Written by Olivia Aiere
Rachel Sennott’s comedy series on HBO Max is finally here. It generated a lot of buzz when it was announced simply as her untitled comedy project back in 2024. Sennott was a comedic powerhouse in Bottoms alongside Ayo Edebiri the year prior and debuted her serious acting chops in Shiva Baby. Both movies were directed by her former NYU classmate Emma Seligman.
Now, Sennott takes the reins in her own show releasing weekly on Sunday nights, in the same time slot that kept shows like White Lotus and Euphoria at the forefront of pop culture conversation. At the end of August, the project’s title was finally revealed to be I Love LA (and the first episode even features the song of the same name by Randy Newman in a montage) and on November 2nd, proved its place in the coveted Sunday night spot.
Sennott, who is the series’ writer and creator, stars as Maia. The first episode centers around Maia and her birthday plans, which consist of a chill night in and dinner with friends the next day. She reflects on a photo of her younger self to her boyfriend Dylan (Josh Hutcherson) and decides to ask her boss for a promotion. Her friends Alani (True Whitaker) and Charlie (Jordan Firstman) also convince her to block her former best friend Tallulah (Odessa A’zion) after her posts of her recent modeling campaign. Despite her new confidence to take charge, things go awry when her boss Alyssa (Leighton Meester) sidelines her request and Maia goes home to find that Tallulah had flown in to surprise her.
The episode is exposition heavy but is a pretty concise introduction to the cast of characters. Maia and Tallulah’s conflict leaves a lot to explore of their friendship history and where they can go next after resolving the tension. Additionally, Maia’s ambition to become a talent manager is paired with a perfect nonchalant attitude from her boss Alyssa, giving their dynamic great potential for comedic moments.
Meester and Hutcherson are familiar faces among this cast who get to showcase a comedic side not usually present in their most known roles. Sennott’s performance features a lot of the same quirks as her other characters, with her drawn-out speech and fidgety hand motions. It works for Maia, who is still finding her voice and confidence. A’zion gives Tallulah lots of energy and excitement that balances out Maia’s more collected nature. Sennott and A’zion have the makings of some really great chemistry that will likely be further explored in the episodes to come. Sennott’s writing places the gang in situations that feel realistically ridiculous. Alani and Charlie are written with a lot of older Gen Z quirks and mindsets that make them generation-specific to the archetype of sitcom best friends.
Sennott’s writing of her own generation gives a semi-accurate depiction of Gen Z, if not a hyper-specific view at Gen Z who are steeped in influencer culture. The jokes, which could easily be considered cringe by those unfamiliar with modern slang, are delivered with conviction and don’t seem out of place in the midst of all the social media references and brand names.
While the episode only takes place over two days and only develops a minor plot, it sets up the ensemble cast for promising adventures. In just 30 minutes, it introduces us to Maia and the people in her life as she decides to be more proactive with her life. The second episode’s synopsis indicates that we will see her dealing with her new responsibilities alongside her support systems. With other shows like Prime Video’s Overcompensating and FX’s Adults also working to fill the void of sitcoms revolving around 20-somethings, I Love LA adds its industry-focused flair to the mix with this subtle start.
