When it comes to the hot guys of Netflix, most people tend to focus on the men of Bridgerton or Too Hot to Handle. However, there’s now a new heartthrob in town, and he is found in Netflix’s newest comedy The Decameron. This series is full of wild adventures and exciting antics in 13th century Italy as nobles and servants try to escape the Black Death. While all of that may be captivating on its own, the really eye-catching part has been the character of Dioneo, played by up-and-comer Amar Chadha-Patel. He plays a doctor that has come along to help the noble Tindaro, played by Douggie McMeekin. While his part may seem small at first, there is more to him than what may appear. That includes some gorgeous hair and chiseled abs. With his looks and intriguing personality, Dioneo could be your next television crush.

Fair warning: Some spoilers for The Decameron lie ahead.

We first see Dineo aiding Tindaro, who seems quite sickly. On top of that, he’s quite annoying. Nevertheless, Dineo appears to suck it up and use his scientific knowledge to create cures for the man. Like most of the servants/non-nobles, Dineo was at first appearing off to the side, with an appearance of defeated struggle. However, even on the side, this doctor has caught the eyes of many. One scene has the characters of Neifile (Lou Gala) and Panfilo (Karan Gill) separately masturbating to him from a distance. And those two are supposed to be married to each other. Then there’s Licisca (Tanya Reynolds), who is also drawn to this character. Fortunately, this is the connection that is mutual. Dineo is captivated by the personality of Licisca, who is posing as a noble woman, and feels he must have her. It’s a very swoon-worthy bond. Tindaro always seems to be bothered by Dineo’s presence, and perhaps his subtle smoothness is why.


Amar Chadha-Patel, Lou Gala, and Tony Hale in The DecameronPhoto: Netflix
There appears to be many layers of this character. At first, he seems like the other servants; just following orders and constantly being at their master’s beck and call. However, Dineo has a bit of a dark side that the viewers learn about as the series goes on. First of all, there is his affair with Licisca. Her character is disguised as Filomena, who is supposed to be courting Tindaro. However, even though Dineo thinks she is both a noble woman and she is being courted by his master, he still feels the need to ravish her. In addition, it is revealed that Dineo has not been helping Tindaro, but slowly poisoning him to make him weaker. That is Dineo’s subtle revenge in order to stand up against the arrogant Tindaro. A specific case where this happens is when Tindaro is trying to bed Licisca as Filomena, but Dineo poisons him so that he can bed her instead. Dineo is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants, even if he has to do it in the shadows. That is what makes him exciting to watch; you never know how he will try to get his way next.

Of course, one can’t not talk about Dineo, and Chadha-Patel, without talking about his rugged good looks. While a few other actors remove their clothes at certain points (there are plenty of horny moments in this show), Chadha-Patel easily takes his shirt off the most, and it is obvious why. It is not totally clear if it is historically accurate for a 13th century doctor to be that ripped, but who needs accuracy? He is making some other Netflix heartthrobs look puny.

Amar Chadha_Patel and Tanya Reynolds in The DecameronPhoto: Netflix

Chadha-Patel may not have a ton of acting experience under his belt, but he has still been in many notable shows. Previously, the actor was a main character on the Disney+ fantasy series Willow, where he played Thraxus Boorman. He also had recurring role in the fantasy show The Wheel of Time, mini-series Year of the Rabbit, and drama The Third Day. However, a series like The Decameron may be just what the British Chadha-Patel needs so that he can become a part of the American mainstream. As demonstrated in this series, he would be capable of handling that attention.

Unfortunately, his character Dineo does not have much of a happy ending. In the fifth episode, Dineo is found dead due to the plague, saddening all of the fellow guests. It is a shame that he had to go so soon, as it would have been nice to see him in the following episodes. Also, considering everything that happened with Tindaro, it would have been good for him to have a life outside of the man. For the record, Tindaro does go through some growth after Dineo’s death, but the point stands. In Dineo’s short time he was still able to stand out, which is what made his death more impactful.
Amar Chadha-Patel and Dougie McMeekin in "The Decameron"Photo: Netflix
All eight episodes of The Decameron are now available to stream on Netflix.