As a television show progresses, its characters, story, and history tend to go through some changes. Sometimes, writers accidentally create huge plot holes in otherwise brilliant shows. Plot holes can be infuriating for diehard fans, who follow their favorite series with gusto.

From magical creatures like the White Walkers in Game of Thrones suddenly overcoming their weaknesses to twins of different ages in Riverdale, some TV shows have really pushed past the limits of logic. Fans hate to see these plot holes, especially when they remain unsolved or create inconsistencies that can haunt shows for decades.

Updated on February 13th, 2024 by Fawzia Khan: Plot holes are a natural occurrence in most TV shows, mainly because some of them have sprawling storylines and complex worlds. This list has been updated with even more outrageous plot holes that fans want answers to, along with improved formatting and extra details that fans would love to know.

20 Will's Friends Totally Ignored His Birthday

Poor Will Byers always got the worst end of the stick in Stranger Things. In Season 2 of the beloved teen mystery show, Joyce had told a story about her son's birthday, which she mentioned was on March 22. Sadly, in Season 4, when this day rolled around, none of Will's friends actually ever wished him a happy birthday.

Season 4, Episode 1 "The Hellfire Club" mentioned that the date was 21st March, and Mike flew to visit Will and Eleven the very next day. The entire episode depicted Will down in the dumps, neglected by his friends, and left alone. Not even one of his pals mentioned that it was his birthday, let alone wished him. This was a big error to forget a main character's birthday, especially when the show had mentioned the dates so explicitly.

19 Claire's Healing Powers Came and Went Inconsistently

Claire Bennet's superpower was to heal herself from the worst injuries, which developed when she hit puberty. This was mentioned clearly in the Heroes pilot episode. However, the origins of Claire's powers were retconned shortly after when her biological mother said that she had thought she had lost Claire as a baby in a fire.

Claire was stunned that she had made it out alive and that her survival was "miraculous," which only created further confusion about the young Bennet's abilities. It made little sense that her powers appeared as a baby, then went dormant and only returned when she was an adolescent, confusing the character's history considerably.

18 Jake's Beard Growing Ability Fluctuated

One of Jake Peralta's biggest insecurities was his inability to grow a beard. In fact, Jake publicly proclaimed in Brooklyn Nine-Nine that he could not grow facial hair, yet, when he returned from prison in Season 5, he sported a rather large scruffy beard. This funny crime show was full of flippant anecdotes, so it is possible fans were not supposed to take this seriously.

However, with the attention that a character like Jake got, it was best to stay consistent with his personality because fans memorized everything about the beloved character. Moreover, the big beard stood out so much on Andy Samberg's face that fans couldn't help but remember his character's proclamation about facial hair.

17 The Entire Show's Timeline Was Highly Convoluted With Gaps

That '70s Show was famous for its convoluted timeline, which fell apart quickly when scrutinized. The first season took place in 1976, and the show went on for eight more years. The finale saw the characters ringing in the 80s, which would have been fine had all the seasons followed a consistent timeline.

Eric celebrated his 17th birthday in Season 1, Episode 2, but his 18th birthday took place all the way in Season 6. Adding to the confusion, That '70s Show had five Christmas episodes between 1976 and 1980. The audience found it hard to keep up with events, ages, and any sense of time with these key details missing.

16 Hannah Didn't Disguise Herself Despite Being a Fugitive When She Returned to Miami

Hannah McKay was a serial killer just like Dexter, but she had not evaded the police the way he had. Her crimes had been on record, and she was wanted by the police in Season 7 of Dexter. When she ran away, she was an active fugitive, which was why it baffled audiences when she returned in Season 8 and didn't bother hiding her identity at all.

Even a simple hair color change could have convinced audiences that the cops could not catch up with Hannah. Instead, she breezed into Miami with her original appearance intact, which did not add up. A small amount of realism would have satisfied audiences a lot more.

15 Robby Ray was Both Miley and Hannah's Dad, But Nobody Put Two and Two Together

Hannah Montana is a classic Disney Channel series that fans still love, but it's hard to look past one of its bigger plot holes. Robby Ray Stewart (Billy Ray Cyrus) was Miley's father throughout the show, but he made the mistake of announcing publicly that he was Hannah Montana's dad as well, effectively blowing her cover.

