Can we talk about the Time Travel Memories box?
I had generally knew it existed before today but only discovered this aspect just now and holy shit I need to talk about it.
I went to a pop-up store today that was selling BTTF merch and saw a display case full of the materials from the Time Travel Memories box. At first I thought, ‘oh cool! There’s all kinds of replica props and interesting maps and photos!’
I couldn’t read all of the letter, so I hunted down an unboxing video on YouTube to read the rest. And you know what it is? It’s an in-character letter from Marty to Dave and Linda.
And oh boy, does it have some interesting implications.
The full letter explains that Marty is lost somewhere in the past with Doc (what a surprise), and that Marty hasn’t seen his siblings in a while because of it. Apparently Marty has already revealed to Dave and Linda that he’s a time traveler, but they didn’t believe him, so he’s left them a box of evidence to prove it.
I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.
When did he decide to tell them this? And why? How long has this been an open secret? He mentions Junior and Marlene in the letter, so it’s got to be at least a decade or more after the trilogy ended (probably close to 15+ years later if his kids were still born around the same time as they were born in the crushed hand timeline). Have they known the entire time? How has this affected their relationship? Marty carried a photo of the three of them in his wallet, so he must care at least somewhat for them, right? How much distance has him coming clean to them caused? Are Dave and Linda the only ones he’s told? What about George and Lorraine? Did they also get a version of this letter? Had they already been told about the time travel or have they figured it out on their own?
AND YOU KNOW HOW HE SIGNS THE LETTER?
Your brother in time, Marty
