NBC’s La Brea wraps up season two with episode 14 which begins with Gavin at death’s door. Episode 13 ended with Gavin (Eoin Macken) and his group discovering Moore’s backup portal just as a gigantic lizard attacked. Gavin was thrown aside and landed on a stalagmite that pierced his abdomen. (Ouch.) The good thing about this is that it won’t be Gavin making the plan on how to get out of this situation. I have no idea why people continue to listen to him!
It’s determined they can’t lift Gavin off the rock or he’ll bleed out.
Judah (Damien Fotiou) hears something and Sam (Jon Seda) and Josh (Jack Martin) check it out. It turns out James (Jonno Roberts) knows about this portal, and he’s better armed than Gavin’s group. He’s holding her brother at gunpoint when Izzy (Zyra Gorecki) comes up behind and clobbers him on the head with a rock. He drops his gun, and now Sam has the upper hand.
They bring James back to the group to use his knowledge to open the portal. Unfortunately, Gavin won’t make it into the portal because he only has minutes to live once they move him.
Eve (Natalie Zea) comes up with the bright idea to go back in time four hours and warn everyone about the killer lizard. James leads the way into the large portal room and uses the contents of a box that matches the one Levi dug up to activate the portal.
James explains Eve will arrive close to this location, but he can’t say exactly where. Izzy’s going with her mom while Josh stays with Gavin.
Okay, there’s a catch…of course. No one can use the portal to go home while Eve’s using it to go back in time. If it’s used, Eve and Izzy won’t be able to get back to this time. Sam doesn’t want her to go and instead wants to start sending people home. But Riley (Veronica St. Clair) says “please” and convinces him to change his mind.
Eve and Izzy step through and land four hours earlier. Eve spots a cloud formation and recalls its location in relation to the lockbox. Off they go while Riley tends to Gavin’s wound in the cave.
There’s a loud bang and the portal starts to act up. James won’t tell them what’s going on unless they let him talk to Gavin.
Meanwhile, Veronica (Lily Santiago) takes a pregnancy test and is about to talk to Lucas (Josh McKenzie) about it when a white horse shows up. Lucas points out it has shoes and isn’t wild. He also reveals horses hated him as a kid – they must have known he was a bad guy. To prove the point, the horse races away when he approaches it.
Lucas decides they should stay in 10,000 BC. He has a criminal record and nothing to offer her back home. However, Veronica’s adamant that they return home because she’s pregnant. Lucas can only reply, “Oh.”
Eve and Izzy hear a gunshot and spot James holding Levi (Nicholas Gonzalez) and Ty (Chiké Okonkwo) at gunpoint. James now has the box that Levi dug up (so there is only one box) and was bringing to the clearing. Eve makes the decision they need to put helping Gavin on hold to help Levi and Ty.
James walks behind them and hits Levi. Eve shouts, distracting James long enough for Ty to try and get the gun. Ty fails, but at least he and Levi are alive.
James grabs the box and takes off running while Eve and Izzy give Ty and Levi the CliffsNotes version of what’s going on.
Scott (Rohan Mirchandaney) gives Petra the locket and inside is a photo of her and her mom. It turns out her mom is the lady Scott was supposed to have an interview with. As Scott’s rambling on about wanting to speak German fluently, Petra has an asthma attack. Scott recalls seeing an inhaler and they head off to fetch it.
James tells Gavin the cooling system is malfunctioning. There’s no running water going through the pipes and the machine’s overheating. It will fail in just a few hours. Gavin tells him to fix it, but James isn’t so inclined. Gavin reminds James that the fate of his family is resting in his hands, but James isn’t moved. He’ll only help if he’s promised access to the machine.
James plans to return to his time and restart the Lazarus Project. He doesn’t care that his adult son is dying in front of him.
Veronica and Lucas make it to the opening of the cave, and Lucas is still convinced they can raise a kid in 10,000 BC. Veronica reminds him he turned his life around, and together, they can make it through the rough spots.
Lucas is determined to stay in 10,000 BC.
The new foursome of Izzy, Eve, Levi, and Ty head toward the lockbox.
Back in the cave, Gavin tells the group James said they need water to cool the portal. Judah recalls a spring outside the cave and is heading out when Veronica and Lucas arrive. He needs their help, but Veronica tells Lucas to stay. She’s angry he doesn’t want to go home with her.
Eve, Izzy, Ty, and Levi see the aurora Eve and Izzy stepped through but it’s much smaller now. Levi wants Eve and Izzy to go through now or they may never get back. Eve refuses.
Josh takes care of his dad and cries, hands soaked with blood. Riley gives him a hug, assuring him his mom will come through. Josh admits he can’t stop caring about her and they kiss. Sam interrupts with news Josh’s dad needs him.
Gavin’s barely breathing and covered with sweat but manages to smile at Josh. He knows he’s dying and tells Josh he loves him and is proud of him. He also tells him to pass on that message to his mom and sister. Gavin knows it’s time and Josh will have to be strong.
Gavin pulls in a few more breaths and dies. Josh collapses over him and sobs.
Scott makes it to the campsite and grabs the inhaler. Petra’s okay and shares a photo of military barracks here in 10,000 BC. Scott realizes Petra understands when he asks himself a question in English and that Petra’s just pretending not to speak the language.
Scott promises he can trust him and asks for more details about Petra’s family. Petra says if Scott helps her find her mom, she’ll tell him everything.
