The fearless wagon hijackers are right outside the huge tower as NBC’s La Brea season two episode six begins. Dressed like Exiles, they approach the guard shack with their wagon load of rocks as Levi, Scott, and Lucas watch from a nearby hiding spot.
The guard doesn’t recognize Gavin (Eoin Macken) and wonders where the normal guy is, and Gavin attempts to talk his way through the situation. Fortunately, he’s better at that than he is at planning things.
Unbeknownst to our heroes, they’re being closely monitored from inside the building. And, unfortunately, Silas (Mark Lee) is lurking nearby too, which sets off the spidey senses of people in the building.
Orders are issued to arrest everyone on the wagon. Silas shoots a few with arrows and Scott’s group attacks the rest. Only Gavin winds up still in custody as the scuffle breaks up. The rest of the group scatters and Scott and Lucas become separated from the pack.
Scott (Rohan Mirchandaney) panics when Lucas, in pain, shows him new burn marks that are the same as on the recently deceased Eddie. Lucas (Josh McKenzie) wants to go on, but Scott forces him to return to the clearing and refuses to let him do so by himself. (Lucas continues his redemption arc while Scott’s in hero mode.)
The big group – Sam, Eve, Levi, and Izzy – tracks Silas, believing he’s their best option to get into the building. But the joke’s on them…Silas is tracking them and holds them at arrow point, demanding they leave him alone. He lets slip that Gavin’s been in the building before and that he was trying to stop him from going in again.
Silas thinks his chances of recovering Gavin are better if they let him do this on his own. (Silas is right.) However, Eve (Natalie Zea) is able to pretty easily talk him into letting them tag along.
Silas delivers an ominous warning about the man who runs the building.
And speak of the devil, that man has got Gavin handcuffed and is questioning him. He frees his restraints as a sign of good faith and introduces himself as James, the man who runs the Lazarus program. And, get this, he’s Gavin’s father!
James hasn’t seen Gavin since he was a baby and claims he’s been looking forward to this reunion for years. James is from Los Angeles in 2076 and says this whole thing is for Gavin. “My dream was to fix the world so that you could have a better future,” says James.
James explains that in the future natural resources are dwindling and that’s why he came to 10,000 BC. They have a huge agricultural area as well as a thriving animal research facility inside this massive building. What they learn, they send to 2076 to stop the depletion and extinction of flora and fauna.
Everything he’s doing is to heal the world. (Do we believe him? No.)
Aldridge, Silas, and Gavin’s mom were part of the team that created this facility. James expresses “deep regrets” over losing everyone, including Gavin, and wants to help Gavin reunite his family.
Dozens of scientists are working near the portal as Gavin gets all excited about stepping through to 1988. Unfortunately, he’s jumped to the wrong conclusion and the portal goes to 2076, according to James.
A Brief Pitstop in 1988
Caroline shows Josh (Jack Martin) and Riley (Veronica St. Clair) a room filled with computers and explains she’s currently working on creating a virus to shut down the Lazarus program. The 10,000 BC portal will continue to generate sinkholes until eventually it swallows everything.
There are people working against her and trying to shut down her work.
Don’t question why but Josh and Riley pass some time in an ice-skating rink, discussing what will happen if the tidal wave hits. They put on skates and hit the ice because Riley insists they can have “five minutes of fun.”
The glitter ball rotates, the lights dim, and “Hungry Eyes” plays as they skate, smile, and hold hands. The skating’s cut short when Caroline radios them and says she’s been found. She tells them to eat their Wheaties which is code for something’s inside the Wheaties box.
Josh and Riley race back and discover Caroline’s place has been trashed. The Wheaties box is still there and inside is some sort of device with a flashing red light. Riley suggests they find her teenage dad, tell him about the building in 10,000 BC, and instruct him to go to the portal down there and meet them in 1988. Whoa, could that possibly work? We’ll find out soon enough…
Riley spots her dad and introduces herself to her stoned, flirting future father. She hands him a note and tells him he needs to commit it to memory. Riley also makes him promise he won’t be in Santa Monica in three days.
She is, understandably, freaking Sam out.
Meanwhile, Back in 10,000 BC
Eve and her party of five arrive at the opening of a passageway into Lazarus. But, of course, there’s a catch. There’s a ginormous bird who attacks anything that comes near the opening.
Eve offers herself up as bait as the others race to the tunnel. Eve’s saved from certain death by her backpack and eventually makes it in with the others. As they’re walking through the tunnel, Sam suddenly has a brand-new memory! Okay, so maybe Riley’s plan wasn’t so far-fetched after all.
He recalls the note said he needs to meet them at the Santa Monica Boardwalk right now.
That’s going to be incredibly difficult since they’ve just been trapped by guards.
Elsewhere in the building, James wants Gavin to stay with him but Gavin just wants to get back to Eve and Izzy. Gavin doesn’t trust his dad, so James shows him one of his baby photos. That leads to a series of questions including why Silas raised him in a village. James begs to be allowed to prove he’s worthy of his son’s trust.
Their conversation’s interrupted by the news intruders have been found in the tunnel.
Gavin runs to hug Izzy and Eve, and then introduces them to James. Silas and James immediately get into an argument. Gavin tries to end it by telling everyone Aldridge was wrong; the portal doesn’t lead to ’88. Sam jumps in with his brand-new memory and contradicts Gavin.
Now it’s Gavin’s turn to realize James is a big fat liar. James covers for himself by saying he just didn’t want to lose his son. Gavin suggests if that’s true, then James should let Silas go and let them use the portal.
Apparently James agrees to allow them to use the portal because the next thing you know they’re standing in front of it. Sam steps through first followed by Levi. Gavin, Eve, and Izzy hold hands and step through it together.
James confesses to a cohort that he only let Gavin go so that he’d come back to him.
Meanwhile back at camp, Judah declares himself the clearing’s new ruler. That goes over like a lead balloon.
Scott and Lucas arrive back at the clearing, and everyone gets to work on helping Lucas. Scott believes a tourniquet will stop the burn virus thingy from spreading. He’s also got a Baby Ruth to ease Lucas’ pain. Plus, Scott reveals he knows Veronica is hot for Lucas.
Veronica and Lucas have a brief heart-to-heart and share their feelings right before Lucas’ condition takes a turn for the worse. The burning virus races through his body and he passes out.
Once more to 1988 we go, and the group locates Riley and Josh on the Boardwalk. There’s a lot of hugging since, for the first time since La Brea began, the entire Harris family is reunited.
The earth begins to shake, rattle, and roll, as Josh and Riley warn the ’88 newbies that a new sinkhole’s about to open.
The episode ends with Riley claiming they may be able to stop any other sinkholes from opening in the future.
- 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 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 2 Episode 14 “The Journey Part 2” Recap
This post was last modified on February 28, 2023 11:17 pm