‘La Brea’ Recap: ‘Maya’

1/24/2024

Written by John Edward Betancourt

LA BREA -- "Maya" Episode 303 -- Pictured: (l-r) Eoin Macken as Gavin, Jon Seda as Dr. Sam, Chiké Okonkwo as Ty -- (Photo by: Mark Taylor/NBC)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 303 of ‘La Brea’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.

There is always a grave risk when a television show enters its final season, that it will abandon or let go the wayside, that which made it so great in the first place. All in the name of course of providing the audience with a powerhouse ending. But going that route does disappoint and does sometimes leave open threads when the series finale arrives, and this is so prevalent, that fans of a beloved show oft find themselves nervous for this possibility when they tune into the farewell season. But thankfully, this isn’t an issue or a concern that fans of the hit NBC series, La Brea are running into. Simply because, the third and final season of the show… is making sure to move the plot forward in an epic manner, while still staying true to what made it the show so great in the first place.

Which is… character growth. For we’ve seen everyone in this series grow beyond who they were when the sinkhole first arrived and brought them to 10,000 B.C. and ‘Maya’ offered up more of that. By having Veronica finally come into her own as a leader, since she was recognized for her abilities as one here, since she was asked to join the council of the village, she and Lucas have made home. A move that put a little tension between her and her love since Lucas wanted that seat. But Veronica spoke to the importance of what this would mean for her, and that Lucas didn’t necessarily have to be a leader to be beloved and respected. Giving rise to wondrous growth for Veronica as she grabbed hold of her agency and embraced her new role.

Not to mention, even Izzy found some growth in this tale, courtesy of the fact that she came to learn about who she is as a person. Which came about via a hunting trip into the wild. Since Leyla wanted to bring home a boar and make her family proud in doing so. Which led to trouble of course, the kind that forced Izzy to improvise to save Leyla from a La Brea tar pit, and well, that moment, and the care that Izzy expressed made it clear to both of them… there was something romantic between them. Something they are both keen to explore, and well… that moment and that revelation really helped Izzy learn about herself in a powerful way, and of course… this brought about representation, which is important to have on television.

LA BREA -- "Maya" Episode 303 -- Pictured: (l-r) Zyra Gorecki as Izzy, Edyll Ismail as Leyla -- (Photo by: Mark Taylor/NBC)

All of which, is the stuff we love about the show through and through and we even found it in the past. Because back in 2021, Ty and Sam were struggling with Gavin and his drinking and Ty was struggling with being back in a time period where he made a lot of tough decisions. The kind that hurt people, such as his ex-wife and he used this opportunity, to set things right with her and put her on a different path. Speaking to how much he’s grown as a person and how much he wants to see others reach their potential. Which allowed for him to reach Gavin like never before and help him step away from his drinking and inspire others in the process. All of which just made for more feel-good moments and surprisingly a touch of danger. Since a sober Gavin did agree to help get his ‘new’ friends into the airbase and that caught the attention of someone ominous.

Which of course… brings us to the advancing of the plot. For Maya is indeed someone that Gavin and Sam were searching for in this tale, and they found her after some harrowing moments and came to discover that Gavin’s memory fog was related to her work. For she was PsyOps and worked with Gavin on a secret and dangerous project. Since the government was poking about with time travel concepts and clearly, that likely relate to this mess. And part of her job, was to wipe his memory to keep the project a secret. But she was willing and eager to help here and do right and she managed to unlock some portions of his memory. Enough to inform him that someone likely wants him to help out their own agenda over anything else. But that is a start regarding lost memories and clearly, the story is now moving toward resolution regarding the air base and the mystery of how everyone came to this period in time.

All of which made, for a truly engaging episode of the show. One that really did offer up what we love and moved everything forward, and that also made this story, bittersweet in a way. Because we will deeply miss this kind of smooth writing and wonderful moments with the characters. But alas, it all must end, and all must be revealed, and truly… it will be interesting to see how the show juggles the big moments that took place here from a growth perspective, and from a plot advancement perspective. Because so much is coming to a head, and well… it will undoubtedly all come together in a beautiful manner. For this farewell tour is as smooth as they come, and that will make the ending of this beloved show, all the more satisfying. Until next time.

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