Back to the Future Part III accidentally creates a plot hole surrounding Doc Brown’s “death” in the Old West. While the Back to the Future trilogy is rightly praised for its intricate storyline and tight pacing, each film is chock-full of plot holes and illogical leaps. In a lesser franchise, this might have been a problem, but the Back to the Future movies do such a good job at distracting from their numerous paradoxes that the fandom actually gets a kick from discovering such inconsistencies.
Of course, this positive approach to a franchise “jumping the shark” likely stems from Back to the Future being something of a heritage series, with no recent live-action releases or reboot plans in sight. As it’s not a current franchise, Back to the Future fans tend to be a lot less nitpicky than others and generally accept the trilogy on its own - embracing and even celebrating flaws that bring them closer to the films they hold dear.
At the end of Back to the Future Part II, 1985-era Doc Brown is transported from 1955 to 1885 when his time-traveling DeLorean is struck by lightning during a storm. Distraught, Marty McFly believes that Doc is dead until a mysterious courier arrives with a letter addressed to Marty from the Old West. Doc’s letter urges Marty not to retrieve him and, instead, return to 1985 - after getting the DeLorean (which Doc has hidden in a cave) repaired by his 1955-era self. The duo hit a snag, however, when they discover Doc’s tombstone, which reads: “Here lies Emmett Brown; died September 7, 1885. Shot in the back by Buford Tannen over a matter of 80 dollars; erected in eternal memory by his beloved Clara.” And, thus, the plot hole arises...
In discovering his own tombstone (and the details surrounding his death) from 1885, 1955-era Doc’s knowledge should logically on to 1985-era Doc and allow him to avoid being murdered in 1885. The old Doc Brown should obviously possess the same information as the young Doc, given that they are the same person at two different points in their own timeline, but 1985-era Doc appears oblivious to his looming death when he and Marty reunite in 1885. Additionally, 1985-era Doc lacks any knowledge about Clara - his love interest - despite her being mentioned on his tombstone.
While this plot hole could potentially be waved away with the creation of an unseen, alternate universe that started when 1955-era Doc discovered his own tombstone and leaves 1985-era Doc without the same memories, such a leap sparks even more plot holes and even more questions, highlighting just how difficult time-travel stories are to pull off without incurring a number of dodgy paradoxes.
Thankfully, The DeLorean and its strict operating rules ground the audience, maintaining their suspension of disbelief, and, as a result, allow the “rules” of time travel to exist in a more malleable form.
