Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Brief Interlude - S14-E23

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.

SVU89

Asunder - S2-E7

Character mistake: Sgt Lloyd Andrews' attorney, during arraignment, asked the judge that the defendant be "remanded on his own recognise." The proper terminology for ROR, and what he meant to say is "Released on his own recognizance."

Devil's Dissections - S17-E1

Visible crew/equipment: After most of Susie's severed remains are found at the beach, it cuts to ADA Barba walking into the conference room as he says, "Twelve hours after Rudnick posts bail, a potential prosecution witness is found in pieces with the morning tide," and under the table we can see two reddish long tape marks on the floor, where Olivia stands during the scene. (00:32:10)

Super Grover

Anchor - S11-E10

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)

Her Negotiation - S14-E24

Plot hole: Although William Lewis burns his fingertips in an attempt to avoid identification, the Special Victims Unit could have identified him early on by examining the remaining unburned area of Lewis' hands, and in good police procedure still record the newly scarred fingerprints, as these new scars actually make his fingerprints more unique. His scarred fingerprints would still be at Alice's apartment crime scene, and during the trial at the end of the episode the prosecution would still have a strong argument for placing Lewis at Alice's apartment, even if the DNA evidence is thrown out because of alleged cross contamination.

Turmoil - S11-E8

Factual error: When Stabler's son Dickie is trying to join the Army, Dickie's recruiter tells Stabler that he can join at 16 with parental consent. This is incorrect; you have to be at least 17 to join the U.S. Army, even with parental consent. In addition to the fact that you can't join at 16, the consent papers that Dickie bought to Stabler at the end of the episode can't be signed without a recruiter or notary public present and signing the papers at the same time. This is to prevent cases where a parent who had a change of heart can claim they didn't sign and to also prevent 17-year olds from enlisting without consent by forging their parents' signatures.

AD

Disabled - S11-E17

Character mistake: In the scene where Detective Benson is presenting possible home care suspects for the rape of Cara, she says that Drew Cummings is on trial for distribution of Schedule 4 drugs. When asked which ones by Detective Stabler, she says "Vicodin, Percocet, Oxycontin, you name it..." Vicodin was a Schedule 3 drug, recently rescheduled to Schedule 2. Percocet and Oxycontin, the main ingredient for both being oxycodone, have always been Schedule 2. Schedule 4 drugs are drugs like Xanax and Phentermine, less addictive with lower legal penalties for distribution. (00:32:35)

Angels - S4-E6

Character mistake: When Munch and Finn visit victim's apartment, Munch states that the glass in the broken window is tempered, The glass is not tempered but more likely laminated wire glass; due to he fact that the glass is still intact and the child had to use wire cutters to get out.

RareJewel

Closure - S1-E10

Character mistake: Olivia's talking to Cassidy about the previous night. She says, "We went to Meloni's place." I assume she meant Stabler.

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: She didn't say place. She said "we went to Maloney's, we got drunk." Maloney's is a name of a few bars in New York.

Bishop73

Tortured - S4-E16

Other mistake: When Warner sprays the victim's neck during the autopsy to check for copper, the victim has a pulse.

Closure, Part II - S2-E3

Other mistake: When Stabler, Benson, and Cabot are talking to Mrs. Cleary about the jewelry, Mrs. Cleary excuses herself to take a phone call. When the camera is on Cabot, Mrs. Cleary is in the background mirror moving her mouth although she is not saying anything.

Taboo - S7-E14

Visible crew/equipment: A grey and black boom microphone appears above the judge just right of middle at the top of the screen as the judge grabs the note from the officer and reads it. (00:33:50)

commorancy

Bully - S12-E18

Factual error: The coroner refers to someone having a blood alcohol level of 1.6. No such thing - above 0.5 you're almost certainly dead.

Birthright - S6-E1

Revealing mistake: When Munch is driving after the perpetrator you can see the dent in the side of the car moments before he actually hits the car and goes over the bonnet.

John King

Post-Mortem Blues - S15-E21

Plot hole: M.E. Warner explains of Lewis and Benson "both their fingerprints are on the gun." Lewis burned his off in a particularly gruesome scene a few episodes earlier. (It was at the beginning of his arc). Only Benson's should be on her gun. (00:29:20)

Uncle - S8-E4

Elliot Stabler: Just so you know, everybody loses it their first kid case.
Dani Beck: I'll get used to it.
Elliot Stabler: Well... When that happens, transfer out.

Cubs Fan

More quotes from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Scavenger - S6-E4

Trivia: As the detectives are trying to find out from Doug Hutchinson's character where the victim is being held, the detectives find out he is somewhat claustrophobic. They decide to scare him and put him in a cupboard without any light. This is very similar to Doug Hutchinson's character in The Green Mile. The main characters decide to punish him and force him into a dark and small room.

Lummie

More trivia for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Show generally

Question: Why does Oliver Gates come up with ridiculous reasons for the people he defends whenever they commit murder? In the episode "Hate", Sean Webster was killing Muslims and Oliver claims that his hatred was genetic but, it was found out that Sean had been raised to hate Muslims after his dad left his mom and married a muslim. In the episode "Game" a guy is murdering people the exact same way that's done in a video game when it's clear the suspect is using the video game as a scapegoat for his crimes.

Answer: His clients are guilty and won't take a plea. He's using desperate defenses in hopes of swaying a juror or two. Also makes for better television. "Temporary insanity" isn't nearly as compelling as "the video games made me do it."

Brian Katcher

More questions & answers from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

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.