Avoid the "evil" parent. Even the most abusive characters, like Livia Soprano (Tony's mother), believe they are the victim. Livia’s famous line, "It’s all a big nothing," is not cruelty for its own sake; it is nihilism born of a lifetime of disappointment. When you write a villain, give them a logic, even if it's a broken one.
As the family navigated their complex relationships, secrets began to surface. Michael had been hiding his struggles with anxiety and depression, feeling ashamed to admit his vulnerability to his father. Emma, on the other hand, had been secretly dating someone John disapproved of, leading to clandestine meetings and arguments with her parents. incest previews txt updated
: In The Fall of the House of Usher , the implied relationship between Roderick and Madeline Usher mirrors the physical and mental collapse of their ancestral home. Avoid the "evil" parent