Down at the bottom of the sinkhole beneath the La Brea tarpits, only the brave have a chance of survival. While the rest of the world feverishly toils up top to instigate a rescue effort, the dozens of survivors down below Los Angeles must combat their anxiety around the unknown and stand together against wolves, sabertooth tigers, and the indigenous population they find there.

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Bravery can take many forms, as the characters of La Brea demonstrate when they're forced to work together to make sense of their alien surroundings. From being able to face familial guilt like Eve Harris to squaring off against a sabertooth tiger like Dr. Sam Velez, the sinkhole reveals that what makes each character courageous will depend on their life experiences and their willingness to conquer their fear.

Lucas Hayes

Lucas confronts three other survivors in La Brea.

Lucas Hayes is often only interested in saving his own skin, but that doesn't mean he doesn't show courage. From the very beginning, he thinks nothing of wandering forests filled with sabertooth tigers, crossing snake-infested waters, and investigating ancient indigenous villages. When there's a chance to escape on Captain Delgado's plane, he's eager to go despite the risks involved with the flight out of the sinkhole.

Lucas turned to life on the streets after a tumultuous altercation between his mother and father destroyed his family, and his checkered past makes him something of an antihero at times. Lucas might be brave when it comes to an opportunity he can exploit, but the bravest thing he's ever done is accept his mother's love.

Josh Harris

Josh stands with a girl outside in La Brea.

After battling a nasty wolf wound, Josh rallies after just a few days spent recovering and insists on accompanying his mother Eve, Captain Delgado, and others on an exploratory investigation of the sinkhole to find Captain Delgado’s missing plane. He thinks nothing of navigating the forest despite the presence of more wolves, and when his mother and the others are ambushed by the inhabitants of an indigenous village, he devises a way to help them escape despite the risk of being killed. In the absence of his father, Josh desires to step up and be a protector and provider, especially while his mother and he are trapped in the sinkhole.

Marybeth Hayes

Marybeth stands among the wreckage with other survivors in La Brea.

As one of television's toughest female cops, Marybeth Hayes is the first one to jump into action when danger strikes, whether it's a wolf attack, investigating a murder scene, or saving her son from a falling telephone pole.

While she initially comes across as cagey and self-absorbed, she soon becomes a dependable part of the survivor encampment by putting the needs of the many above the needs of the few. When it's clear that Captain Delgado's plane might crash trying to escape the sinkhole, she works with Eve to prevent him from taking off, going so far as to get into a firefight to ensure other lives are saved.

Scott Israni

Scott talks to Riley in La Brea.

Scott might initially come across as a goofy stoner, but he doesn't let his anxiety get in the way of helping fellow survivors. Despite initially freezing when Riley needs his help during the wolf attack, he recovers his courage and helps her treat Josh’s wounds. Using his anthropology training, he also helps a fellow survivor track her father’s remains to a wolf den and provide him a proper burial.

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Wolves, sabertooth tigers, and bears are nothing to Scott when compared to challenging social situations. One of his bravest moments involves standing up to Lucas Hayes, the resident bully, who constantly ridicules and belittles him. Not only does he put Lucas in his place, he even takes the high road and saves his life, proving that he's not a coward after all.

Riley Velez

Riley takes care of an injured Josh in La Brea.

Riley presents herself as brash and fearless from the beginning, though secretly she battles some self-doubt. Despite her pre-med training, Riley isn’t prepared to drain fluid pressing on her father’s spinal column, but it’s the only way to prevent him from being paralyzed after a horrible back injury. When he passes out and can’t walk her through the procedure, she manages to complete it herself

Unlike some of the other characters, Riley uses each new challenge to steel her nerves and prepare herself for mounting danger. Not even being nearly squeezed to death by a giant snake prevents her from carrying on an exploration of the sinkhole.

Levi Delgado

Levi Delgado (Nicholas Gonzalez) in La Brea

Captain Levi Delgado doesn't abandon a mission no matter how dangerous it is, even if it involves flying into the sinkhole with no guarantee of return. The highly experimental aircraft he uses also requires special tools to maintain, and once he crashes through the portal, it becomes increasingly likely that he won't be able to get survivors out safely.

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Some would say Captain Delgado is in his element protecting survivors from sabertooth tigers and helping them chart courses through the forest to find supplies. That's because for a military man like him those risks are easy compared to admitting to his best friend, Gavin Harris, that he had an affair with his wife.

Gavin Harris

Gavin looks at a handheld device with a blonde female in La Brea.

The estranged father of Izzy and Josh, Gavin will do anything to be reunited with his children. Once he connects his strange visions of the past to the La Brea sinkhole disaster, he fights to be given a chance by DHS to locate survivors. He eventually gets their attention by finding concrete evidence that his wife and son have traveled back in time to 10,000 BC, which is good enough to secure a manned mission to investigate the sinkhole.

After Captain Levi Delgado disappears on the first rescue mission, it’s up to Gavin to put his Air Force experience to good use and attempt a second attempt. Despite having not been in a cockpit for three years, he puts his fears aside to find his family.

Doctor Sam Velez

Sam and two others search at night for help in La Brea.

There are not many sinkhole survivors as capable as Dr. Sam Velez, who repeatedly risks his life to save others, including preventing two young girls from being mauled in a wolf attack. When Josh Harris is bitten, Dr. Velez renders aid, applying his medical knowledge like some of Grey's Anatomy's best surgeons to keep Josh stable. Later, his survival skills are tested when he squares off against a sabertooth tiger that contributes to a back injury he struggles with for the rest of the season.

Dr. Velez is always the first person to volunteer for a scouting party, a rescue mission, or a supply run. After his back injury, he also knows his limitations and knows when to delegate duties to others based on their skillset. Perhaps bravest of all, he opens up to his daughter about his PTSD.

Eve Harris

Eve runs with her daughter in a street in La Brea.

Eve Harris sacrifices herself to save her daughter Izzy before falling into the sinkhole, and once she finds herself among a group of survivors, does what she can to help them gather supplies and hunt for food. When her son Josh is injured in a wolf attack, she braves sabertooth tigers, bears, and all manner of creatures to bring him the medical supplies he needs to survive.

Eve's bravery comes from not only being a strong female leader and a compassionate go-getter but also accepting her faults and flaws. Letting go of the guilt she feels for breaking up her family and moving on with her life is one of the biggest obstacles she faces.

Ty Coleman

Ty helps two men walk away from wreckage in La Brea.

To see Ty Coleman methodically using his handgun to save survivors from wolves and sabertooth tigers, no one would guess that he's riddled with fear and anxiety. No one would guess he wants to end his own life. But when he volunteers to help locate medical supplies for Josh's wound, he opens up about his tragic past and reveals the source of his bravery -- he has nothing to lose.

Because he feels directionless and helpless, Ty puts himself in increasingly dangerous situations, from cave diving to grappling with bears, but that changes when he starts trusting others with his story. The bravest thing Ty does is find something to live for and a purpose in everyone's darkest hour.

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