Since her feature film acting debut in Shiva Baby five years ago, Rachel Sennott has crafted for herself a certain character type which has many entertaining variations that have served her well across different projects. While she’s also stretched to more serious places in I Used to Be Funny and to portraying a real person in Saturday Night, it’s a very welcome archetype that makes her a superb part of whatever she’s doing. After a cowriting credit on Bottoms, Sennott returns to pulling double duty as creator and star of I Love LA, a show that feels like exactly the kind of universe where Sennott’s typical characters would exist.
Maia (Rachel Sennott) is trying to make it in LA at a talent agency but hasn’t been able to really stand out. That changes when her best friend, influencer Tallulah (Odessa A’zion), shows up from New York, and offers her the opportunity to represent someone who is up-and-coming and on the verge of tremendous popularity. As their friendship is put to the test by occasionally challenging business decisions, Maia and Tallulah navigate the blurred lines in relationships along with their friends Alani (True Whitaker) and Charlie (Jordan Firstman), who are similarly stumbling upward in their quests to achieve fame and success.
The opening scene of this show’s pilot episode sets its tone well, as Maia feels what appears to be an earthquake while having sex with her boyfriend Dylan (Josh Hutcherson) and just wants to keep going because it’s keeping things exciting (she later attempts to make the book he’s reading – which happens to be about the Third Reich – a turn-on as well). Maia isn’t necessarily immature or irresponsible, but she’s representative of a generational stereotype that believes bold achievement can come without making any character adjustments or trying to acclimate to a different way of thinking. While it’s sometimes uncomfortable to watch play out because it’s far from a foolproof strategy, it’s always a lot of fun.
Sennott has cast herself in the perfect role, and that extends to the rest of the cast as well. A’zion, who starred in Jennifer Esposito’s Fresh Kills and will next be seen opposite Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme, feels less exaggerated and self-involved than many real-life influencers and fictional personalities portrayed on the show, but she’s still not immune to makings things messy and misinterpreting the vibe of who she’s with and where she is. Maia and Tallulah are believable best friends who also have their issues, and it’s a blast to see them team up for something that could be absolutely successful but is equally likely to end in spectacular disaster at any moment.
As supporting characters, Whitaker and Firstman make the most of often unconnected storylines that elevate them to just as relevant as the main players. In her first film role, Whitaker demonstrates an extraordinary screen presence, combining a natural likeability with a stunning inability to comprehend how others see her and the world as a lucky benefactor of nepotism. Firstman, a recurring player on English Teacher, taps into Charlie’s fervent desire to be liked while also showcasing his truly terrible gaydar, which causes more than a few problems for him as he invests much too heavily in fruitless endeavors. Hutcherson, the straight man of the group, is a calm and innocent foil for Sennott as someone who doesn’t always seem like he belongs with this crowd yet balances them appropriately.
There are many laughs to be found in this comedy that feels like it’s truly of the moment, representative of a time when there’s an expectation that people – at least those in the key target demographics and the ones trying to get them to stay there – do spend all their time on their phones. Yet every one of these characters, particularly Tallulah, feels real and three-dimensional, even if they’re exaggerated for comedic effect. Sennott has crafted something that her fans will definitely love but should also appeal to a wider audience given that she’s capable of sending up the shortcomings and stereotypes that have been cast on her generation. This show is great fun that also has something to say about what it means to make it in a fiercely competitive world, as well as what gets lost and sacrificed along the way.
Season Rating: 8/10
