Welcome Back La Brea and Wormhole Time Travel Science Fiction Drama Lovers,
We re-watched the entire first season to draw an interesting set of hypothesis at the end of our analysis. We believe that they may predict what is coming up for La Brea admirers in 2022.
The second season story arc and the overall endgame of the series foundation was eloquently setup for this spectacular science fiction drama in the season one finale with the tenth episode named “Topanga”, denoting the location of another wormhole time portal, likely one of many we will encounter that is about to close and change history if the correct things are not accomplished.
The are several critical pivotal characters in this episode. In “Topanga” we begin with young Isiah (Diesel La Torraca) who must get through the portal before it closes. Isiah must exist in the past, and as Gavin (Eoin Macken) in the future, or Izzy (Zyra Gorecki) and Josh (Jack Martin) will cease to exist because Gavin would have never married Eve (Natalie Zea), so Izzy and Josh would never have been born.
Other characters are important as well. This includes Doctor Rebecca Aldridge (Ming-Zhu Hii) and Silas (Mark Lee), who also play pivotal roles in “Topanga”.
Silas is critical because it is revealed that he already knows that Eve’s children will die if Isiah does not make it to the portal in time to transport him back to 1988 to become Gavin.
Rebecca is pivotal because during “Topanga” we learn near the end of the episode that she has setup what appears to be a time travel laboratory in 10,000 BC. In “Topanga”, Rebecca takes Scott (Rohan Mirchandaney) to this place near the La Brea survivor’s camp. Finally, the Ella Jones (Michelle Vergara Moore) character is linked to Rebecca in the past as we will learn in “Topanga”. As we have previously delineated in our season one La Brea analysis, Rebecca went back to the past in 10,000 BC to make certain that certain events unfolded as they are meant to be. Rebecca’s goal is to ensure that events in the future timeline resume their original shape in this season one “Endgame”.
Speaking of “Endgame”, if you have never watched La Brea, there are two classic science fiction stories that may encourage you to do so. The first is the 2001 series finale of Star Trek Voyager in a two hour time travel adventure aptly titled “Endgame”. In this story, Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) travels back to the past to change history by returning her crew home sixteen years earlier than the current future timeline depicts it. The effort is successful with Admiral Janeway sacrificing herself to the Borg Queen (Alice Krige) so that the younger Captain Janeway was able to save several members of her crew including Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), Tuvok (Tim Russ), and Chakotay (Robert Beltran). Each are either killed, wounded or inalterably changed by the events as they had originally unfolded in the future timeline. Although successful, the changing of the timeline in the new present no doubt changed the future, this time for the better.
The second analog to La Brea timeline changes is the Marvel Cinematic Universe series saga concluding with “Avengers Endgame”. In this superb film, the Steve Rogers / Captain America (Chris Evans) character is tasked with returning the “Infinity Stones” to various places in the past to restore the timeline and the lives of trillions of beings after Thanos (Josh Brolin) had used them to erase half of all living creatures in the universe. The effort to restore the timeline is successful but two main characters become casualties. Tony Stark / Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Black Widow / Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) are killed in the heroic effort. Instead of returning to the future to the exact place and time that he left from, Steve decided to stay in the past after World War Two in 1945 to marry his love, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) and live a full life. This is a development that undoubtedly changed the timeline from 1945 onward to some extent, but with no apparent ill effects to the present.
The changing of specific events in the timelines as discussed above, although largely beneficial, are similar in many respects to what could be happening in La Brea “Topanga”. Although the evidence indicates that the timeline is apparently restored, new probing questions are left unanswered that may affect the timelines.
However, these resultant incidents may prove that there may be subtle alterations in the La Brea timeline that we will learn about in the second season. This includes the impact on lives of our young lovers, Josh and Riley (Veronica St. Clair) that may change them forever.
Before proceeding we include the Comic-Con 2021 Special Edition La Brea panel for your enjoyment.
