La Brea

La Brea
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that La Brea is an action/adventure science-fiction show about a massive sinkhole trapping citizens in an underground world. The series features few swear words, but has a few scenes describing drinking and taking drugs, with one scene explicitly showing a character drinking. Parents should note there is a scene in which a character nearly dies by suicide. The destruction shown in the first minutes of the show could also be scary to younger viewers, especially since the event happens in a real place.
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science fiction writers should know some science
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What's the Story?
LA BREA brings science-fiction back to primetime by imagining what could happen if a massive sinkhole under the La Brea tar pits opened up and transported its survivors to an underground, prehistoric world. A family is separated by this event, with Eve Harris (Natalie Zea) and her son Josh (Jack Martin) becoming one of the many trapped in the new environment. Meanwhile, Eve's ex-husband Gavin (Eoin Macken) and his daughter Izzy (Zyra Gorecki) do their best to save their family, especially since Gavin somehow gets visions of the underground world in his mind.
Is It Any Good?
This series is great for turn-your-brain-off viewing; giving just enough thrills, mystery, and intrigue to keep audiences entertained. La Brea riffs on the idea of the King Kong mythos, which envisions a prehistoric world at the center of the earth. But instead of the world existing near the earth's core, La Brea's world exists right underneath Los Angeles. Thankfully, the show is entertaining, with enough intrigue to keep viewers interested. The cast is also multicultural and it appears that the show's writers are intent on providing viewers with characters who don't fall into common racial or cultural cliches. Also great is casting Zyra Gorecki, a disabled actress, to play Izzy, who lost her leg in an accident. It's all too rare that disabled actors get to play well-rounded characters, and hopefully Gorecki's casting will be part of Hollywood's reckoning with its ableist outlook.
With that said, some of the characters' decisions are perplexing, such as the weirdness behind Eve (get it?), Sam, and Ty (Chiké Okonkwo) deciding not to get into an ambulance and drive back to their encampment once they see a sabertooth tiger stalking them, but instead decide to run. The decision makes even less sense once you know the three tracked down the ambulance to get supplies to save Eve's son Josh, who was attacked by a wolf earlier. Instead of merely getting the supplies from the truck, they could have driven the entire truck back so Josh could properly lie down while taking his necessary medication to heal. Most characters also act a touch unrealistic considering they all experienced a traumatic experience -- if most people imagined themselves in the characters' situation, they would probably imagine themselves crying uncontrollably and freaking out, not immediately jumping into action. But since this is an adventure show, some unrealistic reactions are, unfortunately, par for the course.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about meaningful representation. How does La Brea properly represent people of color and disabled people? Is there anything the show could do better address representation?
How important is the theme of family in La Brea?
How do the characters show resilience and perseverance? How do they show courage in their situation?
How do the characters show their emotions in the wake of unforeseeable trauma? Are their reactions realistic?
How do the characters show teamwork as they fight to stay alive in the prehistoric world?
TV Details
- Premiere date: September 28, 2021
- Cast: Natalie Zea, Eoin Macken, Chiké Okonkwo, Jon Seda, Zyra Gorecki, Jack Martin
- Network: NBC
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Adventures
- Character Strengths: Communication, Courage, Perseverance, Teamwork
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: June 9, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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