Best crime TV character mistakes of all time

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Charlie's Angels picture

Waikiki Angels - S5-E6

Character mistake: At the Life Guard Trials, Kelly is the first Angel to arrive. She finishes 20th. Then, four other competitors arrive (21st / 22nd / 23rd / 24th). Then, Kris arrives. The judge says to her "You're 23." (00:11:15)

Great_Captain

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Bodyguard picture

Show generally

Character mistake: When the bodyguards enter elevators, they always enter last; they should be entering first to ensure it is secure. This is particularly visible in the hotel where the elevator can stop on any floor and Special Protection Branch does not have complete control of it as an express.

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Law & Order: UK picture

Vice - S1-E3

Character mistake: When Brooks and Devlin talk to Teddy, the forensic scientist, Teddy puts his rubber glove on incorrectly, with the thumb hanging off the pinkie side of his hand. (00:09:45)

Cubs Fan

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Justified picture

The Hammer - S1-E10

Character mistake: Raylan Givens tells Judge Reardon that he carries a ".45 Glock" but this is untrue. Throughout the series with the exception of the beginning of the first episode Raylan Givens carries a Glock 17, which is only chambered in 9mm parabellum. His backup can be seen to be a Glock 26 which is also in 9mm.

GunsUp0331

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Magnum, P.I. picture

The Big Blow - S3-E21

Character mistake: The party is supposed to be "One of the premiere social events of the season", but the only people invited (Higgins knows for sure who is gonna come, so it's not like there's low attendance because of the weather) are a Prince from a fictional European state nobody knows about with his commoner wife, the editor of a poetry magazine that needs Robin's funds to survive, a sports star and Robin's accountant. 5 people in total, already all in Robin's pocket, and nobody else in attendance. While you could say that having royalty and a golden glove winner is certainly noteworthy, those people don't meet anyone else. Hardly a 'social event'. (00:04:00)

Sammo

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Third Watch picture

Show generally

Character mistake: In the final episode, Carlos visits Doc in the psychiatric hospital for advice concerning his upcoming marriage to Holly. While talking, Carlos refers to Doc's deceased wife as "Linda", while throughout the series, it has been made very clear that her name was Deborah.

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Batman picture

The Joker's Flying Saucer - S3-E24

Character mistake: Vertigris tells Joker he planted a bomb in the Batmobile while it was parked in front of City Hall/Police HQ. Only in this instance, it wasn't. It was parked in the alley out back, the better to hide his bomb-planting from public view, so it's strange that he'd forget this. (00:08:15)

Jean G

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The Professionals picture

Take Away - S4-E6

Character mistake: When Cowley visits Bodie at the squat, the unwashed and dirty Bodie suggests Cowley should stand downwind of him. Downwind Cowley would smell Bodie; he should have said upwind.

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Perception picture

Caleidoscope - S2-E4

Character mistake: The chess set in Dr. Pierce's home office is set up incorrectly. When the men are set up properly, each player has a light colored square in the right-hand corner. The board as it appears in the show is set up so that the light-colored square is in each player's left-hand corner. This "beginner" mistake puts the king and queen in the wrong positions.

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Life on Mars picture

Episode 4 - S1-E4

Character mistake: Sam encounters Marc Bolan in the club and warns him to "drive carefully", aware of Bolan's future death in a 1977 car accident. However, Bolan never learned to drive and he was actually a passenger in the fatal accident. (00:07:55)

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Fargo picture

The Tender Trap - S5-E6

Character mistake: Deputy Olmstead says to Lorraine Lyon, "You think that you're rich 'cause you're better than me." Surely, the line should have been "You think that you're better than me 'cause you're rich."

Leicaman

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: No, she actually does mean Lorraine thinks she is rich because she is better than her. And to her, anyone who is not rich is therefore less, or else they would be rich too. It's the same type of thinking but with a different approach as what you suggest. It's about privilege.

lionhead

Interesting. I can see it either way. Thanks for the thought.

Leicaman

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Without A Trace picture

The Line - S2-E14

Character mistake: While discussing an ex-con with Danny, Jack uses the redundant acronym "PO officer." Since, by definition, the phrase is redundant, his use of "officer" is unnecessary. (00:13:25)

Cubs Fan

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