Next week's Hollyoaks spoilers: Breda's post-watershed exit and Warren's return (6-10 January 2020)
Late-night antics bring the killer's reign of terror to a close
Hollyoaks' late-night specials used to be an annual event, whisking the cast off to glamorous locations and dialling up the sex and bad language - deemed inappropriate in a teatime slot - to give viewers a post-watershed treat.
The format has been rested since 2013, but this week Hollyoaks Later is back for one night only, just the thing to ease us out of the post-festive slump. Think of it as like gorging on the last selection box before the diet detox.
In the after-dark hour-long special, serial killer Breda McQueen's reign of terror reaches a suitably bonkers climax as canny John Paul - always the smartest of the clan - shares his suspicions with Mercedes there's something a bit off about her mother-in-law. And this is before he knows about the string of dead bodies she's accumulated over the last 18 months in her misguided mission to punish bad fathers.
Mercy's investigations lead her to Breda's spooky pig farm where she finds incarcerated Tony Hutchinson, missing presumed absconded with another woman back in September. Poor old Nick Pickard, last time his character was in a late-night special he got to fly to Morocco on location.
With shades of Texas Chainsaw Massacre (prepare for some post-watershed gore), Breda storms in armed with a pitchfork and locks Mercedes in Tone's cage. Planning to leave her prisoners to die, Breda prepares to flee the country - unaware daughter Goldie is putting the pieces together back in the village…
While we all process the concept of Goldie McQueen becoming the next Miss Marple, the coming week fills the villainous void left by Breda with the welcome return of Warren Fox. The boomeranging bad boy was glimpsed in the summer and is back with both twins he stole from old flame Sienna, for reasons yet to be revealed.
And we also get to meet Tony's long-lost sister, vivacious Verity. Apparently she's the apple of narcissist dad Edward's eye - think Hollyoaks' answer to Donald and Ivanka Trump.
Hollyoaks Later is on E4 at 9pm on Monday 6th January, and on Channel 4 at 11pm on Tuesday 7th January
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