diff --git a/source/net/filebot/similarity/EpisodeMatcher.java b/source/net/filebot/similarity/EpisodeMatcher.java
index 3bd50741..90f05002 100644
--- a/source/net/filebot/similarity/EpisodeMatcher.java
+++ b/source/net/filebot/similarity/EpisodeMatcher.java
@@ -118,11 +118,16 @@ public class EpisodeMatcher extends Matcher<File, Object> {
 
 		// check episode sequence integrity
 		Integer seqIndex = null;
-		for (Episode ep : episodes) {
-			if (seqIndex != null && !ep.getEpisode().equals(seqIndex + 1))
+		for (Episode it : episodes) {
+			// any illegal episode object breaks the chain
+			if (it == null || it.getEpisode() == null || it.getSpecial() != null)
 				return false;
 
-			seqIndex = ep.getEpisode();
+			// non-sequential episode index breaks the chain
+			if (seqIndex != null && !it.getEpisode().equals(seqIndex + 1))
+				return false;
+
+			seqIndex = it.getEpisode();
 		}
 
 		// check drill-down integrity
diff --git a/source/net/filebot/web/AnidbClient.java b/source/net/filebot/web/AnidbClient.java
index 763593fd..ef785f62 100644
--- a/source/net/filebot/web/AnidbClient.java
+++ b/source/net/filebot/web/AnidbClient.java
@@ -73,13 +73,13 @@ public class AnidbClient extends AbstractEpisodeListProvider {
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	public List<SearchResult> search(String query, final Locale locale) throws Exception {
+	public List<SearchResult> search(String query, Locale locale) throws Exception {
 		// bypass automatic caching since search is based on locally cached data anyway
 		return fetchSearchResult(query, locale);
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	public List<SearchResult> fetchSearchResult(String query, final Locale locale) throws Exception {
+	public List<SearchResult> fetchSearchResult(String query, Locale locale) throws Exception {
 		LocalSearch<SearchResult> index = new LocalSearch<SearchResult>(getAnimeTitles()) {
 
 			@Override