Best mystery TV character mistakes of all time

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Relic Hunter picture

Smoking Gun - S1-E2

Character mistake: When the bad guys put the generator in front of the air vent, Nigel looks at the white smoke and pointing at it says "Carbon monoxide." Carbon monoxide is colorless, white smoke is mostly condensed vapor. (00:35:20)

Sammo

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Leverage picture

The Rundown Job - S5-E10

Character mistake: Upon finding the Spanish flu virus missing, Hardison freaks out about it killing 50m people 100 years ago, saying it would be even more deadly today due to the higher population. There's no reason to think so - the death toll in 1918 was massively exacerbated by the aftermath of WWI. Not to mention today we have vaccines, plus most deaths then were actually caused by bacterial pneumonia, which today is easily treated with antibiotics.

Jon Sandys

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Crossing Jordan picture

Four Fathers - S1-E14

Character mistake: Mahershala said the child found in the cement had "osteoportrosis", instead of osteoporosis. Then the grief counselor repeated the same incorrect word.

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

Suggested correction: They said "osteopetrosis," which is a different medical condition from osteoporosis. Osteopetrosis is a genetic condition that causes overly dense, brittle, and misshapen bones starting in infancy.

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Forever Knight picture

I Will Repay - S1-E10

Character mistake: Nick asks Janette if she's ever turned anyone else into a vampire - an odd question, considering the fact that he already knows she has. He was there when she brought the baroness across in the 18th Century flashback sequence for "If Looks Could Kill." It's even odder that Janette tells him she's never done it, since she knows that Nick knows she has. Apparently, the only one not in the know here was the scriptwriter.

Jean G

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FBI (2018)

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Surface picture

Show generally

Character mistake: When Rich refers to the film showing Davis (decades ago), he figures they were in "Asia... Mongolia or somewhere." However, the film cannister had "Tibet, 1937" written on it - important enough to show the audience, but not for the character to read? (00:40:25)

David R Turner

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