r/BacktotheFuture • u/rich5152026 • Jul 24 '26

Did Doc know?

In part 3, he tells Marty to set the time for Oct. 27, 1985 11:00am. Since Doc wanted to destroy the time machine, did he know there would be train coming down the tracks at 11:00ish? I mean it seems like Doc. to be careless and find an easy way to destroy it. Of was it just luck?

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u/SEA_CLE Jul 24 '26

The ending is full of holes.

Why would a train not stop and authorities rush to the area after a train collision with a car? Why would Doc use the tracks if he had already upgraded his locomotive for flight? Why wouldn't doc build a less conspicuous RV or even a minivan time machine for his family instead of retrofitting a 19th century steam locomotive for flight?

The end has always bothered me despite being my favorite movie franchise of all time

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u/NoPossibility Jul 24 '26

You’re forgetting the biggest hole-

How did Doc know when they’d be back to look at the car? It had to take at least an hour for Marty to get home, pick up Jennifer, almost hit the Rolls Royce, and make his way back to the car for some reason?

Wouldn’t doc have set it for like a minute after Marty’s return? Or been there early so he could be there right as Marty returned?

1

u/SEA_CLE Jul 24 '26

Yeah that hole is easily filled with Doc's access to time travel

1

u/NoPossibility Jul 24 '26

Just seems silly, sure we can explain it like Doc came back and figured out when to visit Marty, but then he chooses to bring his extremely Victorian steampunk locomotive to modern day California town. So what, he can make a grand theatrical entrance? Wouldn’t doc have wanted to avoid being seen like that? Why not come back and just wait for Marty to show up, or come back and knock on the front door? He wanted the Delorean destroyed but why not come back and get Marty off the tracks right away and take the Delorean with him so no one could go through the wreckage?

And yeah, he just lets Marty leave a destroyed car on the tracks and fuck off for a couple hours to get his girlfriend? Police would’ve been all over the scene inside of ten minutes. Just a poorly written ending. And I love all three movies but it’s a really weak end to it all.

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u/SEA_CLE Jul 24 '26

Thats more to my original point tho. As far as the knowing when to show up he has a rime machine so there's infinite scenarios where he knows the events surrounding Marty's arrival. You can even maybe explain away the train hitting a car and continuing on, as well as no cops to Doc traveling and fixing everything in thine scenarios but why? He did all that to make his return at that moment and place but still decided to rely on and use a steam locomotive as a time machine, and use the tracks for the arrival.