Rico was aware Robby was Miley's dad, which meant everyone in her school and friend circle knew about her secret, too. Robby also told the whole world he was Montana's father on a number of occasions, so it's confusing that Hannah's fans didn't figure out that Miley and Hannah were the same person.

14 Chandler and Rachel Were Introduced Three Different Times

There are few TV shows that rival Friends, but fans just couldn't understand the origins of Chandler and Rachel's friendship. They were seemingly introduced to each other for the first time in the pilot episode, but then they appeared in flashbacks together, long before the pilot. This created a lot of confusion about their friendship.

Chandler and Rachel had spent several Thanksgiving holidays together in their teens, and even made out with each other in college, something that would be hard for either party to forget. Pilots are notoriously inconsistent, but none of it added up, leaving fans confused about it to this day.

13 Cheryl and Jason Were Twins in Different Grades

Riverdale went downhill after its first season, but even its debut was riddled with inconsistencies. The show's first mystery revolved around Jason Blossom's murder, which shook the small town. His twin, Cheryl, was distraught over his loss. However, things got weird when it became obvious they were in different grades.

The twins should have been in the same year together, but Jason was a couple of grades above Cheryl in Polly's class. Cheryl was in Betty's class, two years back. Even with all of Riverdale's confusing shenanigans, they've never addressed the twins' apparent age gap. Even an offhand comment about Cheryl missing a year or administrative difficulties would have cut it.

12 Everyone at Dunder Mifflin was Surprised at Being Filmed, Even Though They Were Aware

In Season 9, Episode 19 of The Office, the Dunder Mifflinites finally got to view bits of the documentary on their lives that had been shot for a decade, and they were shocked at what they saw. Jim, Pam, Dwight, and company obviously knew about the camera crew. They talked to them and even shared various intimate details about their lives with them.

It's hard for people to see themselves from an outside perspective, but The Office's cast knew they'd been filmed breaking rules, lying to each other, and in intimate situations. The Office is one of the best modern sitcoms, but the characters' response to their documentary doesn't fit.

11 Howard Forgot About The Elevator Being Broken

In Season 1 of The Big Bang Theory, Leonard makes it a point to tell Howard that their building's elevator is irreparably broken when he tries to use it, which makes audiences think Howard didn't know about the elevator. However, several episodes later, Leonard recounts the actual story of how it broke.

Leonard's experiment with a rocket had damaged it from the inside, and he was saved by Sheldon's quick thinking. Howard was actually present when this happened. Since they were both there at the time, Leonard's need to explain the broken elevator to Howard is baffling at best. Howard also listened to the tale as if he had not been a direct participant in wrecking the lift.

10 Dan Was Always Surprised by Gossip Girl's Blasts, Despite Being Gossip Girl

The revelation that everyone was waiting for on Gossip Girl turned out to be a flop because Dan being Gossip Girl made no sense whatsoever. There had been enough scenes where Dan had been extremely surprised by a blast about Serena or himself, so that should have ruled out any possibility of his being GG. Moreover, Gossip Girl had sent out messages about Jenny Humphrey's love and sex life, which was wildly out of character for Dan.

The series might have been trying to be clever by obfuscating his identity, but making him the titular Gossip Girl felt like a half-baked decision made at the last minute. It would have made more sense for Dorota to be GG, or even Jenny, Dan's sister.

9 Marshall's Family Never Made it to His Wedding

Marshall was very close to the Eriksen family in Minnesota at the beginning of How I Met Your Mother, and he shared an especially close relationship with his brothers. This made their absence at Marshall and Lily's wedding incredibly conspicuous. In fact, none of Lily's family was present at the nuptials, either.

Fans were bewildered at the lack of simple logic and direction in this plot hole. Some fans speculate that the wedding and reception were simply too big and that they just weren't featured at all. However, that's a strange way to handle the marriage between two of HIMYM's main characters.

8 Who Filmed Pawnee's Parks & Rec Department?

Following the mockumentary style of The Office, Parks and Recreation also featured hilarious interviews and a camera crew shooting Pawnee's Park department. However, unlike its predecessor, Parks & Rec never addressed its documentary nature. Everyone was constantly filmed for no reason.

The mockumentary was never depicted, and Parks And Recreation fans wondered why the department was being immortalized on camera. Perhaps the show developers skipped the reveal to avoid controversy or a complicated crew mix-up, but a revelation of some kind would've been welcome. It was a fundamental part of the series and this mystery still puzzles fans.

