The episode is a three hander between characters Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard), Harry Thompson (Parry Glasspool) and Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson).
The episode begins with Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) sitting at Tony Hutchinson's (Nick Pickard) flat where Harry Thompson (Parry Glasspool) is trying to get him to eat.
Tony is dancing to a song on the radio where Ste comes in after his shower with clothes that don't fit him.
Ste then breaks the piggy bank that belongs to Tony's twins when Harry won't give him the money that he stole from the Roscoe's.
[2] This was the show's second "three hander" stylised episode, the first airing in 2011, which focused on the characters of Jacqui McQueen (Claire Cooper), Rhys Ashworth (Andrew Moss) and Gilly Roach (Anthony Quinlan).
We filmed a special episode with just Ste, his boyfriend, Harry [Parry Glasspool] and friend Tony [Nick Pickard] and it was so powerful.
"[5] In an interview with Radio Times, Richardson was worried about the topic being controversial for the show's timeslot, he said "I am scared.
[8] Duncan Lindsay of Metro said "Hollyoaks is often regarded as the underdog of the soap world – without much justification – but continually proves that it can deliver high octane and powerful drama as well as its rivals.
"[9] While he added "The effective episode has revealed that Hollyoaks deserves the credit it gets but also highlights that living in the shadows of its equally strong counterparts remains the biggest injustice in the soap world.
"[9] Lindsay had earlier stated "With secrets from the past coming out, big decisions made and Ste at an all time low, it’s an unmissable visit to Hollyoaks that will answer the following questions.
"[10] Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy stated "Bravo to Hollyoaks trio Kieron Richardson, Nick Pickard and Parry Glasspool, who pulled some of their most powerful performances out of the bag in their special episode tonight (July 13).
"[11] Carl Greenwood of Daily Mirror stated "Hollyoaks has made history with its first three-hander episode.
"[12] Greenwood also reported that "fans praise 'incredible' Kieron Richardson after emotionally powerful performance moves them to tears.
"[13] He also stated, "Actor Kieron Richardson knocked his performance out of the park as Ste as he veered from begging for help and viciously attacking his loved ones for trying to keep him from getting his next fix.
"[15] Rachel McGrath of Huffington Post wrote "In one of the most emotionally-charged scenes, Ste - spurred on by desperation to feed his habit - attacked Harry, which brought back memories of the violence he put his ex Amy Barnes through.