Topanga:
This episode was written by series creator David Appelbaum and directed by Adam Davidson, both of whom do terrific work setting up the second season of La Brea. “Topanga” opens where we left off with Eve on the way to Topanga Canyon. Eve is tracking down Silas who has threatened to kill her son Josh and lover Levi (Nicholas Gonzalez) unless she surrenders Isiah to him.
La Brea lovers will recall that Isiah is a younger version of Gavin that Silas is so obsessed with, that he stabbed Rebecca who barely survived the incident in an attempt to get Isiah back. It is known that Silas, like Rebecca, are from the future, having worked together previously on at least one occasion during their disastrous Mojave Expedition wormhole time portal event. There is obviously more to their story regarding other wormhole portal events that we will learn about as this terrific time travel saga unfolds.
Eve finds Josh and Levi being held hostage by Silas and his gang of malcontents. The scene switches to Josh and Levi who are tied up. Levi says “Josh, I never meant to hurt you or your Dad, I really am sorry”, referring to his affair with Eve.
At this point in the drama, Eve surrenders to Silas, confronting him with the fact that he knows Rebecca, and that Josh, Gavin and Izzy will cease to exist if Isiah does not make it to the “Topanga” wormhole portal to travel to 1988 and become future Gavin. Silas says “I know… but this is about my only family” referring to Isiah. This admission confirms that Isiah is related to Silas, a stunning confession that we will explore in our hypothesis at the end of this analysis. Eve demands to know “So who are you? Who are you really?” Silas provides no response, and Eve is tied up with Josh and Levi. Eve obviously wanted to be captured, saying to Josh and Levi “I’ve got a plan”, then produces a sharp knife like rock and proceeds to cut through the ropes that bind her.
We segue to the survivors camp where Sam (Jon Seda) is explaining to Rebecca, Scott, his daughter Riley, Lucas (Josh McKenzie), the ever whining Billy (Stephen Lopez), Scott, Marybeth and the others that if they want to escape prehistoric La Brea, they must be at the Topanga Canyon mountain top before the wormhole time portal closes in 12 hours. Lucas questions this saying “There is no light in the sky”. Rebecca explains that “The light will be at the highest (mountain) peak in that area”.
Marybeth is also skeptical asking Rebecca “How the hell do you know any of this?” to which Rebecca makes an admission that shocks the survivors “Because I’m responsible” for the wormhole time portals) opening”. Rebecca also admits that “One of the people involved is Silas”, that they were both scientists who never meant for any of this to happen. There is an air of disbelief among the survivors.
Rebecca shares more details that she and Silas are trying to resolve what has happened with the wormholes, but in different ways. “I owe you that at least” says Rebecca. Sam, Riley and others say they will not use the wormhole time portal to travel to 1988, electing to seek another way home from prehistoric La Brea. Lucas and Marybeth decide that they will make the time travel journey. However, it is the opinion of this editor that Rebecca is obviously not telling the entire story to the survivors. Why? We will learn more about this near the end of the episode. Paara (Tonantzin Carmelo) and Ty (Chiké Okonkwo) come running into the camp revealing that Eve, Levi and Josh have been taken captive by Silas. “Look, we will explain everything in the way” says Ty. The main characters in the group, Sam, Riley, Lucas, Marybeth, Ty and Paara head off to Topanga to rescue Eve, Josh and Levi. Scott volunteers to stay behind to care for Rebecca who is still recovering from her stab wound.
Meanwhile, as viewers will recall from the last episode, Veronica (Lily Santiago) and Lilly (Chloe De Los Santos) are already on the way to Topanga to time travel to 1988 so that Lilly will become Ella, with Veronica seeking a new life free of the guilt from her future identity. Lilly stuns Veronica by saying she will not go to 1988 at Topanga confessing “Rebecca told me If I did this, she’d help me find a way get back to my family”. The Rebecca promise is interesting because if Lilly doesn’t go to 1988 she cannot become Ella of the future. Distracted, Veronica steps in a metal spring loaded trap set for Saber-Toothed Tigers becoming injured as a result. Lilly seeks a way to free Veronica from the trap but is unable to do so. Veronica apologizes to Lilly for everything she has done, telling her to get the map to Isiah and sends Lilly on her way. This means that Rebecca must have decided another method to manipulate the wormhole time portals as we will learn at the end of the episode.
