Board Thread:False Info and Speculative Discussion/@comment-4753851-20140909163244/@comment-6383956-20140912173936

DManCO wrote:

I won't call them jaw-dropping, because the simple truth is that they try to throw in so many such scenes that eventually they lose impact. That's exactly true and it's the biggest weakness for this kind of storytelling. Unfortunately, I think we're seeing a lot more of it as shows try give themselves a boost in ratings by making each episode an "event" that you want to see right away otherwise you risk spoilers when talking to coworkers, friends, or even just hopping on social media. But we're so inundated with these events, they lose any emotional impact.

Whereas, shows that are more character driven (like most of the shows on USA, just for instance) can give you as many of these big twists as they want (Suits and Graceland do this a lot) but because the emphasis isn't on the plot they still pack somewhat of an emotional punch simply because it isn't the twist that's important, it's how everyone reacts. And that's where you, as the audience, are focused and reacting.