SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains details about the most recent episode of La Brea, so unless you are completely caught up on the time-spanning sci-fi series, brace for impact.
The Season 2 finale of La Brea — the hit NBC series following a group of people struggling to survive after a sinkhole transports them to prehistoric times — managed to provide answers for a few lingering questions we had. However, it also gave fans just as much to ponder, as it set things up for the next season.
For instance, what are Eve’s whereabouts now after getting sucked through that portal, who is Gavin’s sister, what else have the many new portals that formed in the sky brought to 10,000 B.C., and when and how will our characters finally find their way home? It is only a matter of time before these mysteries are solved when La Brea Season 3 premieres. The question of when that will be is what we will cover first in our breakdown of everything that fans should expect.
What Is The La Brea Season 3 Premiere Date?
At the moment, we have no official word on when La Brea Season 3 is set to premiere on NBC. What we do know, however, from a report by Deadline is that production on the series’ next chapter began in Australia in March, suggesting that the season could appear on our 2023 TV schedule with a date in the fall or might air in the winter, perhaps as late as early 2024.
The network’s renewal of the sci-fi series was confirmed before Season 2 had its winter premiere in January 2023. As audiences prepare for the third season premiere, they can relive (or catch up on) the story so far by streaming La Brea’s first 24 episodes with a Peacock subscription.
The Current La Brea Cast Is Expected To Return
With a show like this which is prone to frequent plot twists (let alone the craziness that went down in the Season 2 finale), it would not to be unusual to be curious about whether or not every main player in the La Brea cast is still going to show up when the series returns. Well, according to NBC.com, no changes to the main ensemble have been announced. That would mean fans can likely expect to discover the whereabouts of Eve Harris when former Justified cast member Natalie Zea reprises the lead character in Season 3, alongside Eoin Macken as her estranged husband, Gavin; Jack Martin as her son, Josh; and Zyra Gorecki as her daughter, Izzy.
The current La Brea cast also features former Chicago P.D. star Jon Seda, Nicholas Gonzalez (whose character on The Good Doctor suffered a premature death), Call of Duty franchise star Chiké Okonkwo, and Lily Santiago, who broke out in the HBO movie, Lackawanna Blues. Veronica St. Clair also stars, alongside Hotel Mumbai’s Rohan Mirchandaney, Josh McKenzie, fellow video game actor Tonantzin Carmelo, and Michelle Vergara Moore, who was previously best known for Steven Soderbergh’s Side Effects.
La Brea Season 3 Is Expected To Last Six Episodes
The premiere season of La Brea lasted a decent-sized 10 episodes — a length that was extended by four additional chapters for Season 2. However, this latest season is expected to be its shortest yet.
According to the Deadline article that provided key details about La Brea Season 3, the drama was renewed for just six episodes, which is not common for a network TV series this far into its run. The article goes on to say that the decision for the shorter run this time came in light of a possible writers and/or directors and actors strike. However, according to showrunner David Appelbaum’s comments to SyFy, the six-episode renewal is a mostly “fluid” decision and more episodes could be added to the new season down the line, depending on how things work out.
This May Be The Final Season
I actually do hope that La Brea Season 3 is given the advantage to last more than just six episodes, because that does not seem like enough time to wrap up its story. However, according to that same, aforementioned Deadline article, it is likely that the series’ upcoming third run will be its last. Appelbaum reflected on his process for envisioning an ending to the show in his SyFy interview by saying the following:
I’ve always had in mind an idea for where things would end, and where we wanted to bring things back at the very end with our characters, with certain tentpoles to end the seasons and some major story moments. But I’ve always kept myself open to new ideas, because you bring in a team of writers who are all really smart people with their own takes, and you get notes from the producers and the network, you just have to stay fluid in that process. But it’s also important, as the creator, to have certain milestones that are rock solid. It’s a real balancing game that you play.
If the end is near, it seems that Appelbaum is at least prepared to bring La Brea to a fitting end once Season 3 commences.
David Appelbaum Comes Back As Showrunner
As previous mentions of his name should have already clued you in, David Appelbaum is continuing his position as the showrunner for La Brea Season 3. The sci-fi series is also his brainchild and the first he created himself.
Appelbaum previously served in the writers room and as a producer for series like The Mentalist, NCIS: New Orleans, Wisdom of the Crowd, and the short-lived, Jennifer Carpenter-led crime drama, The Enemy Within. Before then, he wrote, produced, and directed the 2005 short film, Adiós, papitas fritas, and was a co-producer on Peter Beals’ 2007 short, Imperial Violet.
Just like the sinkhole at the titular Los Angeles tar pits that brought our starring ensemble to a dangerous place in time, there are still many mysteries surrounding La Brea Season 3 from behind the scenes. Only time will tell when the new set of episodes will premiere, if it truly will last only six episodes, and whether or not the story will end there. We will be sure to let you know once that information is confirmed.
