La Brea Review and Analysis – The Fort for Friends or Foes?

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Welcome Back La Brea and Wormhole Time Travel Science Fiction Drama Lovers,

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Click to visit La Brea. Image courtesy NBC Entertainment.

La Brea has proven to a runaway hit science fiction time travel wormhole based drama series. Ratings for the first four episode weeks have been very strong with 6.2 million viewers for the Pilot episode, 4.9 million viewers for the second episode, 4.98 million for the third episode, and 5.0 million for the fourth episode.

What is driving these high ratings? Drama! Click here to read all our analysis regarding La Brea to learn more.

The romances within the series are beginning to gel. At least one will come to fruition in “The Fort”, another will begin to bloom, and a third romantic relationship is revealed in this episode.  Also revealed is just how evil at least one of the characters really is. Additionally, we will discover that there are other humans that speak English in 10,000 BC!

The rescue mission by Levi Delgado (Nicholas Gonzalez) has not worked out as planned. Subsequent to his experimental aircraft being damaged after it was apparently disabled by the wormhole when he came through the time portal, Levi now joins the survivors in their quest to seek answers.

Worse, the wormhole time travel portal, which has remained open throughout the first four episode’s is about to close. This dire situation threatens to trap our survivors in 10,000 BC La Brea, perhaps forever!

On that point, many do not fully understand why the wormhole portal is referred to as a “sinkhole” by the contemporary media in the “series present time”. To science fiction time travel fans, the so-called sinkhole is obviously a wormhole, in fact a time travel portal to La Brea in the year 10,000 BC.

The only thing that seems to makes sense is the series creators are portraying the United States government in general, and the United States Air Force in specific, as taking part in a cover up of what is really going on so as to not cause a greater panic among residents in the greater Los Angeles area. This type of depiction within the story arc makes a great deal of sense. We learn in “The Fort” that other government mission(s) through the wormhole portal to the past have occurred. Notably, to the Mojave Desert about three years earlier.

La Brea S1x04 Gavin and Izzy meet Dr Aldridge and Sophia
Gavin and Izzy meet with Dr Aldridge and Sophia. Image courtesy NBC

This Mojave Desert expedition was a failure, trapping eight other engineers and scientists in the past. All of these factors are coupled with the revelation that the last attempt by Levi to travel to the past caused a large earthquake in the Los Angeles basin. This development has precluded any further official expeditions to 10,000 BC by the United States government.

Of interest is our new allies; Doctor Rebecca Aldridge (Ming-Zhu Hii) and Doctor Sophia Nathan (Virginie Laverdure) who we met near the end of the fourth episode, “The New Arrival” have teamed up to help rescue the survivor’s. In “The Fort” Rebecca and Sophia will disclose the reasons for their plans to Gavin (Eoin Macken) and Izzy (Zyra Gorecki) in an attempt to thwart the government conspiracy of information suppression in order to send a second rescue aircraft into the past.

La Brea S1x04 Levi comes through the wormhole
Levi comes through the wormhole. Image courtesy NBC

Before beginning our review and analysis, it must be noted that the reason that the wormhole portal reality originally became manifest has still not been made clear.

It is strongly suspected by Team WHR that the entire La Brea disaster, costing an untold number of lives, may have been the result of the United States government experimenting with, in fact tampering with time travel for some reason. However, it must be noted that government in itself is not evil, only some of the people with power within it. 

During “The Fort” episode it becomes apparent this has happened in more than one instance, leading to this terrible tragedy amid an inconceivable human suffering and loss of life.

This manifestation of government manipulation will no doubt become much clearer when we learn more about other the English speaking inhabitants living in 10,000 BC after “The Fort”.

 

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The Fort:

La Brea S1x05 Eve, Levi, Riley, Josh, Scott and Lucas enter The Fort
Josh McKenzie as Lucas Hayes, Rohan Mirchandaney as Scott Israni, Natalie Zea as Eve Harris, Nicholas Gonzalez as Levi Brooks, Veronica St. Clair as Riley Velez, Jack Martin as Josh Harris. Image by Sarah Enticknap, courtesy NBC

“The Fort” was written by series creator David Appelbaum and directed by Greg McLean. The episode opens with Eve (Natalie Zea), Josh (Jack Martin), Riley (Veronica St. Clair), Scott (Rohan Mirchandaney), despicable drug dealer Lucas (Josh McKenzie), and Levi together on an exploratory expedition to visit “The Fort”.

Our band of explorers are witnessed entering “The Fort” to find out about the old man in pelts (Mark Lee) and why people have been found dead that appear to have been electrocuted.

Importantly, they want to see what kind of other people living in La Brea during 10,000 BC. Splitting up it three groups, not a wise thing in our opinion, are Scott and Lucas, Riley and Josh, and Eve and Levi.

Each group will encounter different aspects and inhabitants of “The Fort”, learning that there are different types of residents in “The Fort”.

Some are innocent and pose no threat, others exhibit a potential for death, and there are some who will ultimately save them from the old man wearing pelts!

