In the wake of predecessors like Girls and Broad City, I Love LA ditches the New York setting for an ensemble comedy series that’s more aligned with the likes of Netflix’s Love, or even a younger sister to Nobody Wants This. 

 

Show creator Rachel Sennott plays Maia, who lives in Los Angeles as an aspiring talent agent with her sweet boyfriend Dylan (Josh Hutcherson). Maia’s friend group is rounded out by Alani (True Whitaker), a bubbly unapologetic nepo-babyCharlie (Jordan Firstman), a quick witted celeb stylist. Tallulah (Odessa A'zion), a New York influencer always down for a good time. Also involved is Maia’s boss Alyssa (Leighton Meester), a CEO boss babe seemingly unbothered by everything. When Tallulah shows up in LA for Maia’s birthday after not seeing each other in a long time, the opportunity for Maia to manage Tallulah presents itself. The group finds itself closer than ever as they figure out how to fit in each other's lives again while also balancing their own success stories.

Even if the story hits some lulls throughout the eight episode run, I was far too invested in these characters and some notable cameos to even notice, because I cannot stress this enough: the cast absolutely kills it. Already going in as a fan of Sennott, Hutcherson, and Meester, I ended up falling in love with Whitaker, Fristman, and A’zion along the way. 

 

I Love LA is quick on its feet. Its commentary on the ever growing traction of the influencer lifestyle and all the unexpected bits that come with it feels quite poignant. Being born in the last year of the Millennial train, I share relatability with both the gritty cynical characters of Girls and the bombastic internet raised adults in I Love LA. Both exhibit exaggerated versions of how society views these age groups in their respective time frames. The dream-like Angelino lifestyle of I Love LA is simply a backdrop to the realities of social media fame- becoming more ruthless as conflicts build. Every episode ends with a stellar needle drop, too.
 

By the end of the season, I was still rooting for this group in all their good and bad decision making. I cannot wait to force my entire household to watch it with me on when it all drops on HBO Max.