Not every argument between relatives constitutes compelling television or literature. The most memorable rest on five structural pillars.

: Patterns of behavior—such as abandonment, addiction, or repression—that are passed down and must be reckoned with by the current generation. The Power of Secrets

The most complex storylines do not rely on a villain in the present, but on a ghost in the past. Addiction, divorce, or abuse that occurred thirty years ago manifests in the parenting styles of the current generation.