WHAT ABOUT BRAD?

The soap-opera blogosphere has been abuzz for days with the news that DOOL's Austin Peck has been cast as Jack Snyder's brother, Brad, on ATWT.

So now the only question remaining is: Who the heck is Brad Snyder, anyway?

Brad first came to Oakdale in the summer of 1998, played by Nick Kokotakis. By the time he left in August of 1999, he was John Loprieno (ex-Cord; OLTL).

In the span of a single year, Brad managed to have a one-night stand with Camille, kiss Lucinda (and live to tell about it) and marry Carly.

Yes, you read that right. The first Snyder in Carly Tenney Munson Dixon Snyder Lowe Snyder Snyder now Tenney-again's last name is actually Jack's brother, not the G-Man himself.

How did this happen?

One word: blackmail.

Brad found out that Hal, not John, was Parker's biological father. Which meant that Carly, who wed John in order to collect a 50 million dollar trust-fund that specified she must be married to her child's dad, was in breach of the rules and would be forced to give the money up.

Carly, being Carly, did not wish to give the money up. And so she married Brad, though her heart, as always, belonged to Jack.

Carly eventually offered Brad $5 million dollars to divorce her, and he agreed. Then he turned around and, at Hal and Barbara's engagement party, announced to the world that Hal wasn't only a groom-to-be, he was also a Daddy.

Brad left town soon after. Now that he's back, will Brad continue with his interest in Carly? Considering that Austin Peck won't arrive until 2007, which is also when actress Maura West (Carly) is due to deliver her fourth child, I daresay inquiring minds need to ponder some other possibilities.

ATWT Scriptwriter Susan Dansby (she wrote those fantastic Carly/Jack break-up scenes earlier in the year) has always said that she believes Jack's attraction to Carly stems from his complicated relationship with his mother, Dolores, a scheming, self-centered blonde who lied and cheated on his father, but whom he loves, anyway.

Well, Brad was raised by the same mother. And if its a scheming, self-centered, not averse to telling a lie when it suits her purposes blonde that he craves, there is at least one other woman in Oakdale who currently fits that bill quite nicely, no?