In the January 23 episode of Days of Our Lives, Chad and Jennifer became so locked into the idea of protecting Thomas that they crossed into something stranger. They’ve been treating him less like a kid who needs reassurance and more like an adult whose comfort has to be bargained with on the spot. The episode leaned into how off that feels, with anxiety handled not through calm or boundaries, but through legal tweaks and promises, as if saying them in front of Thomas gives them weight, or absolution, or both.
Key Takeaways
- Jennifer told Chad he could date whoever he wanted…except Cat.
- Chad told Thomas he would put that restriction into the custody agreement.
- He called Melinda to change the custody agreement with Thomas present.
- He told Thomas that moving to Boston was off the table, and he can’t use moving to Boston as a threat whenever he’s being disciplined
What Happened on DAYS?
Jennifer (Melissa Reeves) drew a hard line with Chad (Billy Flynn) and told him he’s free to date whoever he wants, except Cat (AnnaLynne McCord), as if she’s issuing terms rather than voicing concern. Chad didn’t just push back; he tried to reassure Thomas (Cary Christopher) by turning reassurance into an action item. He called Melinda (Tina Huang) and had her change the custody agreement while Thomas sat there and listened, as if he needed to witness the legal machinery to feel safe.
Then Chad finally addressed the Boston thing directly, telling Thomas it isn’t happening. He admitted something that’s been hanging over the whole mess: Chad is afraid Thomas will use Jack and Jennifer as the bogeymen when he scolds Thomas or even tells him things like, “Do your homework” or “Eat your vegetables.” But he made it clear to the boy that he was taking that option off the table.
Why It Matters
Because when adults treat a kid’s fear like something you “solve” by giving him authority, you end up teaching him that anxiety is leverage. Chad making that call with Thomas in the room may look like care on paper, but it also places Thomas in a role he shouldn’t be in, where his comfort gets translated into clauses and adjustments. Melinda even warned him that adding it to the custody agreement would remove his leverage.
And Chad’s Boston line matters because it’s an actual parenting boundary, not a legal one. It’s him pulling a tool out of his own discipline kit because it’s become a weapon Thomas can pick up. The episode basically admitted that the custody fight wasn’t going on in court anymore. It’s living in the kid’s daily wiring.
The Fallout
Jennifer’s “anyone but Cat” rule keeps the adults stuck in control mode, which means Thomas stays in the middle, hearing too much, carrying too much, and learning the wrong lessons about how families work under stress. The more the grown-ups negotiate around him, the more the kid starts to feel like the decision-maker, and that’s not comfort. That’s pressure dressed up as reassurance.
Chad drawing the line now is necessary, but it also raises the uncomfortable question the episode is daring us to ask: if he’s only banning the Boston threat because Thomas feels his dad isn’t telling the truth, and he’s learned to cash it in, how long has Thomas been living in a house where fear and power got tangled together in the first place? And has Chad’s tough love become a case of too little, too late?