La Brea S1x05 Lucas the drug dealing arsehole
Josh McKenzie as Lucas Hayes. Image by Sarah Enticknap, courtesy NBC

Scott has become Lucas’ best buddy after Scott hid Lucas’ heroin stash worth $250,000 in the last episode, but made the mistake of admitting it to Lucas who has promised to kill Scott even if the heroin is returned intact. Poor Scott!

What we do not know is what the heck is Lucas going to do with the drug in 10,000 BC? Maybe Lucas is addicted to heroin? Only time will tell. But first both of them are captured and tied up by spear wielding men who speak English.

Scott is freed when Lucas uses a lighter to burn the ropes off of Scott, who almost gets up enough courage to leave Lucas there since he is tired of being Lucas’ “bitch”. Scott gives in only to be subjected to more abuse when evil Lucas tells him he is still going to kill him after he gets his heroin back anyway. Scott says “kill me now” and Lucas changes tact, congratulating Scott on “growing a pair” (of balls) before Lucas leers at Scott yet again. Lucas is a nightmare, the devil incarnate in any time period.

La Brea S1x05 Riley and Josh make some discoveries
Jack Martin as Josh Harris, Veroncia St. Clair as Riley Valez. Image by Sarah Enticknap, courtesy NBC

Riley and Josh discover a couple of things themselves. First is a building with food that contains another exit from “The Fort”. Once they have used the gate, they are shocked to find out there is no way to get back in through the self locking exit gate. The second is their growing infatuation with each other, despite the difference in their ages “a life age apart” as Riley says.

Eve and Levi discover a religious temple where another dead body is found exhibiting the same symptoms as the body found in the forest outside the survivor’s camp in “The New Arrival”. Levi pulls out a photograph comparing it to the dead man.

Confessing there is “more to my mission Eve”, who is ticked off when Levi says it’s classified. We learn that Levi was sent back to not only rescue the survivor’s, but find the eight engineers and scientists that were part of the disastrous Mojave Desert wormhole mission three years earlier. The dead man is one of the eight, another Red Shirt.

Thank goodness we found more people in “The Fort” because the original survivor’s are being killed off fast!

La Brea S1x05 Eve and Levi express feelings for each other
Natalie Zea as Eve Harris, Nicholas Gonzalez as Levi Delgado. Image by Sarah Enticknap, courtesy NBC

Levi does find a solar powered long range walkie-talkie which he believes will be useful later. Suddenly Eve looks at a fire pit that has hot embers saying “We have to get the hell out of here”.

Eve and Levi also explore their own feelings for each other. With Levi admitting he told Gavin about their relationship, things become more complicated. Eve is not happy with this development, feeling that it was her responsibility to inform Gavin, not Levi.

It is obvious that Eve has great guilt over what they have done, despite Levi telling Eve that Gavin “was not there for her”. Later we will learn more about Eve’s guilt and what she will do about it.

Meanwhile, back at the survivor’s encampment, Ty (Chiké Okonkwo) and Sam (Jon Seda) have found a full set of softball equipment in one of the vehicles that fell into the wormhole. Ty and Sam are concerned about Lilly (Chloe De Los Santos), believing that a bit of baseball will help her open up about why she is so scared all of the time. Even the bad cop Mary Beth (Karina Logue) agrees that something is wrong, and supports the efforts of Ty and Sam.

La Brea S1x02 Lilly is a kidnap victim
Chloe De Los Santos as Lilly Castillo a kidnap victim. Image by Sarah Enticknap, courtesy NBC

Both Ty and Sam suspect that Veronica (Lily Santiago) is not telling the truth about their “family” story.

As we have witnessed, Veronica has near complete control over Lilly, and it does not appear to be a healthy family relationship.

Later, when Lilly is not under Veronica’s control, Lilly opens up to Ty and confesses that she was kidnapped by Veronica and her father (the first Red Shirt eaten by prehistoric wolves).

A so-called man of faith, Veronica’s father is not only a kidnapper, but may actually be a child abuser of poor helpless Lilly!

When Ty confronts Veronica about this, Veronica runs away into the forest and Lilly is safe for the first time in years.

Could Veronica become the next Red Shirt? Perhaps. We shall see.

La Brea S1x05 Eve and Levi find an observation tower
Nicholas Gonzalez as Levi Delgado, Natalie Zea as Eve Harris. Image by Sarah Enticknap, courtesy NBC

At “The Fort” Eve and Levi find an observation tower that comes in handy to survey the entire surroundings.

Eve and Levi observe that somehow Riley and Josh are back outside of “The Fort”. Unfortunately, a gang of large tough looking men with swords and spears are observed tracking down Riley and Josh!

Then the fun,in fact the best, and most expected line in the series is yelled by Eve from the observation tower:

“RUN!”

Riley and Josh hide in a crevice as the wild men close in. Fortunately they are saved by the sound of a horn blowing, recalling them all back to “The Fort” seconds before they are captured by the spear wielding hunters. Later Riley and Josh sneak back in to “The Fort” through the front gate by tricking the two guards with a song playing on Riley’s cell phone to find Eve, Levi, Scott and Lucas.

