Ultimately, the enduring power of family drama storylines lies in validation. When we watch the Sopranos eat dinner and Tony yells at AJ for being lazy, we don't just see a mob boss. We see our own father. When we watch the Pearsons cry in the hospital, we remember our own losses. When we watch the Roys betray each other for a parking spot on a helicopter pad, we recognize the petty territorial disputes of our own siblings over a parent's will or the last slice of pie.