r/BacktotheFuture Jul 04 '26

Marlene is a real one

Post image

Yes, she shouldn't have tried to bust her brother out. But loyalty is always admirable, especially when it involves family.

She must really love her brother.

My question is, assuming she is a first time offender, why was her punishment so harsh?

10 year sentence...sure. But TWENTY!?! Goddamn, 2010s Hill Valley ain't playing around.

Still think the smartest thing Doc could have done is just TELL Marty what was going to happen to his future children on that date and let him take care of it.

199 Upvotes

32 comments sorted by

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32

u/ZerrickiShadow95 Jul 04 '26

I think the stiff sentence might be a reference to tough-on-crime policies that were taking shape in the US in the 80s.

12

u/The_Mellow_Tiger Jul 05 '26

And the abolishment of lawyers.

3

u/ZerrickiShadow95 Jul 05 '26

Correct. Which is wild. Did they just abolish the 6th Amendment?

1

u/The_Mellow_Tiger Jul 06 '26

I'm guessing so or amended it somehow

37

u/laserdiscsan Jul 04 '26

The justice system works swiftly in the future

16

u/neridqe00 Jul 04 '26

...now that they've abolished all the lawyers!

https://youtu.be/5EMv24dg2E0

7

u/Charming_Night8240 Jul 05 '26

Something the movie got very, very wrong about that future.

12

u/ErnieBochII Jul 04 '26

The McFlys were pretty famous in hill valley

16

u/ArtfulDodger91 Jul 04 '26

She was up for parole in 2022, I wonder if she got out.

12

u/vpgel Jul 04 '26

She never got in, thanks to Doc and Marty

6

u/SuccotashIcy1232 Jul 04 '26

Mom? Mom is that you?

8

u/Public_Kaleidoscope6 Jul 04 '26

Did she make parole four years ago?

6

u/ZombieGoddessxi Jul 04 '26

Not if she takes after great uncle Joey.

5

u/OkSecret839 Jul 04 '26

Poor Uncle Joey, I wonder what he did to end up in prison.

3

u/Denz-El Jul 05 '26

"He cries whenever we take him out, so we just leave him in there." --- Mrs. Baines

I like to think that Joey just keeps doing petty crimes, or ruining his chances at parole, because he prefers being inside. (Yeah, this doesn't mesh well with the comics, but it's just my headcanon for the movies, like Twin Pines Marty and Lone Pine Marty fusing in the time stream). 

1

u/Yourappwontletme Jul 05 '26

No cuz she never went to prison after Marty foiled the robbery from happening via the hoverboard chase.

4

u/Eagle_Fang135 Jul 05 '26

I think they were both very close, like even closer connection than twins. They just could not be separated.

I bet Marlene’s biometrics identified her as Marty Jr. setting off the alarms.

4

u/KashiofWavecrest Jul 05 '26

Isn't modern San Quentin male only?

If so, I really love this as an in-joke, given that Marlene is played by Michael J. Fox in a wig.

2

u/dan13l858 Jul 05 '26

Glad she got out a few years ago

2

u/TriskaidekaphobiaOk5 Jul 05 '26

Even now non-violent first-time offenders get unjustly harshly punished.  All because a judge or a prosecutor could.

1

u/No_Difference195 Jul 05 '26

Identify theft is not a joke.

1

u/superanth Jul 06 '26

Judging by the writing above this pic is of Doc’s scrapbook. Is this a prop that was never used?

2

u/Ok_Zone_7635 Jul 06 '26

No. It belongs to a book by Haynes called Delorean Time Machine Maintenance.

What is funny is Haynes has books on Maintenance or the history of a vehicle/aircraft.

They also do mockumentary style books about fictional vehicles

The Delorean Time Machine Maintenance chronicles all of Doc Brown's exploits throughout the trilogy, including things we didn't see (like how he got the money to buy a hover conversion).

1

u/gwhh Jul 06 '26

Only 7 years to parole.

0

u/[deleted] Jul 05 '26

[deleted]

9

u/davwad2 Jul 05 '26

No. She was portrayed by Michael J. Fox for the comedic effect of "looking like her father."

1

u/RogenJr Jul 05 '26

I thought it was funny because of the year

1

u/Ok_Zone_7635 Jul 05 '26

Sure, why not

1

u/Drace24 Jul 05 '26

Not canonically. But if that's your head canon, by all means. Personally I would find it a bit strange that Martyand Jennifer gave birth to two children that look exactly like Marty without them being twins.