As someone who listens to a podcast nearly every morning, one of my favorites to tune in to is Jake Shaneās Therapuss. Two weeks ago, as I was getting ready for the day, I listened to his episode with actress and comedian Rachel Sennott. Before listening to the podcast, I didnāt really know who Rachel was. I knew she was friends with Charli XCX, acted in The Weekndās show The Idol, and had seen some clips of her red carpet interviews on TikTok. However, after watching the podcast episode, I’ve decided that I love her. She is so witty, entertaining, and has such a great sense of humor. So, when she revealed that she had her own show coming out on HBO, I decided to give it a watchāand Iām glad I did.Ā
It is so hard to do a pilot episode well, but Rachel started it off with a bang. No, literally a bang. Spoiler alert if you want to be surprised when watching it for the first time. The show opens with Maia (Rachel Sennott) having sex with her boyfriend (Josh Hutcherson) during an earthquake. The unhinged-ness of it made me excited to see what she had in store for the rest of the episode, and she didnāt disappoint.Ā
The show follows 27-year-old Maia, an assistant talent manager living in LA with her boyfriend Dylan. The pilot recounts Maiaās 27th birthday, which ends up disastrous after her friend Tallulah (Odessa Aāzion), with whom she has a complicated history, shows up from New York to surprise her. Throughout the first episode, Maia explores the jealousy she feels towards Tallulah. It gets super messy and, honestly, stressful, but Rachel writes it so well. The characters all feel lived in, complex, and realistic. Maia isnāt meant to be perfect; sheās meant to be a real person. Itās honestly so refreshing to see. The show reminded me of one of my all-time favorites, Sex in the City. Like the girls in that show, the characters in I Love LA are flawed, yet still fun to watch.Ā
One of my favorite aspects of the show is how perfect the casting was. All of the actors embody their characters perfectly. Rachel Sennott has the dry humor and dramatic delivery that Maia needs as an LA talent manager. Dylan is a sweet boyfriend; the perfect role for Josh Hutcherson. Rachel even mentioned on Therapuss that she wanted Dylan to feel like a boyfriend to all the viewers, which Josh embodied when he played Peeta in The Hunger Games, making him an obvious choice. Odessa was an amazing choice for Tallulah. She plays the role of a crazy NYC party girl so well. True Whitaker also does a great job playing Alani, the angel on Maiaās shoulder. Though my favorite of all the casting might be Jordan Firstman, who plays Maiaās āuptightā LA friend Charlie, and acts as the devil on her shoulder.Ā
With the actors playing their roles so well, the drama in the series is so much more intense and realistic. While the show is hilarious, itās also filled with jealousy and sh*t-talking. Itās like watching a real group of friends have a heated yet passive-aggressive argument. Alaniās the peacemaker, Maia and Tallulah are the ones arguing, and Charlie is the one egging on the fight. You see both the warranted and unwarranted aspects of the fight. It’s a great way to introduce the strengths and weaknesses of each character, as well as the dynamics between the characters.Ā Ā
While the drama is well-done, itās not the entire show. Rachelās dry humor shines throughout the pilot. Although it may be a little too niche for some viewers, I think most of the lines hit for Gen-Z watchers. One of my favorite lines comes from Charlie about five minutes into the episode. He and Maia are talking about cutting off a friend, and he says, āYou donāt see me hanging out with Avicii anymore, do you?ā Charlie says this as if he cut Avicii off for being a bad friend when, in reality, he passed away in 2018. Itās such an unhinged comment, but it got a giggle out of me. Thatās just one of the great lines from the episode. There are so many more throughout the thirty-minute pilot.Ā
The next episode of I Love LA releases Sunday, November 9, 2025, on HBO Max, and I cannot recommend the show enough! The first season will run for eight episodes, and Iām thrilled to see what they do with the next seven. So, if you have HBO Max and time this Sunday, give I Love LA a watch. You may love it as much as I did!