Natalie Zea Talks Jumping Back in Time for ‘La Brea’ Season 2 Return (VIDEO)

Some shows do cliffhangers; La Brea does cliff jumpers!

In the NBC series’ November-airing winter finale, the reunited Eve and Gavin Harris (Natalie Zea and Eoin Macken) leaped into a sinkhole from 1988 back to 10,000 B.C. with their kids (Jack Martin and Zyra Gorecki). In January 31’s two-part return, “they land and are off to the races,” says exec producer and showrunner David Appelbaum, trying to shut down the time portal (long story).

(Credit: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)

“We only shot that scene 17 times,” the always hilarious Zea jokes to TV Insider. “It’s funny, people are like, ‘What happens?’ and I’m like, ‘Well, what have you seen?’ Because we shot so many different versions of that.”

They have also filmed another major moment, which plays out in this week’s back-to-back episodes. Appelbaum reveals that the survivors at the clearing have their own prehistoric predicament: “[They’re] in the middle of a migration path.” Cue the stampede of giant buffalo!

Surprisingly, it’s former heroin dealer and loner Lucas (Josh McKenzie) who steps up. “He’s suddenly someone who is having to take charge and protect other people,” the EP adds. Not just when animals attack either, but in the second hour too, when one of the group is murdered. “That’s a really fun episode,” he says, “in terms of figuring out whodunit.”