La Brea S1x05 Izzy and Gavin with Rebecca
Eoin Macken as Gavin Harris, Zyra Gorecki as Izzy Harris, Ming-Zhu Hii as Doctor Rebecca Aldridge. Image by Sarah Enticknap, courtesy NBC

Back with Gavin and Izzy at the farm house which houses high tech facilities, Doctor Rebecca Aldridge and Doctor Sophia Nathan reveal that they were involved in the Mojave wormhole mission disaster. Doctor Aldridge reveals a personal motivation over and above her professional interest; that her fiancée, Diana Hoskins (Vanessa Buckley), was one of the scientists lost three years earlier, Moreover, Rebecca tells Gavin that she will be going with him back to 10,000 BC to help save everyone.

First, they must act quickly since Rebecca will disclose that the wormhole will close after being open five day. Today is the fifth day! Second, the only way to get access to the wormhole portal is by disabling the United States Air Force radar system or risk being shot down when they attempt to cross the wormhole portal event horizon.

Sophia, who has complete access to the government complex, says she will take care of that and heads back to ground zero. When Sophia is delayed by Senior Agent Adam Markman (Toby Truslove), Izzy becomes upset and tells Gavin that he should not go on the mission.

La Brea S1x05 Eve and Levi hide from The Fort spear men
Fort People. Image by Sarah Enticknap, courtesy NBC

Segue to Eve and Levi. They run and hide in a hut building only to find four children of various ages, but none of them cry out nor reveal Eve and Levi when two men come into the hut looking for them.

The oldest of the children, a nice young lady and good actor by the way, says the old man in pelts is her grandfather who told her that “they fell from the sky” in English.  

Smart prehistoric kid!

We return to Rebecca who informs Izzy and Gavin that she has to show them something that will change their minds. Rebecca just happens to have a cool helicopter handy and the trio flies off to the ground zero archeological dig site that contains prehistoric artifacts from the survivors in La Brea 10,000 BC.

This factor will ultimately convince Izzy that Rebecca and Gavin will need to embark together on another expedition through the wormhole time portal using her enhanced experimental vertical take off and landing aircraft. The stakes become much higher with the portal wormhole only able to stay open back to our timeline for a few hours more!

La Brea S1x05 Dianna is the leader of The Fort
Diana is the leader of The Fort, not Silas. Image courtesy NBC

Back to the very smart prehistoric young man whose character name is not revealed yet, portrayed by an outstanding young actor named Diesel La Torraca. He appears to not like her Grandpa the Pelt Man and helps Eve and Levi escape. On the way to a secret doorway in the walls of “The Fort”, the six link up following the young man to the not so secret exit.

Four of them get away, but Eve and Levi are targeted by old Grandpa Pelt Man and his army of bowman with arrows aimed at both of them!

Out of nowhere, a woman who looks a lot like Diana named Paara (Tonantzin Carmelo) appears. She yells at Grandpa Pelt Man “Let them go Silas”, Finally! Grandpa Pelt Man (Mark Lee) has a name and low and behold, he not only understands English, he is not the leader of “The Fort” either. Paara is!

La Brea S1x05 Eve and Levi comes to terms about their relationship
Nicholas Gonzalez as Levi, Natalie Zea as Eve. Image by Sarah Enticknap, courtesy NBC

Near the end of an excellent episode, Levi and Eve decide to finally come to terms with where their relationship has been and where it is going after leaving “The Fort” .

This is a fulfilling moment for the viewers as well since the love triangle issue of Gavin, Eve and Levi needed to be addressed in a wholesome and fulfilling manner.

Levi, in a tender moment, admits to Eve that Gavin knows that he (Levi) loves her. Viewers will recall that Levi and Gavin met before Levi left to come to prehistoric La Brea and they handled it like respectable human beings.

This seems to sit well with Eve, and it does sit well with this reviewer too.

However, Eve knows that she has one more task to complete to address the guilt that has been plaguing her about her relationship with Gavin the very beginning of the La Brea saga. Eve sets off to accomplish this task even though she and her husband are separated by 12,000 years.

La Brea S1x05 Izzy and Gavin read the letter from Eve
Zyra Gorecki as Izzy, Eoin Macken as Gavin. Image by Sarah Enticknap, NBC

The last scenes are of Gavin, Izzy and Rebecca at the archeological dig site. Rebecca shows Gavin a letter from Eve that was found inside a glass bottle where we learn that glass “can last a million years”.

In the letter, reconstructed by Rebecca and her team, Eve confesses to Gavin that she was wrong to have not believed him about his visions.

The scene switches to Eve writing the letter and sealing it in the glass bottle 12,000 years ago. Reading the letter, Gavin and Izzy find out it is addressed to both of them, motivating them even more just as Rebecca had hoped that it would.

Although Rebecca admits they may not make it back to the present, Izzy will acquiesce as to what is about to happen since the wormhole is about to close. Izzy says that she will be safe with Aunt Jessica (Ione Skye) happy that Dad is going to 10,000 BC with Rebecca to save Mom.

Izzy has the last line, ending the episode saying “Go save them!”

We hope you enjoyed our review and analysis of “The Fort”. We include a sneak peek of what is coming up next in the sixth episode of La Brea, “The Way Home”.

 

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Best Regards,

Kenn of #TeamWHR

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