7 Melisandre's Necklace Was Supposed to Keep Her Youth, But She Had Taken It Off Before

Lady Melisandre, or the Red Woman as she was sometimes called, was one of Game of Thrones' most disturbing and compelling characters. Apparently young and beautiful, the show's season 6 premiere revealed she was actually ancient, and her youthful appearance came from her magical ruby necklace.

This shocking revelation contradicted what viewers saw in Game of Thrones's fourth season. In "Mockingbird," Lady Melisandre took a bath and, despite her youth, she clearly wasn't wearing her necklace. This was chalked up to an on-set blunder by actress Carice van Houten, but it still bothered fans.

6 Marion's Death Was Forgotten and She Reappeared Later

Marion Cavanaugh from Pretty Little Liars had a contentious death on many levels. She was killed by Bethany Young when Toby was just a kid, and Charlotte witnessed the scene in Season 6. However, in Season 4, Marion was alive in a flashback of Toby and Alison kissing.

Charlotte was seven years older than Alison, leaving fans wondering exactly when Marion died. She was killed during Toby's childhood, but somehow alive to see him as a teenager. It's an obvious unforced error that makes little sense. These kinds of continuity errors are bound to happen in a show as complex and winding as Pretty Little Liars.

5 Judy Winslow Disappeared

Popular '90s sitcom Family Matters followed the Winslow family in Chicago and their pesky neighbor Steve Urkel. When the series began, the Winslow children included Eddie, Laura, and Judy. However, Judy disappeared entirely by season five. By this point, the Winslows apparently only had two children, which bothered fans of the show.

Part of this had to do with breakout character Steve Urkel taking center stage in most episodes. No explanation was given for Judy's sudden disappearance, she was simply retconned away. This was a rather huge misstep, to erase an entire character away without a word or some kind of throwaway comment.

4 JD and Turk's Meeting Story Kept Changing

Scrubs ran for nine seasons from 2001-2010, following the lives of doctors and nurses at the teaching hospital Sacred Heart. Two of the main characters, J.D. and Turk, were close friends and roommates throughout the series, but how and when they met is a major plot hole. J.D. and Turk were friends since college, but their point of origin kept changing.

At first, J.D. arrived at the dorm and introduced himself to Turk. In a later episode, Turk initiated their friendship. Also in their first meeting, Turk comes off as nerdy, but in their second origin, J.D. was the nerdy one who needed Turk's approval. Knowing where characters come from is important, and these inconsistencies made it hard to know who Scrubs dynamic duo really was.

3 Carrie Bradshaw Used to Break The Fourth Wall In Early Seasons

Sex and the City was one of HBO's most popular shows in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The show followed the lives of four women in New York City who coped with everyday problems as they searched for the perfect partners. In the early seasons, Sex and the City's main character Carrie Bradshaw broke the fourth wall and spoke directly to the camera.

The cast and crew didn't feel like this fit the show well, so they dropped the trope in later seasons. However, viewers were left wondering who Carrie was talking to, since the lens of storytelling had changed suddenly. More of a stylistic change, fans regarded it as a plot hole.

2 Frasier's Father Was Alive Sometimes, Dead Sometimes Across Shows

Frasier was one of the most successful sitcoms of all time, and one of the most successful spin-off shows ever produced. It branched off from Cheers, where Frasier Crane appeared for 9 seasons. In an episode of Cheers, Frasier remarks that his parents, wealthy scientists, had died.

In Frasier, the central plot point is that the character moved back to his hometown of Seattle to care for his ailing father, a retired police officer. The series addressed the plot hole when Sam Malone (Ted Danson) guest starred in the second season, and Fraiser says he was mad at his father at the time and pretended he was dead. It wasn't the strongest explanation, but at least they admitted the error.

1 Mulder Randomly Wears a Wedding Ring In Some Episodes

The X-Files followed FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully as they investigated unsolved cases focused on paranormal phenomena. The show ran for 11 seasons and 2 standalone films over the course of its 23 years. It's not surprising that the series racked up a few plot holes in that time.

In the season 5 episode, "Traveler," the unmarried Fox Mulder wore a wedding ring. The plot hole was never resolved, sending viewers into a frenzy. Mulder's actor David Duchovny said that it was his idea to wear his ring on-screen after his recent marriage. In some ways, it was more of an error of judgment, but fans viewed it as a plot hole for a long time.