A watch, a house, a recipe. The fight over who deserves it reveals who feels unloved.
Most complex family storylines rely on a set of unspoken rules that characters are forced to break. These include:
When a character dares to violate these rules—by revealing a family secret, pursuing an unconventional career, or marrying outside the tribe—the drama ignites.
Modern family dramas focus heavily on the "sins of the father."