3 Great Sci-Fi Shows Dragged Down by Time Travel Plot Holes and Nonsense

Time travel is a risky concept for sci-fi shows to introduce, and some otherwise great series are dragged down by the plot holes and paradoxes it creates. It’s difficult to get time travel right in a story, as it requires clear rules to work — and writers can’t be lured by the temptation to break them when it’s convenient. Those rules also need to make sense alongside one another; some of the most perplexing time travel narratives embrace multiple types of it, which leads to inconsistencies throughout the show.

There are sci-fi series that don’t fall apart with their time travel logic, but they’re not as common as many fans of the genre would like. It’s disappointing when a show that’s mostly strong forces viewers to overlook its flawed approach to time travel to enjoy it. That’s what happens with these three sci-fi shows, which are pretty great except for that.

3) The Umbrella Academy

The Umbrella Academy‘s premise hinges entirely on time travel, as the Netflix show sees its characters jumping around in time, whether it’s to see looming threats or as a means of avoiding them. And unfortunately, the series seems to embrace different types of time travel throughout its run, leaning into whichever is most convenient for what it’s trying to achieve. There are also aspects of The Umbrella Academy‘s time travel that don’t make sense or are inconsistent beyond this. Paradox psychosis goes completely forgotten in later seasons, and the end of the show erases the Hargreeves from history — but somehow allows the children they produced to go forward without issue? These are just a couple of big inconsistencies that exist within the Netflix show. Outside of its panned ending, The Umbrella Academy is a fun romp. You just can’t let the logic get in the way of your enjoyment.

2) The Flash

Time travel becomes a prominent part of The Flash, but the CW show’s approach to the concept doesn’t make much sense from the beginning. The end of its first season creates a problematic paradox with Eddie Thawne’s death, leaving viewers to question how Eobard continues to exist and influence major events in Barry’s life. The series does attempt to explain this away, but its logic is shoddy at best. And its inconsistent and confusing approach continues from there, making it hard to wrap your head around the time travel and consequences of it. The Flash is one of the Arrowverse’s better shows, so it’s a shame it’s dragged down by these shortcomings. It doesn’t ruin the experience by any means, but there’s no denying it could be better outlined and explored. This is, unfortunately, something the Arrowverse struggles with beyond The Flash as well. DC’s Legends of Tomorrow also has confusing and illogical time travel mechanics to contend with.

1) DC’s Legends of Tomorrow

The Arrowverse doesn’t have a great track record with time travel, as DC’s Legends of Tomorrow also leaves a lot to be desired with its use of it. The series flouts and changes the rules whenever it’s convenient (though to its credit, it becomes more self-aware of this fact). The show doesn’t seem overly concerned with the logic it applies to the concept, which makes it easy enough for fans to stay immersed in spite of its problems. But considering how Legends of Tomorrow emphasizes the dangers of interfering with history or meeting oneself, it’s shocking that it doesn’t consistently treat such things with the weight it originally implies. Its tonal change covers many of these issues, as viewers start to take these developments in jest as the show begins to take itself less seriously. Still, for a show so centered on time travel, one would hope for slightly more sound logic.

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