La Brea (2021–…): Season 2, Episode 10 - The Return - full transcript

- We can fix the machine
and save your wife.

We're so close to a solution.

- It's all James has and it's
part of a larger equation.

But if we can find the
rest, we'll get the answer.

- Sam says it's a
pretty bad concussion.

- Mom!
- Let's get her on the bus.

- I have a brain tumor
and you have a treatment.

- A cure.

During your intake,
you told my guards

you're a psychiatrist.

Do you think we could
arrange a time to chat?



- Those flowers.

- They're the ones Aaron
used to make you draw.

- Maybe he knew
about this place.

No!

- Maybe there's a bigger
reason why we're here.

- Even when he's not here,

he finds his way
back into my head.

- I think Taamet's the killer.

I went to his cell and I saw
the same symbol up close.

- Why would you go to his cell?

- 'Cause I'm the one
that let Taamet go.

You accused Virgil
with no proof.

- Virgil spent time
with the Exiles.

I'm telling you, he's our guy.



- Morning.

- Morning.

- We brought you breakfast.

How you feeling?

- The concussion's still there.

My leg is better though.

I don't think I'll be leaving
the bus anytime today.

At least your dad
left me some flowers.

- Where'd he go?

- To see James.

- I can't believe Dad
thinks he can trust him.

- He's just trying
to keep Mom alive.

- Hey, guys, I know it's
dangerous down here.

But we have to face
things as they come.

And I just...

I wish your dad knew that James
wasn't the way to do that.

- Yes, exactly.

- If there's even a chance
that James can help Mom,

we need to look into it.

We have to do something.

Right?

- Yes, but for now, um...

why don't you give
me some water?

- Hey.

What are you up to?

- Uh, I was actually, uh,

coming to give you one of these.

But, uh, got
distracted by Virgil.

I know everyone thinks
Taamet killed Wyatt but

my gut's telling me Virgil
had something to do with it.

- I trust your gut.

- Thanks.

You know, you always make me
feel better about the world.

I've been... I've been
thinking about something.

Um, you know how you
been talking about

making a fresh start?
- Mm-hmm.

- Well, I was wondering,

maybe you'd, I don't know,
wanna move in with me?

- That's sweet.

But I just don't think
now's a good time.

- OK, cool.

Yeah, no, it was
just... Just a thought.

- I'll talk to you later, OK?

- Hey.

- Virgil.

What are you doing up here?

- Here to relieve you.

- Uh, Judah's supposed
to relieve me,

and not for another two hours.

- Right.

Thought you could use a break.

- I promised Sam that
I'd watch the clearing

while the search party's gone.

Taamet could come back
and we need to be ready.

- Yeah, I get that.

It's just ever since
Lucas locked me up,

I've been getting these
weird looks from everybody,

like they don't trust
me or something.

I was hoping I
could come up here

and just show them
I'm on their side.

Come on, man. At least
let me cover for you

so you can get some
breakfast, yeah?

- All right. Fine.
I'll be right back.

- Tell the others.

It's time.

- Hold it. Don't move.

Turn around slow, really slow.

Levi?

- It's great seeing you, too.

Hey! Hey.

- How's Eve and the kids?

- Yeah, they're safe.

What are you doing here?

What happened to your hair?

It's barely been
a week. Wha...

- Down here it's been a week.

It's been ten years for
me since I saw you in '88.

- What do you mean?

- I went down a
sinkhole in 1998.

'98?

- New sinkholes, they
just keep opening up.

So I assume your mission to
destroy the machine failed.

- Yeah, well,

we damaged it, but, um,

the portal's still open.

- You know, after we split,

I never stopped trying
to bring you guys home.

I joined with the DOD.

They got a team trying
to stop the sinkholes

and rescue everyone
trapped down here.

- So you're gonna
bring us all back?

- That's the plan.

I don't know what to say.

- Well, thank you
is a good start.

- OK. Thank you.

- You know, the truth is,

I'm working on the
same thing with James.

- James?

Like, your father, James?
- I know.

Last you heard of
him, he was dangerous,

but it's complicated.

He's working on a way
to fix the machine.

I'm on my way to talk
to him right now.

In fact, why... Why don't
you see for yourself?

- OK.

Let's go see James.

- Yeah.

You know, it's
brave, what you did.

It's dangerous. No
certain way back.

- You did the same thing.

- It's different.

I did it for my family.

- You guys are my family.

- Thank you.

- These are for you.

- Dr. Coleman, how
are you feeling?

