Will La Brea Political Drama Bust Up Parents-to-Be Veronica and Lucas?
This week on NBC’s La Brea, the first threat to Lucas and Veronica’s shiny-happy family dynamic came in the form of, no, not a pterodactyl nor a wooly mammoth, but politics. (Imagine!)
Lucas (played by New Zealand actor Josh McKenzie) has spent the first half of La Brea‘s six-episode farewell season grabbing clout as a leader, in the wake of the survivors losing their camp in the clearing. As such, he was quietly angling to fill the open council seat at Paara’s village, and in doing so work with interim leader Ruth to facilitate harmony between his “sky people” and the locals.
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But at the end of the Jan. 23 episode, expectant Veronica (played by Lily Santiago) shared with her baby daddy the news that it was her to whom Ruth offered that powerful position.
Lucas’ initial reaction was… well, not the best. To a “Dude, stop talking!” degree.
“He is a proud person, but he’s also so happy to see [Veronica’s] growth, so it’s a weird feeling, a tough pill for him to swallow,” McKenzie told TVLine during a recent Zoom chat.
“When we were discussing this conflict [off-camera], we decided this is probably an awkward feeling he hasn’t felt before,” McKenzie recalled. “He probably hasn’t had a relationship like this where he cares about somebody, so he wants to be happy for her but he’s also a bit crushed, because he’s trying so hard to be this [better] guy” after being written off early on as a drug peddling scalawag.
The good news for the root-for couple’s fans is that the bond they have formed since late Season 2 is juuuuust strong enough that they can weather this hiccup.
“With Veronica’s support — and Lily’s as the actress — working through these things will be really satisfying,” McKenzie previewed. “I hope the audience will be able to relate to that, how you always wants the best for your partner but you also want the best for yourself.”
Santiago echoed her scene partner’s POV, remarking, “It’s cool to see how [Veronica and Lucas] communicate differently now, because this is not a way they were capable of communicating even in Season 2.”
Having similarly landed in the La Brea sinkhole concealing a checkered past, “Veronica for the first time is proud of herself for something, and believes she can do something,” Santiago noted. “And Lucas comes to realize that he believes it, too. Veronica has the potential be a ‘bridge’ for these two cultures in away that surprises them both.”
Want scoop on the final three La Brea episodes, or for any other TV show ? Email InsideLine@tvline.com, and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line!
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