Judah and Veronica discover a fallen tree is blocking the water so it can’t flow down the pipes.
In the cave, Sam tries to get Lucas to go help Veronica figure out a solution. Lucas continues to mope and claims not to be good at anything. He shares that Veronica’s pregnant and Sam realizes Lucas thinks he’ll screw up their child like his dad messed him up. Sam delivers one of his patented pep talks, attempting to convince Lucas that change is possible – if he lets it.
Eve’s group makes it to the lockbox and the map’s still there, which means they beat Gavin. Levi volunteers to stay and wait for Gavin so Eve and Izzy can leave. But a roaring lizard complicates things. Ty knows no one can hang around and wait, so Levi suggests they leave them a note, and Eve writes it on the map.
They head back to the aurora.
Judah and Veronica can’t get the tree to budge, and the machine overheats and shuts down. The aurora’s gone when Eve’s group shows up to step through it.
Lucas arrives on the white horse with a rope and has the horse pull the tree off the pipes. Veronica’s ecstatic and Lucas says sometimes people can change.
The water did the trick and the machine’s back online, which means the aurora’s open again. Levi and Ty step through it with Eve and Izzy.
They arrive back in the cave and Gavin’s fine! He holds up the map and says, “I got your message.”
Hugs all around and Sam suggests since the machine’s working they should all go home.
A short while later, Eve explains Ty’s on his way to ask Paara to hold onto James, the main group’s gathered outside the cave, and they’ll fetch Scott and others from the campsite. Eve gives Gavin the gun and Gavin shows Eve her wedding ring she dropped after stepping through the portal. She jokes she can’t get rid of it and then turns serious.
“There’s one more decision we’re going to have to make when we get back…are we going to have pizza or Chinese for dinner?” says Eve, laughing.
Gavin places the ring back on her finger, recalling everything they’ve been through. She walks off and gives him a minute to himself with the portal.
Eve, Izzy, and Josh leave the cave. James watches them walk by as he works on untying his hands.
Lucas tells Veronica he wants to name the baby Lucas Jr if it’s a boy. But if it’s a girl, he’s always liked the name Ella.
Katherine, one of the clearing women, chats with Sam and he admits he’s excited to go home but has to figure out what’s next. She thanks him for getting everyone through this and hands him her number. He can call her anytime…if her number still works. (So that must be setting up a new season three relationship.)
Scott holds up the locket and Levi sees the pattern. He has a matching design tattooed on his bicep and quickly covers it with his shirt.
Gavin takes a last look at the portal and shoves Moore’s journal into his pocket. He’s about to walk out when James hits him over the head. James steps up to the control panel and explains he’s figured out love creates weakness. He should never have thought about his family. Now, he’s going to remove anyone who will stand in his way. He believes controlling the world is the only way to affect change. (Why did they leave James in the cave instead of taking him out where everyone can watch him?)
Gavin reminds him they’ll all cease to exist, and James doesn’t care. James approaches Gavin to retrieve the journal and Gavin makes his move. The gun fires and the bullet makes a hole in the water pipe. Another round goes off, and another hole’s created.
Steam rises and more bullets ring out. James punches Gavin in the face and knocks him down. He grabs the journal which fell out of Gavin’s pocket during the fight and is about to step through the portal when Gavin grabs the gun and yells his name. James doesn’t pause and Gavin shoots him twice before he can step through.
James says, “Tell your sister I’m sorry I failed.” Gavin has no clue what he’s talking about and demands to know why James kept her a secret. “Believe me, when she comes for you, you’ll know why,” warns James. (So, the sister is the new season three baddie?)
James dies as the portal begins making loud beeps and a warning notification shows up on the control panel.
Multiple auroras begin appearing in the sky, as though dozens of portals opened simultaneously. Scott reveals they’re doorways to different times and anything could be coming through them.
Izzy, Eve, and Josh find Gavin over James’ dead body. The portal makes a loud banging noise and the control panel screen shows “Portal Destination Malfunction” with the dates 500 BC, 2155, and 1995. That’s followed by 66,000 BC, 1986, and 1653. Soon the screen fills with more dates – 3091, 2021, 1601, 1597, 9000 BC, 1843, 1764, 1402, etc. – and Eve realizes they can’t control where the portal will send them.
They need to leave as the machine makes more loud warning sounds but Eve returns to grab Moore’s journal. A new warning pops up –“Containment Protocols Activated” – and the door slams shut before she can leave the portal room. Gavin’s able to break the door’s small window and the machine starts sucking everything into it.
Before it can pull Eve in, she hands them the journal and assures them they’ll find each other again.
In the final minutes of season two, Eve is pulled backward through the portal. It shuts down after she’s gone, and the door opens.
Gavin, Izzy, and Josh exit the cave but no one’s out there anymore. They hear a loud thump and spot a huge animal’s footprint. The thump sound belongs to a T-Rex!
- Season 2 Episode 1 “The Next Day” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 2 “The Cave” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 3 “The Great Escape” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 4 “The Fog” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 5 “The Heist” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 6 “Lazarus” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 8 “Stampede” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 9 “Murder in the Clearing” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 10 “The Return” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 11 “The Wedding” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 12 “The Swarm” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 13 “The Journey Part 1” Recap
- Season 3 Episode 1 “Sierra” Preview
