Continuity mistake: In the beginning when the mail is being pushed through the mail box we can see two letters with stamps visible, and the one to the right has a purple stamp. When it cuts three letters with stamps are visible and the one in the middle has a more darkened stamp which is not purple. (00:02:35)
Continuity mistake: When the letters hits the casket triggering the mechanism, which alarms that mail has arrived, we can see the silver ball begin to roll on the outer edge of the spiral. When it cuts the ball has suddenly went through the whole spiral and reached the hole in the middle in which it falls into. (00:02:40)
Continuity mistake: When we see Sunny biting on the table we can see her shoulder pads close over the edge on the table. When it cuts to we seeing her hanging on to the table with her teeth her shoulder pads are at least five centimeters below the edge of the table. (00:03:35)
Deliberate mistake: When Sunny picks up the Scrabble letter, you can hear her biting a piece of it. But when she places it on the board, you can see it hasn't been chewed on. It looks exactly the same as when she picked it up. (00:03:45)
Continuity mistake: When Sunny picks up the Scrabble letter, you can see the remaining letters are stacked together. Later when the shot change to her smiling, you can see the letters are more scattered. (00:03:45)
Continuity mistake: When the Baudelaires walk in to their burnt house while Lemony is narrating and says "But we all discovered that the blaze was started from a great distance", Klaus walks right behind Violet and Sunny. When it cuts Klaus has moved to the side of them. (00:04:55)
Continuity mistake: When the Baudelaires walks out of the burned house Mr. Poe is waiting for them and you can see some fire hoses behind his car. The position of the hoses changes in the distance shot. (00:06:00)
Continuity mistake: When the Baudelaire's come out of their burned house and Mr. Poe is awaiting, as Lemony Snicket says, "I tried to warn you", you can see two police men walk behind Poe's car. When it cuts to a wide shot the police men have walked several metres to the left in quite too short a time. (00:06:10)
Continuity mistake: When Mr. Poe is first taking the orphans to Count Olaf's house, the shot from the front seat shows the children in the back seat and Sunny is wiggling around with her right hand by her face. But when the angle changes she is calmer and is leaning her head on her left hand. (00:06:50)
Continuity mistake: When Mr. Poe and the Baudelaires first meet Justice Strauss she says that she is Count Olaf's neighbour, it cuts to a view up Olaf's driveway. At the corner of the sidewalk on the left of the screen you can see a tree standing. You can also see that Poe's car is parked right across it. Two shots later when Poe and the Baudelaires walk up Olaf's porch, look between Poe and the Baudelaires. Both the tree and the car are gone. (00:08:10)
Revealing mistake: In the scene where the children are first driven to Count Olaf's house, they turn round to see the house in the distance and while the house is fairly realistic the surrounding scenery and background are obviously matte paintings. (00:08:15)
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Count Olaf starts walking from the balcony to the stairs, you can see his right hand when he is saying "lovely home" with no writing. Later when he looks at his hand to remember Violet's name, his hand has writing on it. (00:09:20)
Continuity mistake: When Count Olaf is welcoming the Baudelaires he reach out his hand for Violet and says "Enchante", and you can see his fingers are separated. When it cuts his fingers are clenched. (00:10:10)
Continuity mistake: When Count Olaf grabs Klaus' face, he holds his head with both hands. When it cuts, he's suddenly let go of Klaus' head with his right hand. (00:10:25)
Continuity mistake: When Count Olaf spots Sunny and asks who she is, Violet says "Sunny is our sister" and you can see Olaf's hand on Violet's shoulder. When it cuts his hand is gone. (00:10:45)
Continuity mistake: When Poe is about to leave after dropping the kids off at Olaf's, Olaf asks if he wants to stay for a glass of port while gesturing his arm down. When it cuts his arm is up by Poe's chest. (00:12:00)
Continuity mistake: When Olaf says that the children aren't to enter the tower we see Sunny holding her hand down. When it cuts she has her hand up by Violet's chest. (00:13:25)
Continuity mistake: When Klaus throws the stick for Sunny to catch with her teeth he is holding a book with his left hand. His grip on the book change between the shots. (00:13:50)
Continuity mistake: When Violet is in the kitchen scrubbing the dishes, if you look right in front of her there is a small rack containing a red box. The end of the red box is over the edge of the rack. When it cuts to Klaus scrubbing, the red box is inside the rack. (00:14:15)
Continuity mistake: When Violet opens the closet with the rat, she is holding a pile of plates. If you look at the upper plate you can see it has curvy edges. When it cuts from a view inside the closet you can see it is a different plate on top of the pile, because the edges on it are plain. (00:14:20)
Chosen answer: The spy glasses are not explained in the books, but it seems that these are symbols of the fact that they are in VFD, the secret organization we learn about later on in the series. Both Dr. Montgomery and Aunt Josephine's husband and brother-in-law, the Anwhistle brothers, are implied to have been a part of VFD.