Factual error: At Walter's apartment, Annie notices a group of spy novels on his shelf. The "spy novels" are actually six books from the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stein, The Day My Butt Went Psycho by Andy Griffiths, four books from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, and the British covered edition of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling. (00:18:30)
Factual error: The address on Lee's business card shows her zip code for Atlanta, GA as "11453." This is a non-existent US zip code, and the zip code for Atlanta is "303xx."
Factual error: The FBI agents are searching a house with their weapons drawn. Each agent is going through the house with their fingers on the trigger. At one point, one agent has her finger on the trigger while her partner is in front of her as they go down some stairs. The correct officer safety practice is to have your trigger finger off the trigger and along the slide of the weapon until you are engaging a suspect and need to fire your weapon. (00:30:39 - 00:31:09)
Factual error: Noticed this watching season 2, and I assume it was also the case in season 1. The entrance of the Miramar Playa has flags from various countries flying. One of them is the Canadian flag with the maple leaf. Wrong flag. In that period the Canadian flag was the "Red Ensign", or "Dominion Flag." The maple leaf flag wasn't introduced until 1965.
Triumvirate of Terror! - S3-E8
Factual error: During the final fight in Lex's lair, Joker gives Batman a good smack with his large hammer. As is common in this show, when a good hit is delivered, a freeze frame is show with the figures moving in slow motion with a stylized colorful backdrop to add to the drama dynamics. But as Joker delivers this hit and this stylized shot is shown, the show cuts to some inmates in a prison cell watching the fight on TV. The same stylized shot is shown on their TV, where it would be show like that there, only to us. They would have just seen Joker hit Batman with the hammer and him fly off in real time with no stylized back drop or slow mo. (00:20:00)
Factual error: A 1973 Cadillac ambulance on the street is shown. The show is set in the 1960's.
Factual error: There is no way cops would just walk up and open fire on a suspect unannounced, not knowing if he is armed or not, and with an innocent bystander so close.
Factual error: Nancy takes her son Silas to an 'underground' doctor used by gang members following an attack by a biker gang. After she tries to negotiate a lower price due to the lack of anesthetics, the doctor says that he can get a second opinion at a hospital and order a $10,000 MRI if she would rather pay for that. However, an X-Ray is the first, less-expensive method used by emergency rooms and trauma centers to confirm a fracture. An MRI is typically only used to evaluate skull/brain-related injuries, but is a rarer utilized, expensive second option to evaluate a fracture that generates an unclear X-ray.
Factual error: It isn't catering to American tourists (the guests are from all over the globe), but the Posada Angelita Hotel in Mexico has only American flags out front. (00:03:15)
Factual error: Whenever the killer (always dressed in black with a balaclava disguising his/her identity) uses a knife, the blow invariably is an overhand strike. However, a knife in a downward thrust quite frequently simply skids off the overlapping ribcage of the victim.
Episode #1.6 - S1-E6
Factual error: When Commander Anne Sampson appears in her body armour she wears the rank insignia only worn by the Commissioner (a crown over a pip over crossed tipstaves in a wreath) instead of that worn by her own rank of Commander (crossed tipstaves in a wreath). She has apparently been promoted four ranks.
Episode #2.1 - S2-E1
Factual error: Season 2 is set in 1979. Bill Tench and his wife are leaving the church and going to their car. Behind their car is parked a 1981 Chevrolet Celebrity.
The Case of the Wayward Wife - S3-E13
Factual error: May buys a book for 4.95. Give the clerk a $10 bill but the register shows change of $5.15.
Factual error: A plastic bag of items is found under the footboard. Plastic bags weren't invented in 1969. They first appeared in public in 1979.
Episode #1.6 - S1-E6
Factual error: In Episode 6, Vincent comes out of his apartment building and before he reaches the curb, and has a chance to hail a cab, one is waiting for him. There was no ability to book a yellow cab in the 1980s.
Factual error: A general court-martial is being held. A general court-martial, the highest level of military court, consists of a trial counsel, defense counsel, a military judge, and a panel that must have at least five officers. An enlisted accused can request a panel composed of at least one-third enlisted personnel. In this TV show episode there were only two officers and five enlisted personnel on the panel. (00:40:50)
Episode #1.1 - S1-E1
Factual error: Unlike Christie's novels, there is no explicit statement of the date - the original novel started on the August 8th, which is compatible with what is shown here; Vera is interviewed and the letters are all posted on August 2nd 1939, which would fit. However, there's a problem when Vera changes seats en route to Soldier's island. A passenger is reading the Daily Express, and the headline is from August 29th of that year. Too much time elapsed and it's the end of the Summer while the chat between Emily and Vera implies otherwise; it's also Tuesday but the doctor comments "It's been a long week" when he apologizes at dinner - the weekend feels a more appropriate time for a party and gathering as shown. (00:06:15)
Episode One - S2-E1
Factual error: During this episode, Vincent is remanded to prison for suspected murder. At one scene he is seen working on the wing. Remand prisoners are not expected or allowed to carry out work duties in British Prisons.
Factual error: The U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers are wearing ties with tie clips. Real officers wear a badge tie tack. (00:01:35)
Factual error: When Detective Inspector Sara Lunt's photograph in uniform is shown on the TV news she is wearing a double row of silver lace below her hat badge. Only chief constables wear this insignia, well above the rank of inspector.