WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Bill & Ted Face the Music, now in theaters and on premium video on demand.
1991's Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey followed up Excellent Adventure and truly gave Alex Winter's Bill and Keanu Reeves' Ted the mission of a lifetime as they had to get back to LA's battle of the bands after a trip to the afterlife. This was all so they could take the Wyld Stallyns to a whole new level, making music that would inevitably unite the world.
After their successful show, which won the hearts of millions worldwide and united everyone, it seemed they'd fulfilled their purpose. However, with Face the Music revealing this wasn't achieved, let's look at what was retconned from Bogus Journey's finale and post-credits scene.
THE SONS DON'T EXIST ANYMORE
In Bogus Journey's conclusion, Bill and Ted went through time to enhance their guitar-playing skills and when they came back with the Princesses, they had two kids on their backs: Little Bill and Little Ted. They understood the importance of family and love even more, and with their sons promising a bright future, they rocked out and united the world.
It isn't explained in detail in the film but the boys are swapped out for girls, indicating the dudes might not have been attentive during diaper changing duties. On a serious note, the creative direction for this change is to make something not male-driven and more diverse, allowing Billie and Thea to take up the musical torch in a progressive era of art.
THE (LACK OF AN) ALIEN AGENDA
Bill and Ted played a show on Mars, seemingly inspired by the alien, Station, who helped them out after their trip to the afterlife. Station built good robots to fight off the evil ones, and the post-credits implied Bill and Ted didn't just achieve unity on Earth, but on a cosmic level.
This isn't mentioned at all in Face the Music, not even at the start of the film as the girls catch us up on what's transpired in between films. The guys don't even grab Station using the phone booth when they have to find a way for all of history to become involved in the song that unites the world in the end, with the movie instead using Kid Cudi as a replacement for the team's scientific genius.
THE FAMILY DRAMA
Missy was the hot, young trophy wife that divorced Bill's dad and married Ted's father in Bogus Journey. In the post-credits, she was then found marrying De Nomolos, the time-hopping villain who was sent to jail for trying to stop the Wyld Stallyns' legacy from ever being created.
That's omitted here with Missy now moving from Ted's dad, Captain Logan, to marrying Ted's younger brother, Deacon. Interestingly, Captain Logan arrested De Nomolos and saw all the time traveling activity, as well as Rufus in disguise in Bogus Journey, but here he still doesn't believe in things like time travel or the guys' destiny, so he's given amnesia for the sake of plot convenience it seems.
WHAT WORLD PEACE?
This new film doesn't address other peace measures the band enacted at the end of Bogus Journey as it just focuses on them tanking in the aftermath. The post-credits had Bill and Ted as celebrities after "Those Who Hope" hit the charts, whose tours increased crop yields by 30% in the Midwest and established peace internationally. They even used the world's nuclear arsenal to fuel amps, had air guitars eliminating smog, and received Sports Illustrated's "Sportsmen of the Decade."
All of that fanfare doesn't seem to have happened in the threequel as the Stallyns are treated like one-hit wonders who made "manure" and flopped on the Billboard charts, as opposed to humanitarians who effected true change in society. It appears their solo movie after their short stint with success also didn't materialize as the public isn't in awe of them as celebrities during the course of this new flick.
DEATH'S SKETCHY RESUME
Bogus Journey turned Death into a legend as he'd go on to win the Indy 500, record a solo album, and make a GQ cover in the post-credits. However, he got panned for lip syncing, which endangered the band. This led to splits due to creative tensions and reunions, with some breakups even considered a hoax that was just meant to play with the Dow.
None of this is addressed here with Death's biggest problem being he wanted too much solo time with the bass, and as a result he tried to take the band name. A legal battle plays out as Death wanted to take over Wyld Stallyns and turn it into his pet project, and this causes the selfish and bitter Grim Reaper to return to his hellish lair. Thankfully, the daughters get the band back together, but the misdeeds of old aren't brought up.
Directed by Dean Parisot and written by Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, Bill & Ted Face the Music stars Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Anthony Carrigan, Kid Cudi, Brigette Lundy-Paine, and Samara Weaving. The film is now in theaters and on premium video on demand.