The television family drama is an undying trope, drawing audiences in with puzzling dynamics and spellbinding spite. Often spanning multiple episodes and Seasons, from Shameless to The Sopranos, these dramas focus on a central family, whose relationships with one another unravel once their character arcs are further explored. As a family-filled holiday season has come and gone, these series’ offer us the opportunity to either connect with the adversities TV families face – or be thankful their presence exists solely on screen.

There’s no better home for dysfunctional families than HBO, whose portfolio of household hijinks consistently taps into the zeitgeist, all while challenging the notion of a nuclear family. With the provocative saga The Righteous Gemstones returning earlier this month, now is a better time than any to see how The Gemstones rack up against other similarly nonsensical family units found on HBO.

Whether it’s a Shakespearean-like power struggle between grabby siblings or the dicey inter-workings of a savage Italian mob, these families leave plenty to unpack. Here are HBO’s most dysfunctional families ranked from bad to worst, based on how awful it’d be to be a member.

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7. The Mossbachers, The White Lotus

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Image via HBO

There’s a running theme throughout the majority of this list, and that is the extent to which money and power amplify conflict. The White Lotus features the most tame of this group. The Mossbachers, an affluent, deeply flawed family, set off on an idyllic Hawaiian beach vacation where the walls are quickly closing in. Matriarch Nicole (Connie Britton) and her suppressed house-husband Mark (Steve Zahn), string their children along through a slew of resort activities in an attempt to build meaningful memories. It’s a nice thought, but the Mossbachers can hardly be in the same room together.

Olivia (Sydney Sweeney), the Mossbacher’s eldest daughter and poster child for performative “wokeness” consistently clashes with her family through tense dinners rife with banter. Then, there are clear examples of money used as a band-aid. Rather than fleshing out their issues through counseling, it’s revealed that Mark spent $75,000 on a bracelet for his wife to make up for his affair and years of neglect.

But the worst thing is that the Mossbachers are desperately trying to overlook their privilege by being something they’re not: a socially conscious, compassionate family. Quinn, (Fred Hechinger), the Mossbacher’s wanderlust-seeking son is the family’s only semblance of saving grace.

6. The Gemstones, The Righteous Gemstones

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Image via HBO

Highlighting another family reliant on image, The Righteous Gemstones follows a family of televangelists and megachurch pastors living a luxurious life. The Gemstones don’t shy away from the spotlight, and as they build their following, they do so in unity, by appearing squeaky clean during their broadcasts. But underneath the holy veil, patriarch and lead pastor Dr. Eli Gemstone (John Goodman) does little to dampen the lewd, childish behavior of his kin.

The eldest son, Jessie (Danny McBride), tries to play the devoted husband role, but his constant crass behavior gets him in a load of trouble – and almost immediately swept into a video scandal. Judy (Edi Patterson), the middle child and Eli’s only daughter, exhibits psychopathic tendencies. And the youngest Gemstone, Kelvin (Adam DeVine), while the most wholesome of the bunch, might be the world’s biggest pushover. All together, for a family built on faith, there’s little proof the Gemstones are even remotely angelic.

5. The Garveys, The Leftovers

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Image via HBO

Set against the backdrop of a rapture that has wiped out 2% of the world’s population, the Garveys aren’t necessarily set up for success by the time they’re first introduced. The Leftovers begins three years following the “Sudden Departure”, with police chief Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux) still struggling to pick up the pieces from everything that was lost. While nobody from The Garvey’s direct lineage has disappeared, the family is far from in sync.

Kevin’s wife Laurie (Amy Brenneman) has joined a mysterious cult called “The Guilty Remnant” that requires her to take a vow of silence, making it nearly impossible for her and Kevin to communicate. The Garvey's eldest son Tommy (Chris Zylka) has also joined a cult whose questionable leader attracts the attention of a powerful law enforcement agency. And daughter Jill (Margaret Qualley), while not intoxicated by cultish behavior, lashes out like a typically delinquent teenager.

In a world thrust into disarray, the Garveys play the part to a tee.