Back at Silas’ area, Isiah has followed Eve and is almost captured by one of his minions. By this time, Sam, Ty, Paara, Marybeth, Lucas and Riley have arrived, saving Isiah when Sam chokes the man saying “It’s okay, I am here to help”. Paara runs to Isiah and hugs him. Sam and Ty decide to free Eve, Josh and Levi, telling the rest of the group to take Isiah to the Topanga Canyon mountain top.
Ty and Sam jump the two remaining guards. Silas seeing that he is outnumbered now that Eve, Josh and Levi are freed, Silas runs off having figured out that someone else must be taking Isiah to the Topanga Canyon mountain top. Of interest is that while Silas has an older look with gray hair, he is remarkably nimble, indicating that he is actually a much younger man than everyone thinks.
Subsequent to Silas’ escape, just as Rebecca had told them earlier, that when the portal is closing, and if there is any doubt about Isiah getting there in time, Izzy and Josh will begin to feel deathly ill.
Sure enough, Josh begins to have painful symptoms in his entire body, collapsing on the ground. The freeing of Isiah by Sam offsets this factor and Josh feels a bit better.
This is only the beginning of a potential result of the doubt nature that Isiah may not make it to the Topanga Canyon mountain in time to enter the wormhole time portal to become Gavin of the future, marry Eve and become father to Izzy and Josh.
In the future, Sophia (Virginie Lavurdure), Ella, Izzy and Gavin are examining the time portal map that Ella found in her jacket that Rebecca gave her before she traveled from prehistoric La Brea as Lilly in 1988. Izzy also begins to feel ill.
As they are examining the time portal map, they discover that another wormhole will open near the Duwamush River located near downtown Seattle Washington. Ella says she must go with them since she is remembering more of Lilly’s thoughts from the past that may be helpful. Sophia cautions them all that the entire modern city of Seattle could face a disaster similar to what happened to La Brea.
Knowing that the only proof they have is an ancient map, there is only one person with enough influence that can help, Senior Agent Adam Markman (Toby Truslove). As they leave Ella’s home, Izzy begins to have the same pains in her body as the effect ripples through time. Izzy nearly collapses, obviously seriously impacted by her possible non existence!
Later when they meet with Markman, who was rightfully skeptical after the stunts Gavin and Sophia have pulled during season one, finally considers the ancient map valid when Sophia provides evidence of similar seismic activity to what occurred in La Brea when many were killed and our heroes were trapped in the past.
We move back to prehistoric La Brea where we learn that Sam has sent Isiah with Riley and Lucas to get to the Topanga mountain top wormhole portal in time. Along the way, one of Silas’ other minions jumps them on the trail, Marybeth pulls her gun a bit late and shoots the large man, who continues forward tackling Marybeth. During their struggle, the man stabs her in what will become a fatal injury for Marybeth. As the man then moves to kill Lucas, Levi arrives and shoots him dead. Sam confirms that Marybeth’s stab wound is very serious. Lucas decides to stay with his Mom while the others take Isiah to the Topanga Canyon mountain top. Unfortunately, Marybeth bleeds out and dies before she can get there. In a tender moment, Marybeth tells her son Lucas as she is dying that despite the differences between them, she loves him and makes Lucas promise “Don’t go back to your old life, make something of yourself”. Sadly, Marybeth, who turned out to be a good person after all, passes away with Lucas promising, then is observed hugging his dead Mom. In another tender moment, Ty and Paara share their love for each other. Paara tells Ty that he should go to 1988 to try and die in comfort rather than agony in prehistoric La Brea. As they continue their own journey to the Topanga Canyon mountain top wormhole, where they help save Isiah, Ty ultimately decides he will not go to 1988 and would rather stay with Paara.
