Picking Nits

Minor complaints and logical inconsistencies.

Picking Nits has run in 158 episodes. The most recent 40 are listed below — open any episode at its timestamp to hear the segment.

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‘Apollo 13’Amanda Dobbins

It's a parenting nitpick that they let the youngest child watch the live broadcast not knowing if his dad would come back alive, essentially letting a four-year-old potentially watch his father's death live

‘Apollo 13’Amanda Dobbins

Mary Haise's character got the shaft in the movie, barely any scenes beyond being pregnant in the bedroom

‘Apollo 13’Bill Simmons

Not enough cigarette smoking shown given it's 1970 (everyone in the control room and house should be smoking except the kids); also notes real astronauts complained the depicted arguing in the spaceship was unrealistic

‘Apollo 13’Rob Mahoney

During the emergency landing scene, two women drop a salad bowl, spill about 10% of it, and then implausibly just scoop the spilled salad back into the bowl

‘Speed’Bill Simmons

Dennis Hopper's running age has aged the worst; also nitpicks: Hopper watching college football on a weekday morning makes no timeline sense; Halle Berry almost played Annie because the role was originally written as an African-American paramedic 'to justify her ability to drive the bus,' which he found nonsensical; notes continuity errors like Jack's leg limp changing/disappearing; recommends Janeane Garofalo's bit about the stereotypical bus passengers in Speed

‘Speed’Chris Ryan

Nitpicks the timeline/season of the movie (shot late summer-December but seems to take place in fall) and questions whether Howard is watching live games or delayed tape while gambling; also criticizes the breakup backstory between Annie and Jack ('being in the bomb squad is why you're fucking here baby') as illogical

‘Speed’Sean Fennessey

Nitpicks that Jack always holds the phone on the same side despite supposedly being deaf/injured on the other side from his hand injury — calls it an unanswerable inconsistency; also gives 'best line reading' shoutout to Dennis Hopper's 'cheap gold watch' line as an aside

‘About Last Night’Bill Simmons

Debbie's friend hitting on Danny never sat right with him; also, it's odd that Debbie still hangs out with the friend afterward without getting mad. Also nitpicks: continuity error with the lights on/off during the breakup scene; Dan wouldn't realistically have $100k to reopen the diner at age 22; wanted to see more of Danny's basketball game (was he a point guard or shooting guard?); thinks Debbie's boss was skeevy but doesn't count that as a real nitpick since it was intentional.

‘About Last Night’Chris Ryan

Movie-breaking nitpick: after Danny is forced to execute Gus and deal with the Chicago fire, no way he'd come home upset to find Demi Moore braless in overalls painting — he'd be thrilled, not annoyed. Also nitpick that Debbie's wardrobe becoming all Bears/Blackhawks/Cubs gear after moving in is unrealistic/funny escalation.

‘About Last Night’Mallory Rubin

The real nitpick is that Debbie still hangs out with the friend after witnessing her hit on Danny — the movie can't decide if they're friends. Also flags Danny's dialogue about his restaurant supply sales career as absurd for a supposedly 24-year-old character, and finds Debbie's hope chest/bandana gift scene overly saccharine, calling Debbie a bit of a 'loon' prone to hysterics.

‘The Karate Kid Part II’Bill Simmons

Miyagi is hypocritical about honor/tradition — he stole his best friend's arranged bride and fled to the US when confronted, which contradicts his preaching about Okinawan honor

‘The Karate Kid Part II’Kyle Brandt

Wanted an actual fight scene between Miyagi and Sato, even if it got broken up; felt cheated they never exchanged blows

Episode	Host	Answer
‘Apollo 13’	Amanda Dobbins	It's a parenting nitpick that they let the youngest child watch the live broadcast not knowing if his dad would come back alive, essentially letting a four-year-old potentially watch his father's death live
‘Apollo 13’	Amanda Dobbins	Mary Haise's character got the shaft in the movie, barely any scenes beyond being pregnant in the bedroom
‘Apollo 13’	Bill Simmons	Not enough cigarette smoking shown given it's 1970 (everyone in the control room and house should be smoking except the kids); also notes real astronauts complained the depicted arguing in the spaceship was unrealistic
‘Apollo 13’	Rob Mahoney	During the emergency landing scene, two women drop a salad bowl, spill about 10% of it, and then implausibly just scoop the spilled salad back into the bowl
‘Speed’	Bill Simmons	Dennis Hopper's running age has aged the worst; also nitpicks: Hopper watching college football on a weekday morning makes no timeline sense; Halle Berry almost played Annie because the role was originally written as an African-American paramedic 'to justify her ability to drive the bus,' which he found nonsensical; notes continuity errors like Jack's leg limp changing/disappearing; recommends Janeane Garofalo's bit about the stereotypical bus passengers in Speed
‘Speed’	Chris Ryan	Nitpicks the timeline/season of the movie (shot late summer-December but seems to take place in fall) and questions whether Howard is watching live games or delayed tape while gambling; also criticizes the breakup backstory between Annie and Jack ('being in the bomb squad is why you're fucking here baby') as illogical
‘Speed’	Sean Fennessey	Nitpicks that Jack always holds the phone on the same side despite supposedly being deaf/injured on the other side from his hand injury — calls it an unanswerable inconsistency; also gives 'best line reading' shoutout to Dennis Hopper's 'cheap gold watch' line as an aside
‘About Last Night’	Bill Simmons	Debbie's friend hitting on Danny never sat right with him; also, it's odd that Debbie still hangs out with the friend afterward without getting mad. Also nitpicks: continuity error with the lights on/off during the breakup scene; Dan wouldn't realistically have $100k to reopen the diner at age 22; wanted to see more of Danny's basketball game (was he a point guard or shooting guard?); thinks Debbie's boss was skeevy but doesn't count that as a real nitpick since it was intentional.
‘About Last Night’	Chris Ryan	Movie-breaking nitpick: after Danny is forced to execute Gus and deal with the Chicago fire, no way he'd come home upset to find Demi Moore braless in overalls painting — he'd be thrilled, not annoyed. Also nitpick that Debbie's wardrobe becoming all Bears/Blackhawks/Cubs gear after moving in is unrealistic/funny escalation.
‘About Last Night’	Mallory Rubin	The real nitpick is that Debbie still hangs out with the friend after witnessing her hit on Danny — the movie can't decide if they're friends. Also flags Danny's dialogue about his restaurant supply sales career as absurd for a supposedly 24-year-old character, and finds Debbie's hope chest/bandana gift scene overly saccharine, calling Debbie a bit of a 'loon' prone to hysterics.
‘The Karate Kid Part II’	Bill Simmons	Miyagi is hypocritical about honor/tradition — he stole his best friend's arranged bride and fled to the US when confronted, which contradicts his preaching about Okinawan honor
‘The Karate Kid Part II’	Kyle Brandt	Wanted an actual fight scene between Miyagi and Sato, even if it got broken up; felt cheated they never exchanged blows