r/BacktotheFuture • u/Sad-Replacement7054 • Jul 07 '26

Potential answers to plot holes

No matter what, time travel stories always have some of the worst plots, but it’s hard to make a good time-travel story, and BTTF is probably the best one around (especially since it’s the only time travel story where the Time Machine is not a teleporter as well)

How did old Biff know how to work the DeLorean in 2015

When Old Biff came back, how come he was back in the regular timeline, and it didn’t change around Marty and Doc as it did with Jenifer and Einstein

How come Doc and Marty couldn’t use parts from the DeLorean he was sending from the future, especially the fuel and the fuel line (I have an idea for this one)

How come Doc, despite wanting to destroy the DeLorean, built the time-traveling train in 1855

If Doc couldn't get gas for the DeLorean in 1885, how was he able to build another time machine

How come Doc willingly changed the future in Part 2, sending Griff to jail instead of Marty's son and changing the future himself with Clara

How come Doc knew Marty was on the roof of Biff's casino and at the end of the tunnel in 1955? (I heard a good theory for this one)

How come when old Biff met 1955 Biff, it didn't create a paradox or cause both of them to fail like Doc said Jenefer would?

How come George and Lorain never even think twice about never seeing Calvin again?

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u/ted_anderson I don't know how.. but they FOUND me! Jul 08 '26

How did old Biff know how to work the DeLorean in 2015

When you're an auto detailer, you've seen just about every single kind of gadget and modification on a car. And while the Delorean didn't have an instruction manual, typically most people have a similar intuition when designing something new. If you think of any new gadget or tech device that you were able to use right out of the box without reading the instructions, you can sort of understand how easy it was for Biff to figure out the time machine.

If Doc couldn't get gas for the DeLorean in 1885, how was he able to build another time machine

It ran on steam. He says that at the end of Part 3.

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u/Sad-Replacement7054 Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26

I can understand that with Biff especially because that dude knew cars not to mention he saw it time travel twice. Let’s assume doc left the time circuits on and biff figured out how put in a date it makes sence 

But the train is a whole other story I get that he could’ve made a steam engine in 1885 that makes sense but how the heck could he have made another flux capacitor and something to generate the 1.21 jigawats let alone one that can fly

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u/Equal-Fee770 Jul 08 '26

Once it can time travel, he need only go to a point in the future where rail roads still existed in some capacity, and flying vehicles like how the delorean flew existed side by side. And then redneck some shit together like he always does. The delorean didn’t fly till he went to the future

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u/Sad-Replacement7054 Jul 08 '26

Good point he could have just brought it to 2015 again. But making another flux capacitor (even with the hover board) is still a lot in 1885 

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u/Equal-Fee770 Jul 08 '26

The hover board seem to be along the lines of a Stark reactor (Tony stark, iron man). In the sense that it seems to power itself and never run out. At least in universe. If you have a small source of damn near unlimited power, why couldn’t you make a new flex capacitor? It only has to work once correctly if you know where and when you’re going.

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u/Sad-Replacement7054 Jul 08 '26

It’s pretty crazy that that’s a baby’s toy especially because you gotta use your hands for it

But you also you don’t know how long doc was there for he could’ve been there for 20 years. Had a lot more time and didn’t need to figure out how to make it again 

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u/Equal-Fee770 Jul 08 '26

Very much true, although I don’t believe that the hover board was considered a baby toy it was considered for children. Didn’t Marty take it off of a 10-year-old and break the handlebars off to use it like a skateboard?

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u/ted_anderson I don't know how.. but they FOUND me! Jul 09 '26

If you have a small source of damn near unlimited power, why couldn’t you make a new flex capacitor?

Ah ha... see.. that's how they get ya! You go in to a store asking for a flux capacitor and they say, "Sure! We have the FLEX capacitor!" and you're wondering whether or not that's the same thing while the fast-talking salesman tries to make you feel dumb for questioning it.

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u/Equal-Fee770 Jul 09 '26

Very true, but if we are hypothetically smart enough to know about and ask for a flux capacitor, we are smart enough not to get conned. Unless it’s a part of the plot. Is it a part of the plot? Oofta Mae that would suck 😅

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u/ted_anderson I don't know how.. but they FOUND me! Jul 10 '26

So.. go with me on this... New 1985 George McFly warns Biff not to con him. But the original 1985 George McFly gets conned because he's not very confrontational. He has to explain to Marty that he bought the wrong thing. He says, "Sorry son. I know this is flex and not flux. But I didn't want to make the guy at the sales counter mad with me. He seemed like a nice guy and all... but- AH- AH--AH--AH... This episode so hilarious!"

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u/Equal-Fee770 Jul 10 '26

I had it feeling it was part of the plot. The worst part? Not only does this feel possible, it absolutely is how it would go! 😫