Introduction

In this essay I will analyze the time travel mechanics present in “Back to the Future Part II” (1989) in the context of story as well as its various interpretations, while also taking into account rules set by its predecessor being Back to the Future (1985). This will be done by creating a textual cartography of each aspect of time travel present throughout the course of the film. Furthermore, scientific theories & references to the fandom around the franchise are made in order to expand on context for the film. The basics of time, consequences of time travel are established before the essay finally moves to the major paradox of Back to the Future Part II (1989) coined as the Biffpoint Paradox, then ending on an analysis of a plot hole that is featured in Back to the Future Part II (1989) as well as solutions to it.

Basics of Time Travel

There are two basics of time travel; travel to the past, & travel to the future. Back to the Future Part II (1985) has traveling to the past established from the get-go because the film Back to the Future (1989) which takes place before it, showed it to be an in universe law. In that film, Marty’s dog Einstein is sent to the future; as an experiment to see if the trip would be successful.

When Einstein is sent one minute into the future, he does not encounter a future version of himself. This establishes that when you leave a time for a future time, you will cease to exist until you arrive. His trip to the future is instantaneous, establishing that when one goes through time he or she moves faster than the fabric of time itself.

Traveling to the past is also established as a possibility when after an intense sequence, Marty is sent thirty years to the past; making a trip from 1985 to 1955. This trip is also instantaneous, as the jump between both years lasted less than a millisecond for Marty.

Interfering in the Timeline

Just the mere act of traveling to the past has no consequences in Back to the Future (1985) & Back to the Future Part II (1989). Rather, it is about what the character does in the past that determines if it will have an impact on the future.

The first of two types of interference, is personal interference; interfering in events or interacting with people or objects that directly impact the traveller’s life, such as for example the night his or her parents meet for the first time. For example in Back to the Future (1985) when Marty goes back to the past, he ends up saving his father’s younger self from getting hit by a car. However in doing so it changes the timeline because now his mother’s younger self nurses him back to health and falls in love with him instead of falling in love with his father.

The second type of interference, is foreign interference: interfering in events or interacting with people or objects that in no way impact the time traveller’s life. For example in Back to the Future (1985) when Marty goes back to the past, he runs over a pine tree that was next to another. This caused a mall in 1985 to no longer be named Twin Pines Mall, instead getting renamed to Lone Pine Mall.

Events that were merely foreign interference, had no impact on Marty’s life unless they piled up & then became personal interference. For example in Back to the Future Part II (1989) when Doc & Marty are in the future, older Biff sees the time machine in 2015 after having already seen it in 1985 when Doc & Marty departed said year. This is merely not an issue, until he later takes the time machine to go to the past & creates an entirely different timeline; directly impacting Marty’s life. Therefore in this case, foreign interference led to a ripple effect of personal interference.

The Biffpoint Timeline

Named based on the Flashpoint Paradox for the purpose of this essay, the Biffpoint paradox is the paradox Biff creates when he goes back in time in order to reset history to his advantage; much like Barry Allen did in the Flashpoint storyline when he went back in time and saved his mother, thus creating the Flashpoint Paradox. The trip through time that older Biff took in Back to the Future Part II (1989) is the most debated time travel scenario because it not only works in a loop almost as a Möbius strip, but also in this very same scenario it retcons said Möbius strip entirely.

In the film, Marty & Doc left 1985 for 2015. The initial takeoff from 1985, was seen by a near middle-aged Biff Tannen. Thirty years into the future, an old Biff Tannen saw the time machine. Connecting the pieces together, he decided to go back in time to 1955 and alter the course of history by giving his younger self a gambling advantage; a sports almanac with sport scores that are yet to happen. This event created a ripple effect as Biff would grow to become the richest & most powerful man in America; creating an entirely different 1985 for Doc & Marty to go back to.

This sequence of events causes major logical issues because by altering the timeline, old Biff seemingly erases Marty & Doc’s entire life as we know them because the timeline is altered. Not only that, but old Biff effectively has no future to return to.

Somehow after going back in time to 1955, old Biff returns to an entirely unaltered 2015. Earlier in this franchise, it was established that time travel is instantaneous. We know this because the time machine previously went through decades instantly. Thus the moment in which old Biff gives young Biff the sports almanac does not immediately alter the timeline, because he goes back to the future faster than time moves. The timeline being altered does not depend on wether or not old Biff gives young Biff the sports almanac, but wether or not young Biff uses it to his advantage; going on to become the richest & most powerful man in America. In the film, Biff placed his first bet in 1958. This means that in between the moment in which old Biff gave young Biff the sports almanac and the moment young Biff places his first bet, there’s three years in between. Thus, the only alteration old Biff did was giving young Biff the sports almanac, and everything else that followed took time to happen.

