The way time travel works can make the difference. This one seems like "you can only do things with time travel that you already did" Which is the narratively superior one, because if something bad happens it stays happened. Unless we find out it really only looked like that, and the characters were being especially clever. Also, it means that any unexplained detail could be foreshadowing. Less back to the future, more Prisoner of Azkaban.
It's also much harder to write, but I think Tom is up to it.