The Passive-Aggressive Alliance. One parent subtly undermines the other at the dinner table. A look. A sarcastic "Thank you for finally joining us."

Ozark (Wendy’s brother Ben), Yellowstone (Kayce’s return from the military), or August: Osage County .

Here is a breakdown of the engines that drive the best family drama storylines, and how writers weaponize complex relationships to keep us riveted. No storyline is more primal than the fight over the throne. In modern drama, the throne is a media empire ( Succession ), a restaurant ( The Bear ), or a criminal enterprise ( The Sopranos ).