After leaving 1985 and returning to 2015, the future old Biff finds himself in is one where young Biff did not use the sports almanac yet. The version of Marty & Doc in this 2015 are not the same timeline, but rather they are of the timeline where Biff did not use the sports almanac to score bets yet. This is because the sports almanac being handed to young Biff is merely foreign interference on the timeline, yet to become personal interference.

Marty & Doc spend a few hours in their 2015, before going back to 1985. This time however, 1985 is the altered 1985 after Biff already used the sports almanac to place bets & become the most powerful & richest man in America. Based on this, we can assume time takes a little over an hour to harden. Old Biff stole the time machine at nighttime while Marty & Doc were off on an adventure, then old Biff returned the time machine. These events are estimated to have not taken many hours, due to being shown entirely in realtime in regards to Marty & Doc having no seconds wasted aside from short runs.

Once Marty & Doc returned to 1985 & realized that they are in a dystopian timeline where Biff’s reign of terror is at large, they then aimed to reset the timeline to what it originally was. To do this, they had to go back to its origin in 1955 & steal the almanac from young Biff. While the trip was successful, Doc was sent to the past thanks to a lightning strike on the time machine & Marty had to find his way home alone.

The Biffpoint Paradox: Many Worlds Interpretation

A theory in regards to how old Biff could go back to his time after giving young Biff the sports almanac, is the many worlds interpretation (MWI). In this theory, it is hypothesized that when you go back in time you don’t go back to the time of your universe but to the time of a parallel universe. In addition, this theory also states that for every action you take, there is another universe out there where you took another action. For example, for there being a universe where old Biff takes the sports almanac to the past, there is another one out there where he never does that.

Applying the many worlds theory to Back to the Future Part II (1989) is quite effective. First we must start at the beginning, where old Biff time travels for the first time & alters the timeline by simply giving young Biff the sports almanac. Here, we have two Earths. Now, young Biff can choose to either use or not use the book. In this second Earth he chooses to or not to use the almanac, and there is a third one where he does the opposite choice. This goes on in perpetuity, having an alternate Earth for every choice. It goes even further; old Biff with a time machine could’ve chosen to conquer the world, witness the birth of Christ, or simply hang out in the jurassic period. Given the endless possibilities, every world is possible in this theory.

Back to old Biff, after he returns to his Earth Marty & Doc then used the time machine as well. They would go back to that very same Earth, as its a dystopian one where Biff is the richest & most powerful man in America. They would then time travel again to prevent this from ever happening, by going to 1955. However using the many worlds theory, they only end up saving another Earth rather than saving their own; if that even is the original Earth.

For narrative purposes, the many worlds theory is a nightmare because the stakes are quite literally non-existent. If a character making a choice means they made a different one in another universe, then the story is pointless because it loses its soul; its ability to be unique. For that reason, the many worlds theory fails to satisfy the Back to the Future franchise’s holes given it is a franchise of storytelling rather than fanfiction.

The Biffpoint Paradox: The Möbius Strip

The Möbius strip is the concept in which time takes place in a casual nexus; a loop. The “Biffpoint Paradox” as coined for this essay, may be viewed as one. It began with Marty & Doc leaving 1985 for 2015, to be spotted by Biff at two stages of his life; young & old. Old Biff then takes the time machine to 1955, and changes the timeline. In this new timeline, Marty & Doc never use the time machine. This means as a result, they never leave 1985 for 2015. Furthermore even if they did somehow use the time machine, Biff never is in the same place to witness it. Therefore, old Biff in the timeline never uses the time machine & thus this timeline cannot exist.

This creates a massive paradox, operating in the form of a Möbius strip. Biff must see the time machine at both periods of his life so he can then steal it, & create the new timeline where he does not ever get to see the time machine. However thanks to this, the timeline is not created because he never sees the machine. Although if the timeline is never created, Biff sees the time machine & grows up to change the timeline. It is a casual nexus, that operates in the form of a Möbius strip.

