Continuity mistake: Dr. McCoy's medical tunic has an engineering patch on it, instead of the science patch it should have.
Who Mourns for Adonais? - S2-E2
Continuity mistake: The fruit bowl disappears from the table altogether just before the Enterprise fires on the temple. The small statue that's been there from the start vanishes as well. (00:44:25)
For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky - S3-E8
Continuity mistake: Kirk calls Scott to beam up, and lowers the communicator from his face as he looks at McCoy. In the next shot, he's holding it to his mouth once more. The shot changes one more time, and it's lowered again. (00:31:55)
Continuity mistake: The giant rock sitting on the promontory, in long shot, is much larger than the Kirk stand-in stunt man who climbs the rock face to reach it. Next shot, when Kirk pushes the boulder over the edge, it's suddenly much smaller than he is. When it lands on the Gorn, the rock is even smaller - now less than half its original size. (00:31:35)
The City on the Edge of Forever - S1-E29
Continuity mistake: As Kirk and Spock prepare to enter the time portal, Spock deliberately places the tricorder at his left side, holding it there with his left hand. As they appear in 1930 earth, he is holding the tricorder with his right hand and his left hand is free.
Revealing mistake: Zarabeth tells Spock that Zor Khan only left her what was necessary to survive in the ice age. Mascara, eyeliner, lipstick and hairspray were apparently considered survival necessities. Yes, we know the actress "had" to wear make-up. But in a prehistoric setting, it shouldn't look as though she did. She could and should have been given a more "natural" make-up job - and an unlacquered hairdo. (00:38:25)
The Trouble With Tribbles - S2-E15
Continuity mistake: Towards the end of the episode when the Enterprise is moving leaving from the starbase, the ship is at an angle to the camera pointing to the right of the screen. The starbase behind it gets smaller and goes up a little. If the Enterprise were leaving the starbase at that angle, the starbase should have moved to the left and then completely off the screen.
A Piece of the Action - S2-E17
Continuity mistake: Though the name is spelled "Oxmyx" in the script and pronounced as such in the episode, a poster in Krako's office spells his rival's name as "Okmyx." (00:18:50)
Continuity mistake: During McCoy's struggle with the orderly, only half of the plastic colored bottles strewn on the table are knocked off onto the floor. But when Nurse Chapel hurries over to tranquilize the orderly, the rest of the bottles vanish, leaving the table completely clear. (00:19:10)
Continuity mistake: Why does Kirk think a being of pure energy is "impossible?" They've encountered several such creatures in the past in "Metamorphosis," "Obsession," and "Wolf in The Fold."
Continuity mistake: Kirk punches the Imperial crewman that helps him in the face, but when the guy falls on the ground he's holding his side.
The Trouble With Tribbles - S2-E15
Revealing mistake: When Kirk and Spock answer the intercom in the ship's corridor, Spock's uniform has a large brown coffee stain on the front. (This was digitally removed in the DVD release, but is still visible in the newly-syndicated "computer enhanced" version.). (00:17:00)
Continuity mistake: When Garth forces Kirk to kneel at his feet, Kirk's hands are extended palms down, then palms up, then palms down again as the camera angles change. (00:34:20)
Other mistake: At the end, Kirk teases Spock twice specifically about letting himself be hit on the head in order to determine which Kirk was genuine. But the phony Kirk never hit Spock on the head. He merely pushed Spock over and attacked the real Kirk. Clearly, the action sequence wound up differing from the scripted dialogue, and no one noticed. (Also clearly, Kirk is not speaking metaphorically here.) (00:45:30 - 00:49:20)
The Empath - S3-E12
Continuity mistake: In the opening scene inside the underground station, the bright blue mat under the viewer desk chair disappears. (00:00:55 - 00:02:30)
The Trouble With Tribbles - S2-E15
Continuity mistake: Mr. Leslie appears as one of the guards in the space station, Stardate 45XX.X. Unfortunately, he was killed in 'Obsession,' Stardate 36XX.X. External websites have a variety of excuses for this miraculous reappearance, but he very definitely dies in the show, with no canonical reason for him reappearing beyond it being a mistake.
Continuity mistake: In a few episode we'll hear about "Hodgkin's Law of Parallel Development," but here Spock claims the odds of a planet developing similar to Earth's Nazi culture are "virtually impossible." Why was it so likely as to be easily accepted there, but impossible here?
The City on the Edge of Forever - S1-E29
Continuity mistake: After Edith stumbles and nearly falls down the stairs, she still has both her shoes on. But after the kiss, she proceeds up the stairs and is now carrying one shoe. She had no time to take it off, as she was, er, busy with Kirk the whole time. (00:43:55)
Continuity mistake: A subtle mistake, but when Spock is lying on the table in sick bay and recovers, the readings on the monitor are in the normal range. However Spock, as a Vulcan, produces very unusual readings on the monitors in other episodes.
Chosen answer: If they're in orbit, they're being pulled along by the planet's gravity well, therefore, impulse engines would only be used for minor corrections and would be "on standby" while in orbit, but not active. (Like keeping your car idling without revving the engine and creating plumes of exhaust).
Captain Defenestrator
Thank you for the info.
Movie Nut