Factual error: During the Pilot of Dawson's Creek, Joey mentions to Dawson that they are about to "Start High School" soon, implying they are just entering High School for the first time. When Jen shows up in the taxi for the first time, they also tell her they are Sophomores as well as she. I assumed this must be a High School that begins with Sophomore grade, meaning Middle School in their area must have been 6th or 7th through 9th grade. The entire first two Seasons of the show are their Sophomore Year. But in Season 3, during their Junior Year Jen meets Henry, a "Freshman". He is repeatedly referred to in the show as a Freshman, although technically Capeside High is supposed to be 10th through 12th grade. This makes no sense timewise, as there are no Freshmen at that school. The main characters all started High School as Sophomores. Also-there is a trivia section on one of the DVDs that lists certain classes/teachers the main characters had as Freshman English, etc. But since they had those classes/teachers in the show, they were really Sophomores which further verifies there are no Freshmen at the school.
Continuity mistake: After Dawson and Eve check his locker to see if the PSAT test was returned, they then start talking in the hallway next to his locker. Just as Eve says "Tell me who you think it is", there is a shot of her from the rear as she turns around to face Dawson with her arms crossed in front of her, and down by her sides. The next shot of Eve is from the front, as she says "Whoever you were just thinking of"; and suddenly her arms are at an angle away from her sides with her hands on her hips. Then the next shot of Eve is from the rear, and again her arms are straight and back down close to her sides as she says "It is". Then the next shot of Eve, again from the front shows her arms back out at an angle again with her hands on her hips as she says "Simple and obvious". There was no time for her to have moved her arms and hands during this scene, the transition was too fast. Apparently the shots of Eve from the front, and from the rear during this scene were filmed at two different times.
Plot hole: When Dawson and Eve are in the PSAT room After Hours looking for the test, there is a noticeably open outside window behind them implying that was how they broke into the room. But when the security guard suddenly comes in the room and walks by the window twice, he makes no attempt to close the window and secure the room, which one would think was his job.
Suggested correction: Eve closed the window before they hid under the table.
Continuity mistake: When Andie is doing sit-ups in the morning and practicing for the PSAT, she is listening to the news on TV. The news anchor mentions the author of the popular book "Cracking the PSAT". She says 'PSAT' not 'SAT'. But Andie immediately says something like "Way ahead of you", and holds up her copy of the book. On the cover, it says "Cracking the SAT", not 'PSAT'.
Plot hole: When Dawson and Eve are in the PSAT room After Hours, looking for the test, a security guard suddenly comes in. They both have time to duck under a desk and avoid being seen, but as soon as the guard passes them, they start talking in rather loud whispers. The guard is still very close to them, as he quickly returns to walk past them going the other way. It seems reckless for them to be talking like that with the security guard so close at hand who would normally hear them, and so soon after he walks by them.
Plot hole: When Dawson suddenly shows up at Joey's workplace, Joey is inside asleep at the desk and Pacey is awake sitting outside. As Pacey and Dawson start fighting verbally, their voices escalate loudly but Joey still doesn't wake up even though she's sitting right inside. It isn't until they start throwing punches at each other and fighting physically that Joey suddenly comes running out to see what is going on. It doesn't seem realistic that Joey would be able to sleep through their loud arguing, and not wake up until they are hitting each other. If she had woken up before that, she would have definitely come outside to see what Dawson and Pacey were up to.
Plot hole: When Dawson picks up the phone in his bedroom after seeing the lights in the house next door, he dials 9-1-1 (You can hear the three beeps from the phone buttons). Yet when the person on the other end answers the phone, she says "Capeside Police". Later in the episode Doug also makes a reference to Dawson dialing 911. Yet when he called 911, they should have responded "911" instead of "Capeside Police". Normally when you call 911 you would get a 911 operator, not be put directly through to the local Police until you requested it.
