's dying. Nope. NuChad seems resolved to make a bigger, badder(?) splash, even if that means taking on Stefano. Actually, Chad and Kate did a straightforward job explaining it through the following exchange:

Kate: "So, the sweet, mixed up kid came back an angry young man. I like."Chad: "Yeah, well, my father is Stefano DiMera, and my mother was a..."Kate: "Liar. And a whore."Chad: "So sweet and mixed up really isn't in my DNA."

I won't lie. Part of me thinks an Evil Chad will be interesting. With Nick gone and the DiMera family dwindling, the show needs a twenty-something troublemaker. Void filled, it seems. But...

To be fair, the old "I'm a DiMera, after all" excuse used to get away with dastardly deeds or personality changes has been used to death. It's as tired as Dannifer. In fact, I'm not even sure yet if I'd call this a recast as much as a revamp because there's very little of the original Chad I see left.

One thing that has changed is the way he interacted with his friends. Old Chad seemed to value his friendships. New Chad doesn't seem to care much. In fact, I have a feeling revenge is the most important thing on New Chad's agenda. He's out to get Stefano for lying to him, out to get E.J. for betraying him, and I have a feeling his new grudge against Ben is just heating up.

All and all, I've always liked Chad. This new 'tude may take a while to get use, for sure. But I do have confidence that Billy Flynn will take us on a twisted ride as we get (re)introduced to the new Chad DiMera.

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If you missed the Two Scoops column for the week of September 22, 2014, click here to read it now.

What are your thoughts on the new Chad? Tell us what you think in the Comments area below, or you can also click here to submit feedback.

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