“Game changer” just does not mean what it used to. In fact, it means virtually nothing these days simply because the over-use of the term has diluted the very meaning of it. When did the phrase “game changer” turn into such a snooze-fest? Back in the good ole days, when you heard that a television show was going to air a “game changer” episode, it meant something so much more thrilling — something so significant and unexpected that viewers were shocked and could not believe their eyes. A “game changer” used to mean that a key character was being killed-off, someone was coming back from the dead, or there was going to be so mind-blowing that you could not foresee it happening. But nowadays, it could mean anything from the addition of a new character, a character losing their job, or even less gasp-worthy, a character getting pregnant.
Great examples of “game changers” were LOST, 24 and TORCHWOOD’s willingness to kill off key characters. Another show particularly adept at game-changers was the J.J. Abrams’ series ALIAS, such as when it took down SD-6 with one swift blow during the second season or when it surprised viewers with the 2 -year time jump. Game-changers are risk taking and shocking. The viewer should be sitting on their sofa wondering why the world felt like it had just tilted.
