Spiny Norman

Black Blood - S1-E1

Other mistake: All the Greek name variants are used over the Latin ones - including even "Odysseus" over the more familiar "Ulysses" (who is the same person). However when the story of Actaeon comes up, it's suddenly the goddess "Diana" that he saw. But all the gods have their Greek names, so that should be "Artemis." (As indeed is used in episode 2). (00:39:35)

Spiny Norman

3rd Nov 2017

Doctor Who (1963)

The Creature from the Pit - S17-E3

Plot hole: In part 2 it's brought up in conversation several times that all metal is rare on that planet. Handy exposition for the viewers, but it's in fact a really odd thing for the characters to say. The inhabitants aren't giving a tour of their planet (certainly not deliberately at any rate), so why would they state facts that have been well known to them all of their lives? It's a bit like meeting strangers and informing them that two thirds of the Earth are covered by oceans.

Spiny Norman

29th Oct 2017

Love Actually (2003)

Factual error: The place where Jamie is writing his novel is revealed to be Marseilles, France, when he flies back to propose. In the first part of their story, it might have been Portugal; his housekeeper spoke French, which is a common second language in that country; and Aurelia only spoke Portuguese. Yet in the entire second part, no-one speaks any French at all; only Portuguese and a few words of English. Sure enough there are many Portuguese families living in France; but they do not have their own linguistic enclave in Marseilles, and any generation growing up there would have learnt French as well. Either the language or the airport name are wrong.

Spiny Norman

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

Suggested correction: In the second part, only a few people are heard speaking Portuguese. They are mostly Aurelia's family or friends of the family. It's reasonable to assume that these few people spoke Portuguese.

But not only Portuguese. And aren't there various neighbours, bystanders, and restaurant guests too? It still looks to me like the movie doesn't quite know whether they're in the South of France or in Portugal.

Spiny Norman

22nd Oct 2017

Atlantis (2013)

The Queen Must Die - S2-E12

Factual error: In the last minutes, the show looks forward to future challenges, in effect a preview of the never-made 3rd series. The oracle says they must find "the golden fleece, woven long ago by the Stygian witches." But the golden fleece, or indeed any fleece, is not a woven fabric. (Today's fleece is a modern invention).

Spiny Norman

Sucker Bait - S1-E7

Factual error: It is quite true that atoms that do not occur naturally are bad for humans. However, in a space age as this story's, that would apply to most or even all planets. It would be a well known risk that didn't require an abnormal specialist to diagnose. (This fact rarely figures in other SF, because it would severely limit most stories).

Spiny Norman