If ever a show epitomised the phrase ‘so bad, it’s good’ then La Brea is it.
In fact, it’s hard not to be impressed by the sheer, unmitigated chutzpah of everyone involved in a series which—despite its laughable science, appalling dialogue, and shaky CGI—gamely keeps on hitting those sci-fi tropes in the hopes of stumbling across something new.
Season One begins with a massive sinkhole opening in Los Angeles. Those who survive the fall, find themselves in a mysterious and dangerous primeval land, where they have no choice but to band together to survive. In the search for answers, one family torn apart by the disaster, will have to unlock the secrets of this inexplicable event to find a way back to each other.
Along the way, there are the usual, safe stereotypes: the hero ex-Navy Seal, the deep-south scumbag, the helicopter mom with man troubles, the surly teen, the stoner, the dying man who suddenly finds a zest new for life. But here’s the thing. Despite spending at least ten minutes of every 43-minute episode screaming at the screen at the utter garbage being served up… I guarantee you will not be able to stop watching.
Maybe lockdowns have given us a greater tolerance for pap. Maybe, there’s actually a pretty decent plot bubbling under all the surface meh-ness. Or maybe there’s a certain charm in a show that is so unashamedly awful? Who knows? But I can’t wait for season 2.