Continuity mistake: Right after Pacey leaves Dawson's bedroom at the beginning of the episode, Dawson looks out his side window to see Pacey leave and suddenly notices flashlights in the dark house next door. It's clear that Dawson is looking out the side window on the right of his bed, as he is directly facing Jen's house. There is also a side window to the left of his bed which also faces the same direction. But in a later episode (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner); they show a wide shot of that side of Dawson's house. There are two windows on that side of his house facing Jen's house, but they are on each side of a chimney and the two windows make up the complete upstairs (looks more like two rooms). But whenever we see Dawson's bedroom, it's much smaller and does not take up the complete upstairs space of the house. In fact, there is a clear upstairs stair landing that his bedroom is off of, and this landing looks out over a large open space with the dining room, living room, etc. So there is no way that Dawson's room with both side windows could possibly take up the entire sideways width of the upstairs as is shown from the outside. There is also no fireplace and chimney that runs the entire height of the house on that side of the house, and which would in theory be located right where Dawson's bed is between his two side windows. Obviously the real house exteriors differ considerably from the inside sets.
Plot hole: When Jen and Henry are talking in the park, he tells her that he's 15. But later in Season 3, he has a Birthday party at the Skating Rink in which he would have to be turning 16. Henry is a Freshman, and it's highly unlikely he would be turning 16 in his Freshman year. All the main characters of Dawson's Creek turned 16 during their Sophomore years. It also doesn't seem likely that Henry would have skipped an academic school year, as his personality/character doesn't appear to be intellectually motivated.
Suggested correction: You have it backwards. To be a 16-year old freshman Henry wouldn't have skipped a year - he would have had to repeat one. As you put it, he's not exactly "intellectually motivated," so it's plausible to think he did indeed repeat a year.
Escape from Witch Island - S3-E7
Plot hole: When Dawson, Joey, Jen and Pacey are stuck on Witch Island after dark-they are suddenly shown using strong flashlights to see their way. But they had never originally intended to be on Witch Island after dark, which was made clear when someone suggested leaving because 'it was starting to get dark'. They were only carrying light daypacks for their day trip, and Pacey even joked about how no-one had bothered packing any snacks. Therefore since no-one intended to be on the Island after dark, and they packed very light day packs without even food, why would they suddenly be carrying large flashlights? It's unlikely they would have bought them at the Witch Island Gift Store, as it wasn't shown and no-one seemed to pay for anything from there.
Continuity mistake: When Jen walks into the Video Store, she is wearing a black top, red skirt and a black leather jacket that is completely open and unbuttoned. As she talks to Dawson, who is behind the counter, she says, "I'm working on a project with Pacey in a 'human growth and development' thing - is he here?" She is standing up, but leaning slightly forward against the counter and her coat is still widely open. But the next shot of Jen, as she says, "But he told me that he was working today," the black leather jacket is suddenly closed together as if buttoned, and she is leaning foward more on the counter. Then, after Dawson walks over to the movie rack and Jen follows him, her jacket is again hanging completely open and unbuttoned.
Plot hole: When Jen is helping Dawson at the Video Store, and spots Pacey and Joey out on the street, she asks, "Dawson, do you have one of those little signs that says 'Back in 5'?" Dawson then relies "Yeah", implying he could leave the store for several minutes on a small break. But then he and Jen follow to where Joey and Pacey are taking their dance lesson. Dawson then proceeds to dance his way through an entire dance lesson, witness a confrontational scene in the coat closet, and then lingers outside in the street having a meaningful conversation with Joey. This would all obviously take up a considerable amount of time, much more than a small break. Therefore - how would he have gotten away with closing down the Video Store for that amount of time without losing business and possibly his job? Especially if the sign only indicated he would be away a few minutes. This would be very un-Dawson-like to be that irresponsible with his only place of employment.
Plot hole: When Jack and Andie are using the computer at school, Jack shows a clear knowledge of computers by explaining search engine criteria to Andie. It's also mentioned that they had already done an extensive background check on Ben, again implying that Jack has extensive computer skills. So why would Jack, who is apparently quite skilled with computers: not know what an Instant Message is, not know how to 'get rid of this thing' by clicking off the IM window, and not know to click 'Send' in order to send an IM back to Ben. It doesn't make sense that Jack would know so much about computers, and not have any awareness of how something as simple and basic in Internet usage as 'Instant Messages' would work.