- I know I've only
had one round of this,

but I feel better already.

- Excellent.

This is a tablet
for taking notes

during your therapy
session with James.

Though, if you don't mind,

I am curious about a few things.

- Such as?

- Would you say there is

an ethical conflict,

considering your relationship
with his extended family?

- Well, as a professional,

I always put my patient's
interests first.

So, no.

No ethical conflict present.

- Even though you
stand to benefit

from his work to fix the machine

and potentially send you home?

- No.

I'm getting married to
a member of the fort.

So my plan isn't to
return, but to stay here.

I'd also like to request
a legal pad, if that's OK?

For privacy.

- Of course.

Staying offline is smart.

Around here, there
are eyes everywhere.

Have a good session.

- Someone came this way.

Could be Taamet.

Let's do a quick sweep.
Everyone spread out.

I'm glad you're
out here with me.

We need to do everything we
can to protect ourselves.

Particularly,
since it looks like

we're not getting out
of here any time soon.

- If I tell you something,

will you promise not to
tell anyone else about it?

- Well, I do know a
thing or two about

how to keep things classified.

Yes, I promise.
- OK.

Yesterday, Caroline and I found
some of Dr. Moore's research.

She said she had to
look into it first,

but it could mean that
fixing James's machine is

a real possibility.
- What?

- But she made me promise
not to tell anyone about it,

including Josh.

Dad, I had to lie to him.

- You did what you had to do.

Look, back when I
was doing missions,

there were plenty of times
your mom wanted to know

what I was up to, but
I couldn't tell her.

- Did she understand?

- She did.

- There's smoke
coming from that way.

- Could be Taamet.

Everyone stay close.

- It's an Exile symbol.

- So where did they go?

- What the hell was that for?
- For being an idiot.

You need to stop backing
Dad on this James stuff.

Maybe if you, me, and Mom
were on the same page,

he'd see he was
being an idiot too.

- He's not being an idiot,
Iz. We're onto something here.

And if it can help
with Mom's situation,

we'd be idiots not
to look into it.

- All you found was a key that

nobody has any
idea what it's for.

- Then how do you
explain Caroline?

- What about her?
- She disappeared this morning.

Didn't tell anyone
where she's going.

There is something
more going on here,

and we're gonna find out what,
whether you help us or not.

- Josh. Josh, run.

Go, go, go!
- Come on!

Hurry!

Ow!

- Holy Mother of God.

- What?
- Oh, my God!

- Get in the car.

Ah!

- Get off!

Lock them all up.

Get off me!

What are they doing?

- Hey! Hey, why didn't
you warn us? Huh?

You were on the tower.
You could see them coming.

Why didn't you say anything?

Get the hell away from me!

Get in there!

What's going on out there?

- The Exiles are back.

- What did you do?
- Nothing!

- You have the same look on
your face you had yesterday.

And I knew you were
lying then, too!

- You're wrong, man.
- Am I? Huh? Am I?

Then tell me why the bandanna
that was on your hand

is now hanging off the tower!

You signaled them.
- I did not!

- These are the same
maniacs you escaped from.

Why did you let them in here?

Huh?

- I didn't have a choice!

He made me.

- What the hell do
they have on you?

- Dad.

- No, no. Please.

Please, please, please! No!

No, no, no, no!

- It's OK, it's OK.
We're just here to help.

- I'm gonna cut you loose, OK?

- The Exiles are
gone. You're safe.

I'm Sam. This is
my daughter, Riley.

Can you tell us who you are?

Jane.

- The people that were here,
do you know where they went?

- No.

- Do you remember
how you got here?

- I fell down a sinkhole in
Los Angeles with my husband.

We got captured by these people
who made us work in a mine.

- Is your husband here, too?
- No.

They said they'd kill me
unless Virgil helped them.

- Your husband's name is Virgil?

If Virgil's been
working with the Exiles

and they're not here...

Get the others. We need to
get back to the clearing now.

- Where is it?

- Tear it apart.

Stay there.

- What are they looking for?

- I don't know.

But we gotta get to Mom.
- They will kill you.

- She's got no way
to defend herself.

- Hey, wait, wait.

- Everybody split up!

- I have an idea.

We're gonna use
this to save Mom.

- You, stay in there.

- Did you see where
Josh and Izzy went?

- No.
- Check here.

- Um, OK, stay here.

- Wait, hang on. Hang on!

Whatever we do next, we
have to think this through.

- No. No, no. This is my
fault. I need to fix this.

