The ultimate "toxic mother/daughter" text. Violet Weston is a cruel, pill-addicted matriarch. The dinner scene is a primal scream of generational trauma. It asks the uncomfortable question: What if love is simply a chemical accident, and we actually don't like our family members?

We use the word "dysfunctional" loosely today, but the truth is that all families, to some degree, operate on a spectrum of complexity. The quiet resentment at a Thanksgiving table. The sibling who inherited the lion’s share of a parent’s approval. The secret that no one is allowed to speak aloud. These are the raw materials of literature and drama.

To understand how these elements coalesce, look no further than (FX/Hulu). While ostensibly a show about a restaurant, Season 2’s episode "Fishes" is a masterclass in family drama.