Continuity mistake: When Jack and Andie are using the computer with Ben's Instant Message on the screen, there is a close-up of the computer screen as they wait for Ben's photo to download. Just to the right of the photo is the entire IM, which shows all 3 lines of dialogue between Ben and Jack. The last line says, "So. What do you think?" But after the photo is finished, there is a sudden 'beep' from the computer signalling another incoming IM message, which Jack then reads out loud as if it is a new message. But what he reads is, "So. What do you think?", the exact same line that was already in the IM box before the photo finished downloading. The implication is that he is reading a message that just came in, yet that line of dialogue from Ben was already present in the IM box previously.
First Encounters of the Close Kind - S3-E10
Plot hole: Joey tells AJ that her Mother used to read "Little Women" to her, and in fact named her 'Josephine' because "Little Women" was her favorite book. But in a previous episode when Joey and Dawson visit her Mother's grave, the gravestone has printed 'Lillian Josephine Potter', meaning her Mother already had Josephine as her middle name. So naming Joey 'Josephine' wasn't only because of the book "Little Women"; her Mother more likely named her that because it was her middle name.
Plot hole: Jack and Jen go to Capefest, primarily because Jack wants to run into Ethan who invited him there for the festivities. Jack and Ethan spend time together at Capefest, and become friends. Ethan makes a comment that he wants to go straight to sleep because he is tired, and the next day was a big day, meaning 20 bands starting at dawn. But the next morning, before breakfast Ethan and Jack talk briefly, Ethan says 'Goodbye' and they go their separate ways without enjoying any of the music fun together. It doesn't seem plausible that Ethan would invite Jack to Capefest to enjoy the music scene, and then take off just when all the fun is starting on the main day. Why wouldn't they have spent the day together as friends enjoying all the bands and festivities which is what they went there for?
A Weekend in the Country - S3-E12
Plot hole: When everyone is staying at the Potter B&B, Joey mentions that it's supposed to be the coldest night of the year. Also, Mr. Fricke tells them at breakfast that the heat went out again during the night. After such a cold night and the heat going out, the house must have been freezing that morning. Yet Joey wakes up and is wearing only a skimpy sleeveless top and PJ bottoms, more like summer pajamas. She continues walking into the very cold house without putting a robe or anything else on. It looks a bit odd, considering how cold the temperature is and the fact that everyone else that morning is already wearing long sleeves. Later that morning, the house is still so cold Joey is sleeping by the fire with a blanket over her. Yet earlier that morning, she seemed to be comfortable in scanty summer PJs.
A Weekend in the Country - S3-E12
Plot hole: The morning after everyone stayed at the Potter B&B, there is a fun kitchen scene showing all the kids dancing together preparing breakfast. Andie seems to be making pancakes. Yet later at breakfast, Joey finds out that Bodie has come back and is the reason the pancakes taste so good. Apparently he was the chef that morning, but he is nowhere in sight during the breakfast-making scene. So if all the kids are cooking - where is Bodie? Wasn't he supposed to make the pancakes?
Suggested correction: Bodie didn't make the pancakes (at least not all of them) it was his recipe.
A Weekend in the Country - S3-E12
Audio problem: During the scene where the group (including Mr Fricke) are all having breakfast together, Pacey says 'this is for you, Mr Fricke' and hands the B&B critic a plate. A few moments later, when Joey is in the kitchen area talking to Bessie (away from the group in the dining area), the exact same dialogue can be heard from Pacey as background noise to Joey and Bessie's conversation. The laughter and general chatter is also the same, showing that the entire audio was lifted from the breakfast table scene and placed over the kitchen conversation scene.
Factual error: Not only are the Northern Lights the wrong color, they also move far, far too fast. They look like they've been sped up. Northern Lights move slowly.
