Soap Hub Performer of the Week for Days: Billy Flynn

 

At times restrained and measured, and at others volatile and venomous, DAYS’ Billy Flynn as Chad DiMera was a revelation in the aftermath of his alter ego’s great loss. It was a bravura tour de force, most certainly worthy of Soap Hub’s Performer of the Week honors.

Billy Flynn – Performer of the Week

Chad DiMera was a wreck, but in his defense, finding the love of your life grievously injured and hovering near death would give even the strongest of men pause.

He eventually rallied and set about staunching the flow of Abigail Deveraux DiMera’s (Marci Miller) lifeblood and phoning for an ambulance. Flynn tried to project an air of calm when directing Chad’s attention to Abigail whom he begged to hold on but put forth no such effort when dealing with either the emergency services operator or the likes of EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) whom he sharply, almost manically, tasked with locating and caring for his children.

Once the action shifted to the University Hospital set, Flynn had considerably cooled, but he telegraphed Chad’s nervous energy through hands that never seemed to steady.

When Mary Beth Evans’s Kayla Brady Johnson returned from the ER with news, Flynn approached her wide-eyed and hopeful. The boom was lowered. Abigail didn’t make it.

For a moment Chad was stunned. Then he made up his mind that it wasn’t true. He was going to fix the mistake that was made – or, to be more precise, Dr. Rolf (William Utay) was going to fix it. Kayla persisted. Chad had done everything right, but Abigail had lost too much blood. There was nothing that could be done.

The more Kayla spoke the more contrary and animated Chad became till, finally, EJ wrapped him in his tight embrace with the hope of keeping him still and centered even for just a moment…but the tighter Feuerriegel squeezed, the more determined Flynn became to extricate himself.

Finally, Chad relented. In doing so, Flynn raised his hands in defeat, signifying that he was done struggling, and suddenly took on a detached, determined air. Chad wanted to see his wife. He wanted to say his goodbyes. He wanted to do it now, and he wanted to do it alone.

In the doorway of the hospital room, while standing beside Johnson, Flynn was ramrod straight but uneasy on his feet, swaying ever so gently from side to side. Once alone, while taking in the sight, he visibly slouched and seemed poised to tumble to the floor. But he didn’t. Instead, he shuffled to where Abigail lay and began tenderly stroking her hair and face. “I love you so much,” he swore. “I’ll love you forever.”

Hours later, Chad was back at the DiMera manse where he came face-to-face with an echo of Abigail. He knew that she wasn’t real; that she wasn’t really there. He knew that Abigail was dead. He told her vision as much. But maybe, just maybe he could hold her once last time. He couldn’t, of course. She wasn’t really there.

When Lauren Koslow’s Kate Roberts came calling, Flynn was all sound and fury; especially fury. Was Kate really sorry that Abigail was dead? Is it possible that Kate was the one that killed her?

No, Kate assured Chad. Then what about Lucas Horton (Bryan Dattilo)? He had a motive for wanting Abigail kept quiet. Not in a million years, declared Kate. “Then who did?” Flynn asked, red-faced, tears flowing down his cheek. “Who did? Who would have done something so horrible to my wife?”

Chad’s momentous loss was most certainly Billy Flynn’s gain. Mourning never looked so good.