- What do you mean? What
are you talking about?

- Look, it's not worth getting
into in your condition.

- I disagree. Acting without
thinking things through is

exactly how I got
in this condition.

We need a plan.

- I just don't want any
more bad to come from

what I did.
- Keep searching!

Still haven't found it.

- Hey.

- What are they doing?

We have to get to the kids.

- Eve, whoa!

- Josh. Izzy?

- Eve?

Eve! No.

- We're not leaving
until we find it.

- OK, you're still
breathing. That's good.

Hey! Uh, excuse me? Hello?

Hi. G'day, fellas.

Little awkward but I need
to get meds from my car.

- Go.
- Back where you were!

- Look, look, look, I
don't know if you've ever

seen someone have a full-blown
anxiety attack before,

but, uh, it is not pretty, OK?

We're talking flailing limbs,
verbal outbursts, hives.

Google it.

Uh, but hey, if that's
what you really want,

I can go back to the bus.

- Thought I'd see you.

- Honestly, I was
hoping the opposite.

- What are you doing out here?

Not a good idea.

Oh!

- Take him.

- Listen, I've been thinking,
and what you told me

doesn't add up.
- What doesn't?

- Why you came down here.
- What?

- Be straight with me.

There's something
you're not telling me.

- What, you're not
happy to see me?

- That's not it.

Come on.

- You're right.

But it's not what
you're thinking.

- What am I thinking?

- That I'm back for Eve.

- Gavin, for me, it's
been over a decade.

What happened between her
and I is ancient history.

It's not why I'm back.

- OK.

So why are you back?

- One of the people on my team,

she was more than
just a colleague.

Her name was Marissa.

We fell in love, got married,

and I found peace.

- So what happened?

- She died.

- I'm sorry.

- For a while, I...

I didn't know what to do.

Then I realized, I
could honor her memory

by coming down here and
finishing what she started.

Gavin, that's why I'm here.

- I'm sorry, buddy.

- Thank you.

Someone's coming.

- Sam.

- Levi.

- Man, it is good to see you.

- What the hell's going on here?

- Levi has got a
lot to tell you.

- I want to hear everything
you two have to say.

But right now, we
have other problems.

We just found out that Virgil's
been working for Taamet.

The Exiles are on the
way to the clearing.

- We need to get there now.

- Tell me, Doctor, how
are you holding up?

- So far, so good.

But this meeting isn't about me.

Please.
- Well, thank you for

taking me on as a patient.

I understand my
reputation precedes me.

Likely, you've been talking to
my son, or perhaps his wife.

I know she's not my biggest fan.

- I like to reserve
judgment for myself.

- Good.

So shall we get started?

- All right.

What would you
like to talk about?

- Uh, well, I haven't
slept in a month,

and I'm starting to worry
it will impact my work.

- Insomnia can have
a variety of causes.

Three of the most
common are medication,

illness, or stress.

- I haven't been
sick in over a year.

I'm not on any medications
that would cause sleeplessness.

- Which leaves stress.

Given your position and what
you do in this building,

I imagine you encounter
quite a lot of it.

So what changed a month ago?

- Nothing.

- Can you describe what
happened during the day

before that first
sleepless night?

- I had some meetings,
read some reports.

- What about that night?

- Well, I remember
something woke me

in the middle of
the night, but I...

I went straight back to sleep.

- Something?

- It was... it was a dream.

- What kind of dream?

- About work.

Uh, we had a shipment
of evergreens

scheduled to be sent.
And in the dream,

I went down to the Bio Bay

and all the trees had
lost their needles.

And I know it sounds ridiculous,

but they've taken years to grow.

And I just... I woke
up in a cold sweat.

- It sounds like a
typical anxiety dream.

Stressful,

but nothing that would
trigger a month of insomnia.

You're sure there
wasn't more to it?

My apologies, Doctor.

I have a meeting
I have to get to.

- But we just got started.

- Ah, I'm sorry.

We will continue
this session soon.

Thank you for your time.

- I get the Exiles
forcing you to spy on us.

But why why'd you kill Wyatt?

- I didn't want to.

Look, a few days ago,

Taamet told me to
search Caroline's bag,

and, uh... and I did.

And Wyatt, he saw me.

I just... I panicked, you know?

I just tried scaring
him with my knife.

I did not think he
was gonna fight back.

- What were they
having you look for?

Is that... is that what
they're looking for now?

- It's like some sort
of... Some sort of book.

It's got a brown moleskin
cover and green binding.

