Best thriller TV mistakes of all time

Please vote as you browse around to help the best rise to the top.

More The Game mistakes
Persons Unknown picture

The Edge - S1-E2

Continuity mistake: When the hostages try to get some rubble to catch fire, they find that everything is covered in some flame retardant stuff. Yet, in the very first episode one of the very first things they do is to make a small fire to get the fire alarm going.

baal9336

More Persons Unknown mistakes
Nowhere Man picture

Absolute Zero (Pilot) - S1-E1

Factual error: When Tom is locked up in an institution for the mentally ill, he is given a bed on a mixed gender ward/wing (both men and women). Wings and wards in mental institutions have not been mixed gender for more than 100 years - it is inconceivable that this practice would be existing in the 1990s in a large city in the USA.

swordfish

More Nowhere Man mistakes
The Returned picture

Simon - S1-E2

Factual error: Thomas holds the Gendarmerie rank of Capitaine (by which he is frequently addressed by his subordinates), and thus should wear three horizontal silver bars on his epaulettes. However, in the only scene where his rank is displayed he instead wears the two chevrons of an ordinary gendarme.

Necrothesp

More The Returned mistakes
Midwinter of the Spirit picture

Show generally

Factual error: Possibly a mistake from the novel on which the series is based, but although he later became Bishop of Hereford, St Thomas Cantilupe wasn't baptised in Herefordshire. He came from Buckinghamshire.

Necrothesp

More Midwinter of the Spirit mistakes
Defending Jacob picture

Show generally

Continuity mistake: Throughout the series, the Barbers pull their cars straight up their driveway. But the cars are nearly always shown coming back down the driveway driving forward.

bnemirow

More Defending Jacob mistakes
In Plain Sight picture

Pilot - S1-E1

Continuity mistake: When Mary talks to Bobby D at the crime scene, her hair moves back and forth over her left shoulder between shots throughout their conversation.

ployp

More In Plain Sight mistakes
One of Us picture

Show generally

Factual error: The DI refers to the local policeman as "Officer" Fuller. No British police officer would use this term to refer to another British police officer. She'd have said Constable Fuller or PC Fuller.

Necrothesp

More One of Us mistakes
Tales of the Unexpected picture

Royal Jelly - S2-E1

Plot hole: It's all very well for Albert to humm "bzz-bzz" to indicate that he has been eating too much Royal Jelly and is no longer entirely human. But "bzz" is just the noise of bees flying, it's not a sound that they deliberately produce. It makes no sense to SAY "bzz." Suppose he was turning into a horse instead, then he might say "Whinny!", but he wouldn't say "Clip clop clip clop."

Spiny Norman

More Tales of the Unexpected mistakes
Lovecraft Country picture

Show generally

Factual error: In Massachusetts, Atticus, Leti and George are attacked by the local sheriff and his deputies, who are patrolling the county roads. In Massachusetts, sheriffs run the county jails, but they do not (and did not) handle routine policing, which is the responsibility only of municipal police departments.

Necrothesp

More Lovecraft Country mistakes
Rabbit Hole picture

Show generally

Other mistake: Agent Maddy is approaching the scene of a downtown explosion and fire. She has her FBI badge showing on her belt. As she approaches the police line she rummages in her jacket and looks down at where the badge is, but reaches into the adjacent pocket to pull out another badge in a wallet. Why not identify herself with the badge on her belt?

toroscan

More Rabbit Hole mistakes
Constantine picture

The Darkness Beneath - S1-E2

Factual error: Constantine's driving licence is shown - it's a UK licence, but no. 7 where his signature should be is blank, and no. 8 where his full address should be simply says "England, United Kingdom." Both are printed onto the licence when it's issued - without that info it would never be issued in the first place. And it's not a fake, because why would he have a fake licence with his real information on it? It's just an incomplete prop.

Jon Sandys

More Constantine mistakes
The Following picture

Pilot - S1-E1

Factual error: The FBI agent introduces himself and says "Mike Weston - I did my thesis on Joe Carol at the academy." FBI agents are required to have a university degree, but they don't write thesis' at the academy. A person is either in a university or at Quantico getting trained. They are not writing papers at Quantico. They need the degree beforehand to get in. (00:10:30 - 00:11:30)

More The Following mistakes
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live picture

Show generally

Continuity mistake: As Rick is getting informed about the CRM's future plans, he is holding his knife under the table. The next shot shows his hand on the table, before showing his hand holding the knife under the table again. (00:23:50)

FastEddie

More The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live mistakes
More Ratched mistakes
Liar picture

Season 2 generally

Factual error: DI Renton is a Metropolitan Police officer 'parachuted' into Kent to solve a big case. This hasn't happened for many decades. Local police forces investigate their own crimes without help from the Met.

Necrothesp

More Liar mistakes
The Perfect Mother picture

Show generally

Other mistake: Vincent falls from a parking garage and smashes onto the roof of his car, appearing nearly dead. In the next episode, he is in the hospital with multiple broken ribs and other fractures, yet he is released without even staying the night for observation.

bnemirow

More The Perfect Mother mistakes
Tin Star picture

All Roads - S3-E5

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.

Necrothesp

More Tin Star mistakes
Tokyo Vice picture

Show generally

Factual error: Jake and Miyamoto go to an establishment where there are girls dancing on stage. The girls are first dancing to "Motivation" by Kelly Rowland, released in 2011, and "Aly Walk With Me" by The Raveonettes, released in 2007. But, this scene takes place in 1999.

jshy7979

More Tokyo Vice mistakes

Show generally

Factual error: Abby gets out of the train via the driver's door. You see a front view of the train. The number on the train is 321434. This train runs on overhead lines, and it is being shown as a Gatwick Express train from Gatwick Airport to Victoria. The railway from Gatwick to Victoria has a third rail conductor, so this Class 321 train would not have been able to move. (00:50:02)

M1CGP

More Nightsleeper mistakes

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.