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Original or acquired, old or new, Netflix is home to some of the best sci-fi series available today. NBC’s action-packed creature feature La Brea is finally receiving its much-deserved attention on the streamer. Canceled after just three seasons due to low viewership, David Appelbaum’s survival adventure has been climbing Netflix’s charts since it first hit the streamer.
La Brea boasts network sci-fi madness in the best bingeable way, centering on a large sinkhole in Los Angeles that pulls survivors into a dangerous ancient world. A complete series that wraps up its story by the end, despite its shortened third season, La Brea is a high-concept time-travel mystery that will reel viewers back in time to 10,000 BC.
La Brea Is a Bingeable High-Concept Sci-Fi Series
La Brea centers on a large sinkhole that suddenly opens in the middle of present-day Los Angeles, next to the real-life La Brea Tar Pits. The main focus of the series is the Harris family, with Eve (Natalie Zea) and her son Josh (Jack Martin), among others, who fall into a sinkhole and are transported to a prehistoric world set in 10,000 BC.
Back in the present-day, Eve’s estranged husband Gavin (Eoin Macken) and their teenage daughter Izzy (Zyra Gorecki) attempt to save their fallen family members, all with the much-expected resistance of government authorities. While La Brea does have a bizarre concept, it’s nonetheless worthy of appreciation.
Best described as a modern-day Lost, the series offers no shortage of action, particularly in its first season. Throwing in a second sinkhole that unleashes prehistoric creatures in present-day LA, Appelbaum’s adventure is a non-stop parade of dire wolves, woolly mammoths, and saber-toothed tigers wreaking havoc upon both worlds.
Melodrama and sci-fi are two genres that rarely go hand-in-hand, and La Brea would naturally be at risk of this if it weren’t for its sharp storyline. As strange as it may be, the series benefits from its mystery, throwing in several twists across its first season. By Season 2, the history of the sinkhole is revealed, dropping a somewhat shocking truth connected to a major character, and the overall storyline develops from there.
Season 3 builds to more reveals and shocks, raising the stakes by introducing even more creatures from across history, including dinosaurs. This leads to several memorable moments alongside its story, including a fighter-jet-versus-T. Rex showdown in the finale, which undoubtedly makes for fun viewing.
Another way the sci-fi time-travel epic avoids falling into the melodrama trap is with its casting. Boasting believable, emotionally vulnerable performances, particularly from Justified’s Natalie Zea and Eoin Macken, the series has plenty of likable characters to keep viewers engaged.
The supporting cast, including Chiké Okonkwo, Jon Seda, Josh McKenzie, and Nicholas Gonzalez, also works in its favor, with fleshed-out arcs and development that support its rather over-the-top premise.
La Brea Is Better Suited for Netflix Streaming
Although La Brea’s original run on NBC left some viewers struggling to keep up with its storylines, the show’s tenure on Netflix could finally give it the attention it deserves. Throwing viewers into a prehistoric world takes commitment, and as the series expanded across multiple timelines and interconnected character arcs, many likely found it difficult to keep up with Appelbaum’s constant twists and turns on a weekly release schedule.
La Brea’s style is better suited to binge-watching, allowing viewers to move through several episodes in one sitting. Instead of the story unfolding over several weeks, months, or years, which can make it difficult to recall important details, Netflix’s release lets viewers engage with the story more quickly, keeping those essential plot points fresh in their minds as they continue watching.
A confusing story, this is likely why La Brea faced low viewership and largely negative reviews, earning just 29% on Rotten Tomatoes. It offers everything fans of the genre could want, including action and a high-concept sci-fi premise, so there’s no logical reason for it not to work beyond its difficult-to-follow structure.
It’s a series that needs constant attention to flow and understanding, which network TV couldn’t offer. Simultaneously a sci-fi series, a mystery, and a prehistoric survival drama, La Brea is a gripping and unique entry to the genre. It's finally getting its well-deserved attention on the streamer.
Netflix’s release has turned a once-underrated series, unlike any other offering, into a bingeable mystery that flows better than it was ever given credit for. For those looking for a new sci-fi to dig their teeth into, or willing to give it another shot with its new structure, La Brea is every bit worth the watch.
