Best mystery TV deliberate mistakes of all time

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Hustle picture

Cops and Robbers - S1-E4

Deliberate mistake: When Sam first meets Mickey (who is posing as a bank robber), Mickey says he needs Sam to state that he needs Mickey's help in robbing a bank, so if Sam turns out to be an undercover cop, Mickey can plead entrapment. This is a classic error. Entrapment only exists where a cop actively persuades a criminal to do something he otherwise wouldn't have done - which is not the case here. If Mickey as a con artist knows this (which is likely), it's a deliberate mistake, otherwise it's a factual error. (00:30:09)

swordfish

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Death in Paradise picture

Episode #3.6 - S3-E6

Deliberate mistake: When Fidel pops behind Humphrey with the walking cane, in nonsensical fashion his cane switches hands in the brief moment when the camera moves from behind him to the front of Humph. It has to be deliberate since there is no cut, but Fidel is standing still both times, and Gary Carr must have done a sudden swap that has no reason. (00:28:20)

Sammo

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Jonathan Creek picture

The Grinning Man - S4-E7

Deliberate mistake: When Joey and Jonathan get in Joey's car at Metropolis (just before heading to the police station), the car has headrests. When they get to the police station, see Lance Gessler leaving and then follow him, the car no longer has headrests. Obviously removed so as not to obstruct the actors.

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The Adventures of Tintin picture

The Secret of the Unicorn: Part 1 - S1-E3

Deliberate mistake: After Francis Haddock kills Red Rackham, he lights a fuse to the explosives. The fuse that was lit is only a foot long, yet he is somehow able to climb out the ship without anyone noticing, get into a boat and swim all the way to land before it explodes. At a foot long it would have exploded in 10 - 15 seconds, all of that would taken at least 10 minutes. (00:18:45)

Casual Person

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Mystic Pop-up Bar picture

Episode #1.10 - S1-E10

Deliberate mistake: After it is revealed Won-hyung has taken over Yeom's body, he is shown walking alone on the street and says aloud "She's not afraid of going to Hell? I can't make it so easy for her. Will she be able to leave behind the person she's been pining for so easily? I can't wait to watch the heart-rending sight." There is no reason for him to say this out loud. He is alone and not talking to anyone. The only reason he is saying this is so that the audience knows his plan. (00:33:23)

Casual Person

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The Following picture

The Poet's Fire - S1-E3

Deliberate mistake: Rick is talking to Joe in a maximum security facility through glass without a phone. It is impossible to hear through such glass. One would literally have to scream and still it would be difficult to hear. They should be on a two-way phone and those conversations are at times recorded, especially with high profile prisoners like murderers, mafiosi, terrorists. There's no way they would get away about discussing murder and revenge without an intercept. (00:14:00 - 00:15:00)

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