I recently finished all three (current) seasons of the Netflix show The Ranch.
Reflecting on the show--and many others, from Friends and Criminal Minds to How I Met Your Mother and Orange is the New Black, for example--I discovered that the better shows have stories surrounding each character.
For simplicity purposes, let's focus on The Ranch. I will try not to spoil anything, but some things can't be helped so be warned.
The father Beau is married to a wife who doesn't live at home, and works on a ranch with his two sons. Throughout the series, his love for his wife shines through, although circumstances arise that end up with divorce.
The mother Maggie owns and runs the local bar. She constantly deals with her sons, who aren't treated very well by Beau. In the divorce process, she wants everyone to be happy and wants to give her half of the ranch to her two sons. Beau, of course, doesn't see it this way and bucks it.
Colt, one of the sons, is a former high school football star who comes back home. His fame isn't what it once was, and bounces around between ladies, a high school sweetheart and another attractive blond, one of which he gets pregnant--and that drama is drawn out across several episodes.
Rooster is the other son. He's had to deal with living in his brother's shadow and running the ranch with Beau while Colt was away following his short-lived football career. He also doesn't feel he gets the respect he deserves and ends up working on another ranch for a much higher pay.
In the end, each character has their own story aside from the overall stories. The more one can twist and turn these stories, the better.
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