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Nitpicking 101

Overview

Nitpick Categories

Submission Process

Nitpick Categories

The NNG collect nitpicks in six categories, though not all episodes will have comments in each category. The available categories are described below, with examples. The NNG does its best to be consistent when categorizing nitpicks, but this is not an exact science and inconsistencies may occur when specific nits could fall into more than one category.

When submitting a nitpick, you will be asked to assign your nitpick to the appropriate category based on these descriptions. The NNG reserves the right, however, to recategorize the nitpick if it seems more appropriate somewhere else.

Plot Holes

A Plot Hole is any element of the episode (screenwriting, dialogue, character action) that, if examined closely, has the potential to tear a hole (ranging from tiny to huge in size) in the plot. In other words, these are the "Hey, wait a minute, that doesn't quite make sense when you think about it closely" sorts of things. This is the most subjective category of nitpick, as there is often a fine line between a plot hole and artistic license in writing.

Examples:

The Serpent's Lair
Why does it take nearly twenty hours for Klorel to heal in the sarcophagus, when Daniel healed in less than four minutes (and Jack healed in under a minute in "Hathor")? He was dead, yes, but it was fairly straightforward bullet damage.
The Tok'ra (pt. 2)
How did Cordesh get out of his former host without killing him, and how did he get into the other woman since she already had a symbiote (she was one of the High Council)?

Series Inconsistencies

A Series Inconsistency occurs when what one episode tell us about a character or setting contradicts another episode (including when standard operating procedures of the SGC change from episode to episode). Sometimes these are things that could have changed logically from a previous episode — we just haven't seen any actual evidence of the change until now.

Examples:

Singularity
Teal'c refers to Nirrti as a 'he' though her host is female in "Fair Game."
Small Victories
At the end of Nemesis, the planet Jack, Sam, and Teal'c escape to with Thor is P3X-234. Teal'c calls it P4X-234 here.

Production Problems

Production Problems are mistakes related to the actual process of creating the show (editing, sound, lighting, etc.). These are sometimes referred to as "bloopers" because they are definitely unintentional and are sometimes considered embarrassing for the crew. This category also includes notes on the use of stock footage, particularly when it doesn't match the rest of the episode.

Examples:

Enigma
As they prepare to go through the wall to send the message to the Nox, Daniel gives Omoc his right hand, with his notebook in his left. n the next shot, as they step through, Daniel's left hand is in Omoc's right, and the notebook is gone.
Learning Curve
Merrin asks first for "15 sheets of paper, 48 cm by 23 cm." The second time, she says "43 cm by 28 cm."

Syndication Edits

A Syndication Edit is one which is made to an episode prior to syndication distribution (whether in the United States or for international audiences). These may be cuts for content or time, or overdubs of some words either for ratings or advertising reasons. There are relatively few nitpicks in this category to date, as it is much more difficult to detect these without a side-by-side comparison of episode versions.

Examples:

Children of the Gods
A full scene between Jack and Daniel (the beer scene) at Jack's house was removed.
Within the Serpent's Grasp
Jack's line of "Think you get Showtime?" regarding the long-range visual communications device was edited to "Mmm, Goa'uld TV."

Close-Captioning Changes

Close-Captioning Changes are instances where the close-captioning (on-screen text describing the music and dialogue, principally for use by those with hearing difficulties) is significantly different enough from the true audio that it might alter the intent or feeling of a scene. Significant changes in dialogue as a result of translation to a language other than English would fit in this category as well.

Examples:

Solitudes
The CC has Jack say "Sam?" at the very end, rather than "Sara?" This completely changes the effect of that scene, though I'm sure some shippers out there would prefer the CC version. ;)
Seth
During Teal'c's joke, the CC twice reads "horse guard" rather than "Horus guard."

Unanswered Questions

Unanswered Questions is a general "catch-all" for comments and questions left unanswered at the end of the episode, and general points to ponder. Often these questions relate to the events of missing scenes, episode endings that are open-ended, and ideas that it might be interesting to explore in future episodes (or, perhaps, in fan fiction).

Examples:

Holiday
How much does Daniel remember of his time in Machello, considering the physical trauma the body was undergoing? He says "What a dream..." when swapped into Jack's body.
A Hundred Days
Is Laira pregnant or not?

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