Was anyone clamoring for new characters in La Brea’s final season when we only have six episodes to wrap up existing storylines for an already massive cast?
I wasn’t, but in La Brea Season 3 Episode 2, we added two more characters, Ruth and Leyla. Ruth is the new leader since Paara (Tonantzin Carmelo) is no longer a series regular.
Leyla, her daughter, longed to be a fierce warrior and butted heads with Izzy, who also only wanted to be understood.
Tensions were high at the Fort since the Clearing survivors moved in, and things got worse when a murder occurred. Joseph, Paara’s righthand man, was the only one who trusted them, and Ruth was the most suspicious, making Lucas fear for their home.
The two tribes were divided, and Sam only worsened things when he tried to escape, wanting to get to Riley. Sam was the ultimate Papa Bear and took no prisoners punching anyone in his way.
The problem was that it landed him and Gavin in jail and only proved to Ruth that the “sky people” solve problems with their fists and not as a community.
Having served in the military and as a doctor, Sam was used to being in control, which made it ironic that he would lose his cool so fast, but his daughter was often the one who kept him calm since he lost his anxiety medication in La Brea Season 1.
Once Gavin heard the pterodactyls attacking outside their cell, he rightfully blamed Sam for getting them in this predicament. When the guards hauled Gavin off with Sam, Izzy had never looked more betrayed. Now, she was all alone again.
Gavin: Will you stop? You’ve caused enough problems today. Try not to make it worse.
Sam: I was trying to get to my daughter!
Gavin: Now I can’t get to mine. That turned out great, didn’t it?
Gavin and Sam were good men overall. However, they often reacted emotionally, and they had both lost their loved ones recently, so they acted rashly to protect those left.
With two new leaders in charge, it made sense that they disagreed. Initially, I disliked Ruth for how cold she was towards Gavin and Sam, but Sam’s behavior earned that mistrust. He reacted with his fists.
As the new Clearing leader, Lucas had his work cut out to get those two released. You would think that when Ruth saw pterodactyls drop another man from the sky, she’d know the Clearing survivors were innocent of murder.
Not quite. She worried Gavin and Sam would only be a distraction, meaning Lucas and Scott had to form a plan and save their friends.
Lucas and Sam truly made a wonderful team. Scott’s science genius struck again when he realized the pterodactyls were nesting near the Fort, and they needed to redirect them elsewhere.
I’ve never seen Scott more excited than when he handled that dinosaur egg. He was like a little kid on Christmas Day.
This was the closest you’d get to feeling like you were working on Jurassic Park and saving people.
Scott: I never imagined myself holding a dino egg. Why isn’t there a camera when you need one?
Gavin: Hey, we can make a TikTok later. Put it in the bag, and let’s go.
The stunts and the CGI were so well-done as they shot off flares to scare off the dinosaurs.
You really felt like you were watching a sci-fi movie.
While I love Izzy, I’m unsure if we needed an arc for her. It was a rough time for Izzy since she lost her mom and brother again, and she was arguing with her dad.
She was growing up and needed to become her person.
Yeah, I have issues. I just lost my mother and my brother, and today, your mother locked up my dad. Back home, I was as lost and misunderstood as anyone else, but at least I had people to talk to. Here, all we have time to do is survive.
Izzy
I wish we had longer to explore this since I think it will rushed in the five remaining episodes. It’s not about Izzy learning archery. It’s about her feeling useful and heard.
That’s why she and Leyla clashed initially. They both appeared stronger but were vulnerable underneath.
In some ways, Izzy and Leyla reminded me of school girls fighting on a playground, and Ruth had to mediate. They both knew better than to brawl like that.
How many times have rivals become best friends?
It certainly seemed like Izzy and Leyla were forced to work together and take a hard look at their motivations for helping people.
We’re finally seeing Izzy grow up, state her own needs to Gavin, and pull her weight. It will be fun to see.
Meanwhile, Ty’s storyline arc reminded me of a combination of Timeless and Back to the Future. He knew he had a mission, but playing with space and time was dangerous.
While I stated that Lucas and Scott saved the Fort, Jon Seda was the actual episode MVP. He provided such layered performances in both timelines, and Sam’s disbelief when he heard that the sinkholes were arriving was priceless.
Like any doctor, he thought Ty was crazy, but that became more difficult as Ty threw hard truths in his face that only a close friend would know. Who was this guy? How did he know these family secrets?
Sam: Who the hell are you?
Ty: I’m your friend, just like the many friends we need to try and get back. I can’t do that on my own.
What makes this storyline so fun is watching Jon Seda and Chiké Okonkwo build up their friendship a second time. They were close friends in 10,000 BC, but now the actors have to find commonality in a new way and solve this mission.
What about that cliffhanger? We have just met Gavin at rock bottom. Can Ty and Sam save him from his demons, and will he even believe them?
While I’m excited to see these three work together, as Eoin Macken mentioned it in his interview with TV Fanatic, I also have concerns. What is their plan? If they stop the sinkhole, Gavin and Eve may never meet, and Izzy and Josh won’t exist.
La Brea’s final season is exciting, but so many questions remain.
Over to you, La Brea Fanatics. What’s been your favorite storyline so far? Are you happy Izzy has her own arc? What’s our bet for when Eve will pop up?
Discuss below.
Laura Nowak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on X.