La Brea returns this week with its eighth episode titled “Origins.” Given the title, and how we’re only three episodes away from the finale, answers are likely around the corner. The episode opens with the group discovering a spy who has been watching them and leads to new information surrounding the locals from 10,000 years ago.
This episode’s main plot revolves around the group deciding to make peace with the local villagers from the past. Sure, the villagers tried to kill them in episode 5 and they nearly died save for the leader letting them go, but the group seems to think this is an important next step. Characters simply assert this is a good idea never really giving detail on why, but like most of this show you gotta just roll with it and see where it takes these characters.
The group’s plan is to bring the spy, a young boy named Isiah (Diesel La Torraca), back to his village to help broker peace. When Isiah tells the group his people think the survivors are their enemy, the group isn’t so sure peace is possible, but Eve (Natalie Zea) insists it’s what they gotta do.
Customary of La Brea, the plot immediately turns for the worst so that the characters can’t turn around even if they wanted to and the villagers surround their car. Once again, the show dictates its plot as needed with nothing happening in a believable order or fashion. That includes the villagers pulling a 180 and helping the survivors immediately after that. There’s a near-constant sense of false danger in this show as it yo-yos between danger and unearned resolution.
The main B-plot revolves around Gavin (Eoin Macken) obsessing over a sister he never knew he had. He has yet to find her but has found some of her art that clearly shows she has visions of the past just as he does. This mystery continues to be drawn out, but thankfully we’re given definitive information that may be the biggest twist in the show yet. That’s for another time though, as Gavin’s decision to give up on Eve and his son Josh is the main focus and is heavily explored. This gives Zyra Gorecki, who plays his daughter Izzy, something to finally do, though.
It’s hard to believe Gavin needs to learn a lesson about never giving up when he was so steadfast for the first handful of episodes in the show, but here we are. Similar to the mysteries not being very complex the show just doesn’t have enough to it to sustain your interest beyond surface layer drama.
Other subplots include one of the leaders of the group running out of pain medication, Josh Harris (Jack Martin) and Riley Valez (Veronica St. Clair) going on a patrol, and Veronica Castillo (Lily Santiago) confronting her sister. Each of these subplots is nonsensical or boring. From the meds being yet another health issue for the survivors to contend with, Josh and Riley somehow being safe enough to walk in the woods when it has been conveyed it’s very dangerous, and Veronica returning to the group even though she tried to kill Ty (Chiké Okonkwo).
La Brea continues to be a show you will roll your eyes at. Characters say and do things to serve the plot and danger is ever-present but seems to vanish as needed. It’s a show that continues to have good elements at work, from how it’s filmed to the character dynamics in play, but feels half-baked and in need of a rewrite.
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