Back To The Future: 10 Giant Plot Holes You Probably Missed
3. Old Biff Stealing The DeLorean
While Marty and Doc are retrieving Jennifer from her 2015 home, Old Biff steals the time machine to travel back and give his younger self the almanac. This is potentially the most problematic part of the entire trilogy for me, which is troublesome as it is a huge turning point. First of all, how does old Biff know how to use the DeLorean, program it to such a specific date, and then return to that exact moment in 2015 all upon first glance? I am no scientist, but I would assume Doc Brown's life work would be complicated enough where an old man that cannot get a pun straight would need an instruction manual. Furthermore, once he returns to 2015, he is in a great deal of pain and breaks his cane in the car. Clearly the plot device of the cane head was necessary for story points later. It is true that there is a deleted scene where it is explained how he has been shot by future Lorraine and is then ultimately erased from existence. Even incorporating this deleted scene, it makes no sense! Even if he was shot by her, why would that erase him? Perhaps it could be the actions of 1955 Biff with the almanac, but nothing else is changing. Regardless, that scene was cut and should not count as cannon, which causes it to be an even bigger plot hole.
While Marty and Doc are retrieving Jennifer from her 2015 home, Old Biff steals the time machine to travel back and give his younger self the almanac. This is potentially the most problematic part of the entire trilogy for me, which is troublesome as it is a huge turning point. First of all, how does old Biff know how to use the DeLorean, program it to such a specific date, and then return to that exact moment in 2015 all upon first glance? I am no scientist, but I would assume Doc Brown's life work would be complicated enough where an old man that cannot get a pun straight would need an instruction manual. Furthermore, once he returns to 2015, he is in a great deal of pain and breaks his cane in the car. Clearly the plot device of the cane head was necessary for story points later. It is true that there is a deleted scene where it is explained how he has been shot by future Lorraine and is then ultimately erased from existence. Even incorporating this deleted scene, it makes no sense! Even if he was shot by her, why would that erase him? Perhaps it could be the actions of 1955 Biff with the almanac, but nothing else is changing. Regardless, that scene was cut and should not count as cannon, which causes it to be an even bigger plot hole.