“The Decameron” gave us the sexiest leading man on television: Amar Chadha-Patel

In Florence, Italy in 1348, the plague has wreaked havoc, killing countless people and leaving behind unsightly lumps of flesh and boils. Sure, it sounds gross, but Netflix’s limited series The Decameronis anything but. Based on the collection of short stories by Giovanni Boccaccio, the series follows a group of nobles and their servants as they settle into a secluded villa and wait out the plague that is ravaging the country.

(Warning: (Spoilers ahead.)

While you would be forgiven for thinking The Decameron is a heavy drama, but it’s actually a delicious comedy, and a very steamy one at that. It’s pretty inevitable when a group of people, most of them single and ready to mingle, are stuck in the same place with nowhere to go, and this group gets lecherous very quickly. While everyone’s interests and sexual appetites vary, there’s one thing they all agree on: they desire Dioneo (Amar Chadha-Patel), a super-sexy doctor who’s certain to be the hottest new lead actor on television.

When we first see Dioneo, we are immediately struck by his long, flowing black hair, which resembles a lion’s mane, resting on his broad shoulders. He is busy tending to the rather helpless Tindaro (Douggie McMeekin), who can’t even get his tunic on properly. Dioneo is forced to help him, because while being a doctor is a respectable career, it is nothing compared to being a member of the nobility and ruling classes. It’s hard to find him too attractive at this point, as he is essentially Tindaro’s servant, checking his stools to make sure he is healthy. It’s not the sort of thing that makes your heart beat faster.

When Dioneo, Tindaro and others arrive at the villa, Dioneo’s stunning physique is revealed. Married couple Neifile (Lou Gala) and Panfilo (Karan Gill) discuss their celibate arrangement – Neifile is devoted to God above all – but they are both distracted by the sight of Dioneo in the garden undressing and preparing to take a bath. Their conversation ends when Neifile says she is going to ride a horse. Panfilo is more than happy to let her go so he can ogle Dioneo himself, unaware that Neifile is going to do exactly the same thing.

Framed as if Neifile were Eve in search of the forbidden fruit, she stares at Dioneo’s body in awe. And for good reason: the man is as corpulent as a brick house, with perfectly sculpted abs and bulging biceps. Chadha-Patel doesn’t look like a 21st-century Fabio, or rather a 14th-century Fabio, since the series is set in the 1300s. Dioneo is dripping with water, which sends Neifile into a delirious state, as she sits on a spinning wheel whose seat curves upward, much like male genitalia. As she simulates masturbation while watching Dioneo, the camera cuts to Panfilo standing at the window, masturbating while observing Dioneo’s physique.

Dioneo is not a wide-eyed innocent who lets others stare at him: he is fully aware of his sexual prowess. He is much more than a formidable and unattainable physique, and Chadha-Patel plays up Dioneo’s playfulness, almost as if he were a medieval jerk. In the villa, he has set his sights on Licisca (Tanya Reynolds), who has disguised herself as Filomena, a member of the ruling class. By the end of episode 2, their flirtations reach a new level when the two sleep together. As members of two different classes, Licisca knows her desire is strictly forbidden, but she cannot resist Dioneo’s charms: “I’m willing to pay for it,” she says, jumping into his beautifully sculpted arms.

In episode 3 of The DecameronThe passion of the villa and Dioneo is at its peak. Licisca and Dioneo are locked in a passionate relationship, unable to keep their hands off each other as they fornicate every night. This is a big problem in the villa: not only do their class differences prevent them from being together, but Dioneo works for Tindaro, who is himself in love with Licisca.

Yet Licisca and Dioneo’s time together is passionate and surprisingly tender. Dioneo speaks slowly and patiently, never interrupting Licisca when she’s talking. To Licisca, he’s a very sexy lover, but also a man who seems genuinely invested in her well-being, carefully considering and responding to every word she says. Chadha-Patel does a great job in these scenes, and you can feel the conflict playing out in his eyes: he knows he can never be with Licisca, but that can’t stop him from developing feelings for her. “You’re a vision,” Dioneo tells her, and you can sense the conviction in Chadha-Patel’s voice. These words aren’t a catchphrase, but a heartfelt confession of his love for her.

The Decameron Episode 3 showcases Dioneo’s outrageous sex appeal at every turn. A key moment in Episode 3 is a montage, set to Sparks’ “All You Ever Think About is Sex.” As you’ve probably guessed, this is a sequence where everyone in the villa is having a good time. Wickedly, the scene cuts from Dioneo and Licisca in the throes of passion to Neifile looking at Dioneo, overcome with her arousal for him. No one can resist Dioneo, and with the charm Chadha-Patel brings to the character, how could you?

Dioneo isn’t perfect. (How boring would that be?). When he realizes that Tindaro intends to marry Licisca, he uses his medical knowledge to poison Tindaro. That said, his know-how isn’t all that impressive—I guess being in the 1300s means there’s plenty of room for medical advancements—and he fails to kill Tindaro. Panicked, he goes to Licisca and begs her to run away with him, confessing his undying love. Even though he’s just tried to kill someone, Chadha-Patel delivers the moment with such sincerity that you almost think Licisca should run away to the plague-ravaged world for another day with Dioneo.

Although Dioneo ultimately fails in her conquest of Licisca, her character and Chadha-Patel’s performance are impossible to ignore. The importance of social class can prevail in The Decameronbut Chadha-Patel’s unbridled charisma, charm and extraordinary physicality will live on forever.