[1] The series is set on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, and depicts the poor, dysfunctional family of Frank Gallagher, a neglectful single father of six: Fiona, Phillip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, and Liam.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 1.24 million household viewers and gained a 0.5 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
Lip (Jeremy Allen White) returns home after completing his 30-day rehabilitation, with Youens (Alan Rosenberg) promising in finding a new job.
Ian (Cameron Monaghan) feels jealous when Caleb (Jeff Pierre) chooses to hang out with a female friend than going on a date with him.
Kevin (Steve Howey), Veronica (Shanola Hampton) and Svetlana (Isidora Goreshter) continue their polygamous relationship as all three help each other out with their own necessities and running the Alibi together.
Fiona asks Chad (Tate Ellington), the owner of Patsy's, to find a new manager, but eventually agrees to continue her position with a raise.
Club gave the episode a "B+" grade and wrote, "The seventh season begins in a strong place not because it's breaking new ground, but because it leans into a stable foundation that can be productively tested in the weeks that follow.
"[6] Allyson Johnson of The Young Folks gave the episode a 6 out of 10 rating and wrote "Not a hugely promising start but, regardless, if we've hung in this far we likely adore many of these characters and they're not easy to give up on.
"[8] Paul Dailly of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4.5 star rating out of 5, and wrote, ""Hiraeth" was a solid opening to Shameless Season 7.