Shortland Street's epic 'penis' cliffhanger goes viral

Chris Warner has faced many threats over the years: he's been arrested and charged with murder at least twice; his psychotic step brother tried to set him on fire; he's been involved in multiple explosions; and he can't survive Christmas without his life being threatened in some way.

Yet nothing could prepare Shortland Street's longest-serving character for the greatest threat of all: his son's penis.

A storyline included in Friday's episode of the long-running soap has gone viral, with one TV critic calling it, "the best ending to a soap ever".

It revolved around Harry Warner as he grappled with whether or not to send a 'dick pic' to his love interest, Lily.

He eventually decided that yes, he should, heading into a public beachside bathroom to strip down and snap the pic.

Unfortunately for him, the photo was shared with a furious Warner, who confronted his son when he arrived home.

"Please tell me that is not your penis!" Warner wailed dramatically before the show cut to its familiar cliffhanger drumbeat.