At the survivors camp, Scott is in the midst of a rant about him being a sniveling coward. We are given a good belly laugh when the camera pans back to learn that Scott is talking to the cow he found! Rebecca courteously interrupts Scott asking for him to help her. “There’s somewhere I need to go a few miles from here” says Rebecca. Scott, always intuitive, agrees but tells Rebecca “What you said about being responsible… That’s just the tip of the iceberg isn’t it?” As Scott laments about all the strange science fiction type of things that have occurred in prehistoric La Brea, including his cow with a laser barcode serial number burned into its neck, Rebecca “You get me where I need to go and I will give you all the answers you are looking for, or you can do nothing and things will stay exactly as they are”. Scott agrees to go with Rebecca stating “When do we leave?”
We segue to the group heading to the Topanga Canyon mountain top. Eve has deduced that Silas is headed that way to stop Isiah from making the journey to 1988. Paara shares that she knows of a shortcut through a series of caves that will get them to the mountain top before Silas. The group heads out to catch up with Silas before he can change all future history by capturing young Isiah. Sam, Riley, Josh, Levi, Isiah, and Eve find the entrance to the cave shortcut. Josh wants to stay as close to Isiah as possible since his very existence depends on Isiah getting to 1988 to become future Gavin. Isiah, aware Josh’s life depends on him asks Josh “If I make it to 1988, you’ll be okay, right?”. Josh replies “I think so, the person you grow up to be, he’s pretty great”. As Eve and Levi enter the cave system of natural tunnels, Levi admits to her that he told Josh everything about their affair. “I just have to focus on Isiah” says Eve. As the group proceeds, difficulties are encountered including a rope ladder over a tar pit. Josh, Isiah and Eve make it up the ladder before it breaks splitting the group . Sam, Levi and Riley are forced use the slower way to the Topanga Canyon mountain top wormhole while Eve, Josh and Isiah proceed through the shortcut.
We then move to Seattle Washington. Agent Markman has successfully evacuated the city but suddenly the seismic activity subsides. Just before calling off the operation, Sophia and Gavin are examining the map which starts to fade. Markman demands answers. Ella provides them stating she, as Lilly, was supposed to get the map to Isiah per Rebecca’s instructions. Why is the map fading? “But I think it means I might not make it” (did not make it to the Topanga mountain top wormhole in prehistoric La Brea) says Ella. Of critical importance, Ella is not feeling ill like Izzy and Josh are. So what all of this means is that somehow Rebecca was able to get Ella to 1988 or Ella would also have ceased to exist. Obviously, the timeline is being impacted by changes in the past that are affecting the future, making small changes that are shifting around them. Sophia confirms this when she checks the seismic data. Sophia notices on her computer that the seismic tremors have not gone away, but have shifted to a park campground twelve miles east outside of downtown Seattle. Markman looks at the evidence and says “Let’s go” using his authority to have the campground evacuated. Markman, Sophia, Izzy, Ella and Gavin quickly find the wormhole time portal.
Quick segue back to Eve, Josh, and Isiah. They find the exit to the cave shortcut and emerge on the mountain top of Topanga Canyon to witness the wormhole time portal shimmering only a short distance away.
Silas, who has been waiting, hidden near the wormhole, jumps them and grabs Isiah from Eva as Josh collapses to the ground in what may be his last moments alive!
Eve chases and successfully fights Silas, getting Isiah back. A vengeful Silas threatens to kill the incapacitated Josh if Eve takes Isiah to the wormhole time portal. Fortunately, Paara and Ty show up in the nick of time to save the day! Ty pulls his gun as Paara says “It’s over Silas”.
As Eve proceeds to the wormhole with Isiah, Silas then utters prophetic words after Isiah says he loves him and “I have to save Josh”. “Until we meet again my boy” proving that the two knew each other in a future timeline before somehow ending up in prehistoric La Brea.
With the sunset off in the distance, Eve gets Isiah to the wormhole time portal who enters it completing the time loop that ensures he will become Gavin in the future saving her two children in the process.
