Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is the oath of a man who talks like a 1930s serial hero and builds a time machine out of a DeLorean, and it gives you Doc's whole character in two words: delighted, appalled, never swearing. Marty borrows it once in the trilogy, a role reversal fans spot with glee. It outlived the films as a ready-made reaction to any shock.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Back to the FutureShow the scene
Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis, 1985) gives Doc Brown the same startled oath again and again. Its first appearance in Marty's 1955 adventure comes when Doc, watching the videotape of his 1985 self, hears that his time machine needs one point twenty-one gigawatts, repeats the figure twice, breathes the words and bolts out of the workshop. He says it again on learning Marty has already met his own parents, and a third time when lightning knocks the cable off the clock tower. Fans count fifteen uses across the trilogy.
Sources (3)
- Back to the Future Wiki: Back to the Future/TranscriptDoc's gigawatt reaction, the meeting-his-parents reaction and the clock tower lightningReference checked
- Back to the Future Wiki: Great ScottBehind the scenes sectionReference checked
- Back to the Future Wiki: Back to the Future (film page)Trivia on the 2007 DirecTV spoofReference checked
Context reviewed
