MovieChat Forums > Time After Time (1979) Discussion > Can someone explain the key to me? *majo...

Can someone explain the key to me? major spoilers

posted 10 years ago by cold_sky
13 replies | jump to latest

I read the Wiki article's plot but I still don't understand the key—and I'm most likely mis-remembering some details.

It is a non-return key. So if the key is in the machine, the machine will not return to the time from whence it came.

At the beginning of the film, Wells has the key on his person, does he not? When Stevenson steals the machine, the machine returns to Wells's basement.

After Wells travels to the future, he keeps the key, again, on his person—one of the plot points that drive Stevenson's pursuit of Wells.

But if Wells has the key on his person in 1979—as he did in 1893—why does the machine remain in 1979? It's supposed to return back to 1893.

The whole movie I was confused by this. I get that the key and the diamond that keep the machine from vaporizing (sort of) are specific to this story's plot—without them, Wells can't go forward in time, and he can't kill Stevenson.

But the whole key thing seems more confusing than the actual time-traveling itself.

[–] sisterdebmac 10 years ago

Wiki is wrong. As usual. Without the key, the machine hurls through infinity without stopping. The key makes it return to it's original time.
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there will be snark

[–] cold_sky 10 years ago

Then Wells didn't have the key on him when Stevenson first stole it? I was positive he did. He showed it to everyone in the basement, and then after explaining its purpose, put it back into his inner jacket pocket I thought.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] cold_sky 10 years ago

ok thanks, but i wasn't worried about the vaporizer key.

[–] dgcasey 10 years ago

You guys are all missing one crucial fact here. The time machine, in the museum, was unearthed in HG Wells basement only a couple of years before and moved to the museum. This according the plaque outside the machine in the museum. With the key in HG's pocket I'm assuming the machine did return, only to be dug up later and put on display. So, when Jack and HG and Amy all end up in the museum later that time machine was actually about eighty years old.

[–] cold_sky 10 years ago

I don't think that answers my original question, though, but that's a good point: there should be two machines in 1979.

[–] ronaldt49 10 years ago

We're sounding like the threads on "Back to the Future" movies regarding how many De Laureans there should be. Sift your way through that and this is simple!!!

[–] cold_sky 10 years ago

I know, I was thinking the same thing when I wrote that lol. Good times!

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] cold_sky 10 years ago

Machine 1: In San Francisco museum display, discovered, or unearthed or whatever.

Machine 2: Travels from the past to the future. I no longer remember the movie all that well, but maybe it just replaced the museum display machine?

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] cold_sky 10 years ago

You don't sound like a jerk (though that's probably because you told me you're not sounding like a jerk)

Well, the two-machine thing never crossed my mind until this thread, so I was playing devil's advocate. I'll have to see the film again someday and try to figure out what it is I'm thinking of.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

Can someone explain the key to me? *major spoilers*

Can someone explain the key to me? major spoilers