- Why would the Exiles
want something like that?

- I don't know, man.
They didn't tell me.

I know they want it.

And I couldn't find it anywhere
so now they're looking.

Lucas, if they don't
find this thing,

I don't know what
they're gonna do next.

- We're just gonna
have to help them.

- I still don't see him.

- Lucas is going to be fine.

- What if the last
thing I said was that

I didn't want to
move in with him?

- Did you tell him
why you said no?

- About Aaron?
- Yeah.

- No.

Even with Lucas,
who I really like,

whenever I try to be open,

all of a sudden,
Aaron's in my head

and there's no
getting rid of him.

It's like with those red flowers

that he used to draw
that we saw down here.

Everywhere I turn,
he seems to be there

and I don't know what to do.

- Get out here. Come on!

- No!
- Let go of her!

- Hey! Let them go.

I have what you want.

Brown moleskin book with
a green binding, right?

- Did he just say...
- Yeah.

- How do you know that?

- All you need to know
is I can take you to it.

- If you know about the
book, what's inside it?

You're lying.

- No, he's telling the truth.

But he only knows half of it.

The book you're
talking about has got

numbers and symbols in it.

- How do you know this?

- Because it belonged
to somebody I know.

His name was Aaron.

And I don't know why he'd
have something you want,

but I know he never let it go

'cause I buried him with it.

- Where is he buried?

- We can show you.

- You will go with five
of my men to the grave.

You will dig up the
book and bring it here.

But if you are not
back by sundown...

- He dies.

- You sure you're
doing that right?

- Dad helped me learn Morse
code for a Girl Scout badge.

- That doesn't inspire
a lot of confidence.

- Mirror flashes can be
seen a hundred miles away.

I'm flashing it
towards the building.

And if Dad looks
back, he will see it.

- Hey. Check it out.

- Come on, let's go.

- Keep moving.

- I have to change the message.

- Why?

- Because if Dad has
any chance of saving us,

he has to target the
small group first.

It's basic tactics.

- Girl Scouts are badass.

- Whoa, hang on.

- It's like I taught Izzy.

It's her.

- What's she saying?

- Um...

A-T-T...

S-T.

Attack, Exiles, East.

- I think she's saying
there's a group moving east.

We should take them out,

then we can hit the clearing.
- Smart.

- No. No, no, no. We know what
the Exiles are capable of.

They have my family.
That's where we go first.

- Your kid's got eyes on a
situation that says different.

- Sam! My wife is
injured on that bus.

- Gavin, we know that you
want to protect your family,

but Izzy's sharp.
Think it through.

So what are we gonna do?

- Dr. Coleman.

- I asked to see
you before I leave.

- Of course.

How are you?

- Well...

nothing in this
world is guaranteed.

But according to your doctors,

my recovery is moving
in the right direction.

Just need to come back in a few
days for the next treatment.

Still, I wouldn't
be doing my job

if I left without
following up on your dream.

- I appreciate your tenacity,

but I haven't been able
to remember anything else.

- You know, sometimes
psychiatrists need to do

outside research

in order to better
understand the symbolism

within the dreams
of our patients.

So I took it upon myself to

ask around the building
about those evergreens,

see what they might
signify to a man like you.

But the thing is,

there hasn't been a
shipment of them all year,

which suggests you weren't
being entirely truthful.

In order for me to
help you, James,

you have to tell me
what's really going on.

It wasn't a dream that woke me.

It was a nightmare...

About the day Isiah was taken.

- Tell me about it.

It could be the key to
solving your insomnia.

- I dreamed I went
to go and wake him up

and I found his bed empty.

And the moment I saw
it, I knew he was gone.

And I still searched.

I looked everywhere, even
though I knew it was hopeless.

And the dream, it was so real.

It felt like I'd lost
him all over again.

And it even... It
brought back, um...

- What did it bring back?

- When I lost him,
the emptiness,

it made me...

do something unthinkable.

- You tried to harm yourself.

- I went to my gun case.

I unlocked a pistol...

put it to the side of my head,

and I pulled the trigger.

And it should have killed me,

but the gun's chamber was empty

because I'd taken
out all the bullets

to keep Isiah safe.

So even though Isiah was gone,

he still saved me.

And then the dream just
made it all come back.

- It's a terrible feeling.

In the light of day,

you must be able to see
that you have your son back.

- But I don't.

My son will never trust me.

And I don't know
where to go with that.

- What you're feeling is normal

and we can work on it.

