Complex genealogies involving hidden affairs or "crossover" relatives. The Absent Parent: Sometimes used as a lazy way to get the protagonist alone. Building Complex Relationships
The foundation of most great family dramas is a lie buried in the past. It could be an affair, a hidden adoption, a financial crime, or a death that wasn’t an accident. The secret acts as a poison. It distorts every interaction. --- Incest Taboo 21 Lindsey Allen Fatherdaughter Updated
Emotional starvation versus ambition. The Roy siblings are billionaires, yet they fight over a media empire like feral dogs over a bone. The genius of Succession is that the business is the family. There is no distinction. Each deal is a bid for the love of Logan, a love that will never be returned. It could be an affair, a hidden adoption,
knew about the financial fraud that built their empire. He had spent years laundering the legacy to keep the family afloat, resenting Eleanor for the burden and his siblings for their freedom. Emotional starvation versus ambition