Izzy and Josh immediately start feeling better. Thankfully the “Topanga” story does not end here. Lilly shows up running to the portal to give Isiah the map, but it appears she is too late as the wormhole is shrinking in size.
Not so. Riley and Josh move close to Lilly trying to explain the wormhole is closing when suddenly the wormhole time portal, in a final blast, erupts and expands enveloping all three of them, no doubt transported to 1988. This event completes the time loop so not only does Isiah become Gavin, but Lilly will become Ella as well.
In the other fabulous closing sequences of a fantastic season, we are with Izzy, Gavin and Ella at the Seattle wormhole. Agent Markman wants to secure the portal so it cannot be utilized.
However, Izzy, and Gavin tell Markman otherwise. They have decided to time travel to the past, find their family, and to help the survivors. This is despite the fact that they will be 1,200 miles away from La Brea.
Sophia also warns them that they will have with no apparent means to return to the present timeline. Gavin says he must save his family and prepares to jump with Izzy .
Ella says she must go with Izzy and Gavin to the past as well, knowing that she had promised to come back for Veronica who has been injured by the Saber-Tooth Tiger trap near the prehistoric La Brea survivors camp.
The three heroes jump into the wormhole time portal successfully arriving on a beach near Seattle Washington State in the past of 10,000 BC. To their utter surprise, the trio hear a bellowing, looking left, they find out they have been are greeted by a giant woolly mammoth!
Just a few moments beforehand, Scott and Rebecca have arrived at their destination not far from the survivors camp in prehistoric La Brea. A short way off in a valley, Rebecca points to a fantastic skyscraper glistening in the light. What we witness is obviously Rebecca’s time time laboratory in 10,000 BC!
Scott asks who built it? “I did” says Rebecca. And now we know that there is much more to discover about this fabulous science fiction time travel series!
Season Two Hypothesis (SPOILER ALERT!):
Before we leave 2021 in our past, we offer a conclusion and two hypothesis below on what may be happening in the second season to Ella, Riley and Josh in specific.
In concluding our review and analysis of season one, there has been much speculation by fans that Gavin is a younger version of Silas much like Isiah is a younger version of Gavin.
This hypothesis never held up. Why? Because Silas never became ill like Josh and Izzy did when it became doubtful that Isiah would make it to the wormhole time portal in time to arrive in 1988.
We offer two season two hypothesis, never revealed until now. As mentioned above, we re-watched the entire first season to come to the following speculations.
First, since Lilly made it to the Topanga wormhole in time, but Ella, in the future, never suffered any sickness or ill effects, this must have always meant that Lilly was never in doubt to travel to 1988 to become Ella.
This was confirmed when the final eruption of the Topanga wormhole occurred taking young Lilly with the wormhole map in her pocket that helped Gavin find a way to prehistoric times to save his family.
But what are to become of of Riley and Josh?
We suspect that Silas is actually an older version of Josh and that Rebecca is an older version of Riley. The ages of these two when young are within correct ranges to become the older versions.
Although Silas is referred to as Isiah’s grandfather in season one, he never really looks that old or speaks that way, he just has scraggly hair, AND importantly, Silas referred to Isiah as “My boy”.
Could this be a proverbial “Easter Egg” often referred to in entertainment projects that was left by the creators and or writers for us to discover? Possibly.
We never learned how old Rebecca is, but Riley is within range to become the older Rebecca. We know that Riley and Josh were falling in love. The question then becomes is Isiah their child? The episode “Father and Son” story may be the dead giveaway.
Could it be that the animosity we observed between Silas and Rebecca was the result of a marital spat about having to return Isiah to prehistoric La Brea to become Gavin of the future?
We shall see when season two comes to our screens next year! In the meantime, we wait patiently, but with avid anticipation for season two in 2022 to enjoy more adventures and stories in this marvelous science fiction drama series!
See you then!
We will be back in the near future with more of La Brea as well as your favorite television series and movie analysis. In the meantime, please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family and leave your comments! We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future! Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!“
Thank you. 
Best Regards,
Kenn of #TeamWHR