You can have a
relationship with Gavin

and still hold space
for the memory of Isiah.

- I love imagining him here.

The Bio Bay was
his favorite place.

He, um...

He would color here every day.

Here... you know, here
are a few of his drawings.

There.

- Wait. Would you... Would
you mind going back one?

- Huh?
- Yeah.

A blue moon.

- It's beautiful, isn't it?

- Yeah. It is.

- You OK?

- I just want this to be over.

- Hey, I can get the book.

- No, no. No, I
need to do this.

This book was so
important to him.

He never let us near it.

I'm not gonna be afraid anymore.

- Hand it over.

Now.

- Live or die, it's up to you.

- We have to get
to the clearing.

Grab their weapons, tie
them up. Let's move.

- Time's almost up.

You know what?

Before I die, I just
have one thing to say.

As a cultural anthropologist,

I've had a unique opportunity
to study your group

from a number of different
ethnographic perspectives:

cognitive, political,
developmental, psychological,

even transpersonal.

And I have to say
that on every level,

you are all an epic fail.

- Ah!

- In the trees!
- Look out!

Come on!

- Get him!

- On your knees! Now!

- Taamet!

- You see him?
- No.

- Damn it.

Ah!

No...

- I saw that James has
scheduled more time with you.

Things must have gone well.

- I think so.

- We're out of the
building, Doctor.

We can talk openly.

- Kiera...

what is Project Blue Moon?

- I don't know.

Project Blue Moon is the
first Lazarus operation

James has locked me out of.

- Blue Moon is a drawing
made by his son Isiah.

Does that mean anything to you?

- James has been talking
about what he wants to do

once the machine is fixed.

And now, I think he wants
to use it to start over.

- Losing Isiah is
James' biggest regret.

If he could have
anything he wanted,

I think he would go back in time

and make sure that
never happened.

- He can't do this.
- I agree.

If he does, Isiah will
never leave his side.

He won't go to 1988,

won't meet Eve, have kids.

- This is about more
than just Gavin.

This is about you.

Once James starts
over with Isiah,

everything from that
point will change.

There'll be no La Brea sinkhole.

You will never come
to this building

for cancer treatment, Ty.

You'll die.

- You guys all right?

- Yeah.

- Gavin, they were... They
were looking for this.

Why would the Exiles want this?

- Can I see?

Hang on.

Hold this.

Look.

James gave me this page
of Moore's research.

It fits.
- I don't understand, man.

- This must be Moore's
journal, his complete work.

It's our way home.

Hey.

Hey, Taamet.

- Hey!

James sent me to find this.

- Did he send you
to get it, too?

- Not James.

- Not James. Then who?

- Kiera.

- Come on. Let's get going.

How you holding up?

- The man who took me had

a book from 10,000 B.C.

that might be the key to
getting us home, so...

It's a lot.

- Aaron... took us
to La Brea that day.

He parked the car and
told us to stay put.

It's like he knew the
sinkhole was coming,

like he wanted to be there.

It's just...

none of it... None of
it makes any sense.

Guess if you thought I was
damaged goods before...

- What are you talking about?

Hey.

I... I think you're
the strongest person

I've ever met.

I wouldn't want
you any other way.

- What are you doing?

- We are going to your car.

I'm moving in.

Hey, hey.

- Hey, no, no, no, no, no.

Josh and Izzy are
outside. They're safe.

- OK.
- It's OK.

- Thank you.
- Yeah.

Thank you.

- I'm sorry.

I know you didn't
want me to go today.

- No, it's all right. It's OK.
- It's not.

It's not.

But I did find something.

It's what we were looking for;

all of Dr. Moore's research.

With this, we can
fix the machine.

- This is amazing.

Yeah.

It's also what the
Exiles were looking for.

And Kiera sent them.

- Kiera?
- Mm-hmm.

I don't know if she was working
for James or against him,

or for some other
reason entirely,

but it was her.

Hey, look, I know we haven't
been on the same page

about this.

I want us to be.

I want us to figure
this out together.

- I do too.

- There's something else.

- What?

- Someone's here to see you.

- Levi.

I can't believe
it. You're back.

Hey.

Wow. The gray suits you.

- Older and wiser.
- Mm.

- At least that's what they say.

- What are you doing here?

- What I told Gavin
wasn't the truth.

- What do you mean?

- I told him that I had a
plan to bring everyone home,

but the truth is, I don't.

The reason I'm here is to do

the one thing that can
set everything right.

And I need your help to do it.

I'm here to kill James.