The original reason Marty & Doc went to 2015, was to save Marty’s future son from being arrested. They succeed, however in doing so it creates a new timeline in which his future son is not arrested. However now, Doc never finds out that Marty’s son would get arrested & thus has no reason to go back to the future. If Doc has no reason to go back to the future, Marty’s son gets arrested & therefore he has reason to go back to the future.

The Biffpoint Paradox: The Möbius Strip: The Grandfather Paradox

The grandfather paradox states that if one goes back to kill his or her grandfather, then they would cease to exist. However if he or she ceases to exist, the grandfather would still be alive. This creates a casual nexus. It ties into the Back to the Future Part II (1999) in the sense that when the Traveller (Marty & Doc or Biff) has a motive to change time and they achieve said timeline change, the desire to go back in time vanishes as well.

Sense of Self

In most if not all time travel stories, when a timeline changes people get affected. For example in “Back to the Future” (1985), Marty was slowly being erased from existence thanks to timeline changes. In the film, he watched his hand fade out of existence as the erasure from time takes place. The events around this established that if timeline changes affected your life, you will be affected.

In Back to the Future Part II (1989) when old Biff changed the timeline, Marty & Doc were able to leave 2015. This is because time in this franchise takes time to harden, as time travel is instantaneous; being faster than time itself. Changes to time were later recognized after they went to 1955; as time was given time to change at its own pace. Furthermore, Marty’s memories of the original timeline were kept safe because of how shockingly different the new timeline is.

In terms of time travelers being affected by time travel, Back to the Future (1985) & Back to the Future Part II (1989) contradict each-other. In the first film, it takes about two days for Marty to begin getting erased from existence. On the other hand in Back to the Future Part II (1989), two days pass & he is completely unharmed.

The contradiction between two films may very easily be writer laziness in terms of consistency, or its simply an attempt to avoid repetition of the first film by having the stakes be similar; Marty being erased from existence. However this does not need to be the case because in this timeline where Biff is the richest & most powerful man in America, Marty McFly still exists.

Meaning, there is a version of Marty McFly who grew up in this timeline that somehow isn’t seen anywhere. If that were not ignored, then the film would actually be more consistent as to allow for one Marty to potentially get erased from existence or at the very least lose his memories, and it’s up to the other Marty to do things differently. That or of course as to stay consistent in connection with time, a stronger exploration of what it means to have two of the same being in one place. In conclusion, the film failed to explain this plot hole as there is no way out in order to explain why Marty McFly in the film was not affected by timeline changes.

Fixing Time

Of course, the easy fix to time travel rules would be to set things right from the start; establishing every scenario. For example, when one goes to the future they wouldn’t be able to meet his or her future self in any circumstances because he or she removed his or her self from time. After going to the future, one can go back to the past easily. However if the traveler goes to the past, he or she will not be able to return to his or her home time because the timeline has been entirely turned back and it creates a new one with a new version of said traveler who has now become timeless. In this scenario, the Biffpoint Paradox would actually reign victorious and an alternate version of Marty & Doc would have to try and fix things; sacrifice themselves to restore things to how they should be.

Conclusion

In this essay I have analyzed the time travel mechanics presented in Back to the Future Part II (1989), in context of story, its various interpretations, and rules set by its predecessor; Back to the Future (1985). First, it was established the possibility of time travel to the past & future plus its basics. Secondly, the consequences of time travel were explored, in terms of the precedent set in the franchise. Once the groundwork got laid, the Biffpoint Paradox was introduced. The Biffpoint Paradox was covered in four sections; timeline, many worlds theory, Möbius strip, and the grandfather paradox. Finally, an exploration of new time travel rules was created.

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Citations

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9 Tanda, S., Tsuneta, T., Okajima, Y., Inagaki, K., Yamaya, K. and Hatakenaka, N., 2002. A Möbius strip of single crystals. Nature, 417(6887), pp.397-398

10 Avenia, G., The Grandfather Paradox: An Essay on the philosophy of Time Travel.

11 Picard, F. and Friston, K., 2014. Predictions, perception, and a sense of self. Neurology, 83(12), pp.1112-1118.

12 Johnson, D.K., 2022. The Time Travel in Avengers: Endgame. Introducing Philosophy Through Pop Culture: From Socrates to Star Wars and Beyond, Second Edition, pp.136-143.

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Artificial intelligence was not used at any point in the creation of this review, nor is it used in the creation of any works created by me or published on this site.