▁the ▁real ▁world . ▁For ▁example , ▁despite ▁the ▁imp lied ▁contempor ane ity ▁in ▁each ▁of ▁the ▁films ▁of ▁The ▁O men ▁series , ▁the ▁lead ▁character ▁ages ▁some ▁ 1 5 ▁or ▁ 2 0 ▁years ▁across ▁three ▁films ▁released ▁over ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁less ▁than ▁ 6 ▁years . ▁ ▁Rel ated ▁concepts ▁Ret ro active ▁continu ity ▁is ▁similar ▁to , ▁but ▁not ▁the ▁same ▁as , ▁plot ▁incons isten cies ▁introduced ▁accident ally ▁or ▁through ▁lack ▁of ▁concern ▁for ▁continu ity ; ▁ret con ning , ▁by ▁comparison , ▁is ▁done ▁deliber ately . ▁For ▁example , ▁the ▁on going ▁continu ity ▁contradict ions ▁on ▁epis od ic ▁TV ▁series ▁such ▁as ▁The ▁Sim ps ons ▁( in ▁which ▁the ▁tim eline ▁of ▁the ▁family ' s ▁history ▁must ▁be ▁contin ually ▁shift ed ▁forward ▁to ▁explain ▁they ▁are ▁not ▁getting ▁any ▁older ) ▁reflect s ▁intention ally ▁lost ▁continu ity , ▁not ▁genu ine ▁ret cons . ▁However , ▁in ▁series ▁with ▁generally ▁tight ▁continu ity , ▁ret cons ▁are ▁sometimes ▁created ▁after ▁the ▁fact ▁to ▁explain ▁continu ity ▁errors , ▁such ▁was ▁the ▁case ▁in ▁The ▁Fl int st ones , ▁where ▁Wil ma ▁Fl int stone ▁was ▁mistaken ly ▁given ▁two ▁separate ▁ma iden ▁names , ▁" P eb ble " ▁and ▁" S lag ho ople ", ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁series . ▁Upon ▁discover ing ▁the ▁dis cre p ancy , ▁the ▁produ cers ▁settled ▁on ▁" S lag ho ople "