Best drama TV character mistakes of 1990

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

Twin Peaks picture

Episode Sixteen - S2-E9

Character mistake: At the Roadhouse Cooper states that the second victim (Maddy) was found dead two days ago. It has been less than 24 hours since the body was found: he likely means she was murdered two days ago.

pinkwafer

More Twin Peaks character mistakes
Law & Order picture

Remand - S6-E10

Character mistake: McCoy asks his witness, an expert geneticist, what the odds are that a DNA sample presented in evidence does not match that of the defendant. He answers "About one in two hundred." That is idiotic. If the DNA samples are identical the chances that the the sample presented in evidence does not come from the defendant is about one in two billion, not one in two hundred! A bright high school senior would know that, never mind an expert geneticist.

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

Suggested correction: If the odds are 1 in 200, that means the accuracy of the DNA is 99.5%. If the odds are 1 in 2 billion, that means the accuracy of the DNA is 99.9999999995%, which simply isn't true.

Bishop73

In fact as any geneticist (i.e, anyone like me) will tell you the chances of two identical DNA "fingerprints" coming from two different and unrelated individuals are around one in two thousand million. Two billion. In fact the odds are much higher than that but we scientists don't like to make claims that sound unlikely or fantastic. The accuracy of DNA fingerprinting is, as you point out, 99.9999999995%. You correction is wrong and the posting is correct.

Except that's not what happened in the scene or what happens in real life. You simply don't understand what you're arguing. You're not a geneticist.

Bishop73

More Law & Order character mistakes
More Beverly Hills, 90210 character mistakes
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air picture

Bang the Drum, Ashley - S1-E2

Character mistake: When Geoffrey serves tea after his sassy cough at Vivian's sentence about High Tea not being a sacred institution, the actor messes up when it's time to actually serve tea, with a napkin getting caught in the teacup saucer. Granted, accidents do happen, but it's quite uncharacteristic for the perfect butler Geoffrey is portrayed to be, and simply a flub by Joseph Marcell. (00:17:45)

Sammo

More The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air character mistakes
The Bradys picture

The Brady 500 - S1-E1

Character mistake: Bobby gets injured in a racing accident. When the family is told by Greg that Bobby is paralyzed and can't walk, Marcia starts to smile, then quickly changes to a sad face to match the situation.

More The Bradys character 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.