4. The Savastanos, Gomorrah

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Image via SundanceTV

From here on out, the list begins to bridge on families where the members actively fear for their lives. While originally a Sky Atlantic program, Gomorrah began streaming on HBO Max shortly after its first two seasons. The series, set in Naples, follows the trials and tribulations of the Savastano clan, a powerful Italian criminal organization. When mob boss Pietro (Fortunato Cerlino) is pushed out of the picture, his children are left directionless – and that’s where the issues arise.

Though initially depicted as a close-knit family, an internal power struggle begins to transpire the second that control of the clan is put on the table. Ciro (Marco D’Amore) and Genny (Salvatore Esposito) grapple with Pietro’s wife Imma (Maria Pia Calzone) in an ever-expanding criminal hierarchy, making dangerous alliances for any edge that’ll bring them closer to command. There’s little loyalty, countless explosions, and a Game of Thrones-esque familiarity which leaves you never wanting to get too close to any character, for fear of them being killed off.

3. The Crellins, Sharp Objects

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Image via HBO

For many, returning to a hometown is difficult, especially if your childhood was complicated. In Sharp Objects, some families are better off left estranged. In this gripping psychological thriller, Amy Adams stars as Camille Preaker, an alcoholic investigative reporter forced to confront her troubled past when she’s tasked with covering the murders of two young girls in her small Missouri hometown. In the town of Wind Gap, Camille’s mother Adora (a terrifying Patricia Clarkson) is a daunting socialite, throwing lavish mixers in the back lawn of her sprawling Gothic house.

In Adora’s eyes, Camille has always been a disappointment. Her callous motherhood has left Camille recovering from a lengthy stint in a psychiatric hospital, and still wrestling with self-harm. Throw in a family base built on a deep personal tragedy, a seemingly-sociopathic half-sister (Eliza Scanlen), and an underlying horrific secret that’s slowly unveiled as the episodes progress, the Crellins embody dysfunction.

2. The Roys, Succession

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Image via HBO

Succession is proof that emotional battery can at times be far worse than any type of physical abuse. While the characters are rarely subjected to literal violence, the trauma the Roy children have experienced at the hands of their pitiless father Logan (Brian Cox) is substantial.

Anchored by its Shakespearean-like performances, this tense dark comedy is a brooding character study of the Roys, a grossly wealthy family of media moguls that oversee conglomerate Waystar Royco across various hierarchies. Often hilarious, occasionally heartbreaking, the series follows the Roy siblings as they strive for power and control of their father’s media empire. There’s Kendall (Jeremy Strong), a manic recovering drug addict who, despite his shortcomings, has always been viewed as the next plausible successor. Shiv (Sarah Snook), a vicious political strategist with marital problems. Roman (Kieran Culkin), whose immaturity coupled with sexual deviance make him a hodgepodge of delight. And Connor (Alan Ruck), discounting a failed presidential campaign, does little from the sidelines.

But what ties all of them together is their deep-seated daddy issues. The Roy children are constantly vying for their father’s approval, willing to prove their worth even if it requires sacrificing one another to the “cancel culture” media. No matter what they do, their father will never deem them worthy of what he’s built.

1. The Lannisters, Game of Thrones

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Incest, beheadings, and vengeance are just at the surface of what’s plaguing the Lannisters. In the very first episode Jamie Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) pushes a child out a window of a castle to cover up an Oedipal love with his sister Cersei (Lena Headey). And that’s just a sign of what’s to come.

Spanning eight seasons, this sweeping fantasy epic follows a mesh of noble families waging war with one another for control of the Iron Throne. Though each of the families face dysfunction in their own right, the Lannisters' internal conflict is unparalleled. Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), a likable dwarf, does what he can to bring humanity to his broken family, but the damage is unsalvageable. Jamie and Cersei’s inbred son Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) is a power-hungry maniac. The Lannister’s patriarch Tywin (Charles Dance) is a narcissist, fully comfortable surrendering his children to public execution. All in all, the value of blood relation is irrelevant in Game of Thrones - across the show’s entire story arc, none of the Lannisters are able to sleep with one eye open.