Dawson's Creek (1998) - 55 mistakes in series 4

Factual error: In the opening credits of season 3 and season 4, when all of them are on the swing, you can see a palm tree in the background. If the show takes place in Massachusetts, why would there be a palm tree? Palm trees don't grow in Massachusetts.

Visible crew/equipment: In the scene where Joey and Pacey have arrived back at Capeside, and are getting things ready to get off the "True Love," in one shot you can see the microphone clipped to the back of Joey's shorts.

Plot hole: Dawson mentions to everyone on the beach, that he and Jack have to go paint their 'last home of the season', implying they have been earning money by painting homes around Capeside. However, when Dawson and Jack stop by the hardware store to get supplies, Dawson picks out a metal handle for the paint rollers. Paint and new rollers makes sense, but if they have indeed painted other houses that Summer, he probably wouldn't need a more substantial piece of equipment as the heavy duty metal paint roller handle. He would already have one.

Continuity: Gram's kitchen in previous Seasons had orange walls, and the cabinets were painted with avocado green and orange centers. (Except for the Pilot Presentation, where the cabinets were painted all green). However, in this scene the walls are still orange but the cabinets have been suddenly changed to avocado green and yellow centers.

Plot hole: Dawson and Jen are in a small 'darkroom', developing photos and speaking at a normal level. This darkroom is located just behind the main stairs, and very close to the living room where Dawson's parents are 'getting busy'. Therefore, the parents normally would have heard their voices so close to them, and known they were in the house and not been so surprised by them.

Deliberate "mistake": This scene between Dawson and Jen in his 'dark room' was shot in a distinctive red light. However, in reality there was no red light during filming, the effect was added later during post-production.

Visible crew/equipment: In the very beginning, when Joey and Pacey are on the boat coming home, there are a few closeups of Pacey that show a small microphone jutting out the material of his shirt, right under his collar.

Continuity: Just before Jen gets up from the sun lounger, the cord from her sun hat goes instantly from falling off her shoulder to sitting by her neck.

Continuity: When Joey and Pacey are talking on the dock just after arriving back in Capeside, Joey's hair changes instantly from being swept behind her right shoulder and behind her back, to sitting in front of both shoulders.

Continuity: When Joey and Pacey are talking on the dock just after arriving back in Capeside, Pacey has a bag over his left shoulder. In shots from in front the bag's strap is folded over itself, but in shots from behind it lies flat on his shoulder.

Continuity: When Joey and Pacey are on the boat coming home, look closely at Pacey's hair under the cap he is wearing. It is longer/thicker hair, and appears to be layered somewhat on the sides and back of the neck. A little later when Joey and Pacey have docked in Capeside and are getting off the boat, Pacey's hair is suddenly cut very short/close to the head, and does not look like it did under the cap on the boat.

Plot hole: This scene reveals that Joey has brought Dawson a special gift from her sailing trip with Pacey. It's a brick from the foundation of Ernest Hemingway's home in the Florida Keys, symbolic to 'build the foundation of a friendship' between her and Dawson. In reality, it's highly unlikely that anyone would have allowed Joey to damage a foundation wall by prying out a large-sized brick; and steal it from the premises of a famous, historic home and landmark.

Revealing: This scene of Dawson and Joey in the parking lot of the "Dive-In" was not really filmed in the same location. The show only had the location of the "Dive-In" for a limited time, and had to film all other related scenes in the parking lot of the studio in Wilmington, NC. Any scenes that don't show water in the background; and are just palm trees, lighting etc. were actually shot several weeks later in the parking lot, which was recreated to be part of the beach at the "Dive-In".

Plot hole: When Dawson goes over to Joey's house to talk to her about Pacey's school problems, he mentions that Pacey had missed that entire day of school. Joey apparently didn't know this, as she is surprised at the news. Since Joey and Pacey are closely involved - wouldn't she have noticed his absence at school that day already? Surely she would have noticed Pacey missing for an entire day of school.

Continuity: At the end of the episode, when Pacey is telling Joey about his school problems; her hair changes dramatically between shots. Just as she says, "Whatever it takes, we're gonna fix it", her hair is blown back off her right shoulder, away from her face with only the hair ends resting on her shoulder. The next shot of Joey, as she says, "I'm not going anywhere without you", her hair is suddenly down in front of her right shoulder, and close to her face again. When Pacey asks her, "Joey?" and she replies, "Yeah?", her hair is still fully down by her face on the right side, in front of her right shoulder. But then the next shot of Joey when she says, "I'm not that much smarter, Pace", her hair is suddenly swept far back off her right shoulder, away from her face with the hair ends resting on her shoulder again. It looks like they filmed this scene two different ways, and edited it together.

Plot hole: Mrs. Valentine almost fires Joey, after discovering that she lied about knowing the Owens. Drue steps in and saves Joey's job by claiming he did see the Owen boy. But Joey keeps her job throughout the rest of that season. Since the Owens were said to be in Paris only until the 1st of the year - wouldn't Mrs. Valentine have found that Joey lied about knowing them as soon as they returned to Capeside? Surely Mrs. Valentine would have mentioned Joey to the Owens; thinking she was their good friend, and because she was new on staff at the Country Club they were members of the board for. And once she found out Joey had indeed lied, why did she not fire her at that point?

Plot hole: While out at sea, Jen and Pacey get slammed by the storm. So Pacey decides to take shelter at a small cove that he and Dawson had once used to wait out a storm. Pacey and Jen make it safely to the cove, and wait on the boat in fear of being capsized or drowning. If they are in a cove, and close to shore-why wouldn't they go on land to wait out the storm where they would be safer than in a boat that could be capsized or flooded? They could have probably swam a few feet to get to the shore, since they were already in a small cove that was near land. When Pacey was steering the boat into the cove; there was a noticable man-made jetty they were very close to, so obviously they were within close range of solid land.

Plot hole: When the storm hits the Capeside Yacht Club, Andie takes charge and tells Mrs. Valentine to write down two phone numbers and call Dawson's parents, and Jen's grandmother. But she forgets completely about Joey and Pacey, both of whom are in harm's way, especially Pacey. Seems illogical she would have Mrs. Valentine call about two of the people out at sea, but not the other two. Joey's family and Pacey's family would also be concerned.

Continuity: When Pacey picks Joey up to carrying her out of the party, he puts her over his right shoulder. In the next shot, just before they go out the door, she is carried over his left shoulder.

Continuity: During this episode, Jack injures his left shoulder playing football and has to wear a sling the entire time. Every single time Jack is shown, he is wearing a blue sling on his left arm, with the supporting strap across his right shoulder (to provide diagonal support), except once. During the party scene when Jack is talking to Dawson - the blue sling is suddenly over his right arm, with the supporting strap across his left shoulder.