Corley left at the end of the second season in 1982, and the role was recast in 1983 with Jack Coleman, the change in appearance attributed to plastic surgery after an oil rig explosion.

"[6] The character was recast in 1983 with Jack Coleman, the change in appearance attributed to plastic surgery after an oil rig explosion.

[9] Suzanna Danuta Walters writes that because of the character, "in the annals of gay TV history, the '80s will be remembered as the Dynasty years.

[11] With Dynasty becoming one of the 20 highest-rated American prime time series by the end of its second season[12] and eventually rising to #1 in 1985,[13] Steven "had great potential for breaking through the usual stereotypes" and his life "could have been explored in storylines in which [his] sexuality did not necessarily have to be problematized.

[6] The character was recast in 1983 with Jack Coleman, the change in appearance attributed to plastic surgery after an oil rig explosion.

"[15] Commenting on Steven's romantic relationship with Luke Fuller (played by Billy Campbell), Coleman noted, "It was very much The Donna Reed Show in terms of four feet on the floor, nobody actually ever touching.

[9][17] This ultimately paved the way for a reversal of the trend and Ellen DeGeneres' watershed coming out in 1997, the subsequent "steady stream of ... well-developed, three-dimensional gay and lesbian characters" on television, and the relative "open door" of the 2000s.

[4] Comparing Steven's 1981 confrontation with his father over his sexuality to the 2005 coming out of Desperate Housewives teen Andrew Van de Kamp to his mother, Damon Romine of GLAAD noted in a 2005 PlanetOut.com article that though both Blake Carrington and Bree Van de Kamp encourage their sons to "change"—which is not possible—in 1981 this was presented as a "serious suggestion", whereas in 2005 the idea is "ridiculous".

"[4] In the same article Jenny Stewart of PlanetOut.com posed the question of whether Steven Carrington "was a groundbreaking first who blazed a trail for the must-see gay TV of the new millennium or a last gasp of the traditional 'gayness as tragedy' storyline.

Steven befriends Krystle (Linda Evans), Blake's former secretary and future wife, who is adjusting to life at the mansion despite chilly receptions from Fallon and the Carrington household staff.

At the end of the three-hour premiere episode "Oil", Steven finally confronts his father, criticizing Blake's capitalistic values and seemingly-amoral business practices.

He is offered his job back when his innocence is later proven, but declines; after beginning an affair with Claudia in "The Necklace", Steven decides to work for Blake at Denver-Carrington.

A veiled surprise witness for the prosecution appears in the season finale "The Testimony", and Fallon gasps in recognition: "Oh my God, that's my mother!

Fallon is cold toward Alexis and Blake is openly hostile; at odds with his father, Steven is drawn to the long-absent mother he hardly remembers.

Fallon is devastated at the revelation that Blake is not her father, but a blood test proves their biological connection in "The Gun" as Steven follows Sammy Jo to Hollywood.

In the April 28, 1982 episode "The Two Princes", Steven confronts the entire family, berating them for their intolerance and elitist values, and stating for all to hear that he is gay and unashamed.

[19][20] In the eighth episode of the season, "La Mirage", Fallon finally receives a letter from Steven, who is working on an oil rig in the Java Sea.

Steven is concerned about Claudia's fragile emotional state when she starts receiving flowers (violets), gifts and phone calls from her missing (and presumed dead) husband, Matthew.

Deciding to remain in Denver, he takes over Blake's football team; when Sammy Jo becomes romantically involved with quarterback Josh Harris, Steven is outraged.

In the March 30, 1988 season cliffhanger "Colorado Roulette", Steven pens a letter to Blake explaining his need for distance and leaves Denver.

"[27] According to Patrick, "We were interested in the character as a role model of self-acceptance and pride, and whose conflict with his father wasn't about being gay, but more about being liberal—and how they led to their falling out.

He knows all of this luxury has warped his mind, but he can't give it up ... he learns that somebody stole a wad of $100 bills from his pants pocket [and] admits he never noticed the theft.

[39] Steven's absence from the later seasons and the lack of an in-universe explanation served as one of the most notable criticisms for Dynasty as a whole, with his sibling dynamic with Fallon, the family's obliviousness to Adam orchestrating Steven's mental breakdown, and the show's tendency to recast other roles, being sources of frustration and confusion amongst fans regarding the character's abrupt departure.

[40][41] In December 2021, Mackay took to Instagram to express his appreciation for the fans' continued support of him and his role on Dynasty, while also noting that his departure was not his or creator and executive producer Sallie Patrick's choice.

[42] In addition, several cast members, including Elizabeth Gillies and Grant Show, have vocalized their disagreement with The CW's decision to fire Mackay from the series.

"This was just a series finale thing," Reims explains, "We had discussed at the beginning of the season bringing Steven back, whether it was going to be James or someone else was always up in the air, depending on whether we could get him and have it all work out.

Additionally, Reims admitted that writers did not discuss bringing Steven back often, due to their focus on telling as many stories as they could with the 12 to 13 series regulars they currently had.

In "Private as a Circus", Steven works with Sam to retrieve Matthew's phone, which Blake had obtained illegally and was subsequently stolen.

Steven channels his father as he coerces Chief Stansfield into clearing him for Matthew's death, but is uncomfortable with the apparent suicide and confession that exonerate him.

Maureen Ryan of Variety called Mackay "suitably droll and engaging",[33] and Matt Zoller Seitz of Vulture deemed Steven "the best character so far".