Wanderlust - S1-E5
Continuity mistake: When Benson and Stabler are interviewing Virginia at the end of the episode, when she admits to committing the crime, she breaks down into tears and her face turns red. The next shot is from over her shoulder, and her expression is normal. In the very next shot, from the front, her face is flushed and tears again.
Continuity mistake: Munch and Cassidy are at an S&M shop and are about to leave. Munch grabs Cassidy by his upper left arm. Cut to the next shot and he's now grabbing onto Cassidy by the shoulder.
Continuity mistake: When Stabler steps out to confront Tarzi, there is a long, brown brick wall to Tarzi's right. Tarzi then turns and runs across the street and is followed by Fin. Munch steps out and yells "halt!" There is another shot of Tarzi and he stops again. Right before he is tackled by Fin, behind him, to his right, is the same brick wall as before even though he crossed the street and ran down the block.
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Detective Munch visits the hospital room of a young comatose girl for the first time, the girl's left arm is alongside her body above the top sheet. As Munch approaches the bed, her arm is below the top sheet. When Munch visits the still-comatose girl a second time in the last scene of the episode, in the foreground as he is entering the room the girl's head is turned, facing her right. As he pauses to watch her, in the next shot she is now facing upright towards the ceiling. In this same shot, the purportedly still-comatose girl slightly moves her head and lips as if swallowing.
Continuity mistake: At the beginning of the episode, Alvin Maddox looks over the counter to discover the body. Her underwear is around her right ankle. Later, when Stabler is examining the body, the underwear has shifted to be around her left ankle.
Continuity mistake: Benson visits Stabler at his home to confronts him about the FBI detail he has ordered to protect her. They talk outside and then Benson is seen walking away. The next shot shows a side shot of Benson approaching him again in silence but mouthing words to him. (00:49:00)
Continuity mistake: Dr. Huang and Stabler are in the interrogation room with Joe when Joe starts telling him about the voices in his head. The boy is screaming for the voices to stop when Huang comes forward to comfort him. He takes his hand down from his ears, but in the next shot they're up near his head again. (00:18:25)
Birthright - S6-E1
Continuity mistake: Abigail Breslin's front teeth change length throughout the episode.
Continuity mistake: When Detective Stabler is questioning Carlos Guzman at the pool, Guzman puts the drain cover on in the pool and walks towards Stabler. The camera goes to Stabler and back to Guzman, and the drain cover in the background is off.
Continuity mistake: In the beginning of the episode when the parrot first comes to Patty, it rests on her left shoulder. In the next shot, when she comes around the corner, the parrot has moved to her right arm. (00:01:30)
Continuity mistake: The FBI agent's fork is already loaded with egg as she picks it up. You can hear she puts food in her mouth as she is talking, but as the camera angle changes the egg is still on her fork. (00:22:00)
Continuity mistake: When Donovan pushes Stabler off the roof, Stabler is standing with his back facing the parapet and goes straight over. However, when he's shown on the roof below after he's landed, he's turned almost a full 90 degrees and is lying parallel to the building.
Continuity mistake: Fin is talking to the suspect in the interrogation room. After he calls Fin a racist remark the camera goes to outside the room where Cabot and Cragen are watching in on them from the 2 way window. It then goes back to Fin with the suspect inside the room. When the camera points at the suspect you can see blinds are actually shut on the 2 way window behind him. So Cabot and Cragen could not possibly see in like they were supposed to. (00:25:00)
Continuity mistake: When Amaro and Benson are searching the hotel room, they both put on gloves as they enter (Amaro puts gloves on both hands, Benson just on her right). After Amaro says "they weren't after cash", the camera pans back to Benson who is no longer wearing gloves, but holding one in her right hand and using it to pick up items. The camera pans back to Amaro who opens a safe and finds a passport, still wearing both gloves. He opens the passport and recites information, and we see Benson now wearing her right glove again. We then go to a POV shot of Amaro and he is reading the passport with no gloves, before the camera immediately changes shot and he has them both back on again.
Answer: I didn't see the show so I don't know the details. A general answer would be because a reckless endangerment charge is easier to prove "beyond a Reasonable Doubt" in court and get a conviction. This charge would not require the prosecutor to prove intent, which would be required for proving aggravated or simple assault. Also, if there were no visible injuries, it is difficult to show bodily injury. Just because the reckless endangerment charge was specifically mentioned, it does not necessarily mean there were not other charges filed. Police often make multiple charges, like lesser-included offenses, so that the defendant's act will fall under one of them if the legal requirements are not met for the others, if they are not sure of the best charge to make (the district attorney knows and can decide), or to have something to plea bargain with.
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