I Love LA Recap: Makes Me Just Wanna Drive

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It seems like I Love LA might be showing some new drive! Is it possible we’re seeing a hint of ambition, maybe even a little bit of it?

Last week, we were wondering if anyone on the show would actually try to achieve something. The latest episode, “They Can’t All Be Jeremys,” finally showed some characters taking initiative! Maia is working hard to get Tallulah sponsored by any brand willing to pay for Instagram posts, and she’s succeeding. Charlie is using his disappointing encounter with Lukas to get a short-term styling job. Even Tallulah attempts to follow through when Maia secures her a deal with Kia, though her driving lesson with Alani doesn’t last very long. It seems our influencers are finally starting to make things happen! Let’s break down who’s really committed, starting with the most driven.

Tallulah is preoccupied after starting a relationship with Tessa, nicknamed “Hot Chef.” However, when Maia secures a lucrative $30,000 Instagram deal, Tallulah realizes she needs to focus. Reluctantly, she pulls away from Tessa and asks L.A. newcomer Alani to help her brush up on her driving skills. Alani’s advice – to simply accept accidents as part of life in Los Angeles – is arguably somewhat true, but, typical of Alani, it’s also a little unsettling.

Tallulah quickly abandoned her attempt at driving after just twelve minutes, switching to something she’s much better at: crafting deliberately casual texts for Alani to use on a guy she’s casually dating. Alani has plenty of confidence and other skills, but she struggles with the cool, detached attitude that these types of guys find irresistible. Tallulah’s fix? Send a nude, then immediately follow it up with a message saying, “Sorry, wrong person.” Since these guys are predictably easily let down, the tactic works almost instantly.

Charlie has managed to become friends with Lukas, a Catholic TikToker, but now needs to change how he acts. He usually presents as a very flamboyant, energetic pop star, but needs to adopt a more casual, ‘bro’ persona – and thankfully, a simple ‘Is this gonna be epic?’ seems to work. However, Charlie feels lost when interacting with Lukas and his group of friends, especially when they start discussing supporting each other and avoiding pornography during a trip to Las Vegas. (Charlie awkwardly asks, “So, you share the videos with each other…?” ) Jordan Firstman, who hasn’t had much opportunity to showcase his acting skills yet, really shines here, portraying Charlie’s confusion, curiosity, and even his surprise at how genuinely kind everyone is. Even Charlie’s sudden vomiting and resulting anxiety don’t faze Lukas, who remains consistently cheerful. Charlie tries to provoke a reaction – challenging Lukas’s friends to mock a gay hiker, for example, or subjecting them to his unexpected illness – but Lukas handles everything with remarkable calmness.

Honestly, watching Charlie at the end of the episode was just… a lot. He was clearly wiped out, a little humiliated, and still coming down from whatever he’d taken, and then he just let those Accountability Bros hug him! It was so weird, especially since their whole thing is tearing each other apart in the group chat. It made me wonder if Charlie doesn’t really have a lot of experience with genuine connection with other gay men outside of just hooking up. It seems like he’s used to the constant jabs and snark he gets from Alani, Maia, and Tallulah. I was actually really curious to see how getting close to Lukas might have changed his friendships with those girls, but then… well, Lukas’s death was completely out of nowhere and so sad. My first thought, though, and I feel terrible admitting it, was, “Seriously? Where were the Accountability Squad when he hopped on that ATV without a helmet?” It was just… jarring.

Before the news breaks, Charlie and Maia connect over their career goals before Maia and Dylan head to dinner at Alyssa’s. For Maia, getting invited on a double date with her boss is a major win, right up there with securing the Kia account. She’s worked hard to become a favorite of Alyssa’s – this show really highlights how far flattery can get you in Hollywood – and now she’s hoping to become Alyssa’s trusted confidante as well. Bringing Dylan into her plan is a gamble, but it’s a necessary move if she wants to gain more influence at work.

Honestly, watching Alyssa’s life unfold feels…sad. From the outside, everything looks perfect – a beautiful home, a seemingly charmed life – but it just comes across as deeply unhappy. And her husband, Jeremy (okay, I geeked out a little recognizing Ben Feldman!), seems…difficult. I get the feeling he’s resentful of Alyssa, maybe even jealous of her success. Even the story of how they met is kind of depressing – she basically insulted his work! By the time he made up an excuse to leave, complaining about a headache, I was actually relieved. It just didn’t feel like a happy dynamic to watch.

Okay, so things got really awkward last night. Poor Maia had to see Jeremy… well, let’s just say he wasn’t sleeping and was watching some pretty vanilla porn in the rec room. Meanwhile, Alyssa was on a total rant about how Jeremy’s been slacking since his ski accident – seriously, he took his helmet off to look cool, which now feels like a bad sign for Lukas. She was also drinking a lot of wine and being super critical of Dylan, who was actually trying to rescue dinner with a perfectly…medium-rare steak. It’s so clear Jeremy and Alyssa’s ‘perfect couple’ image is totally fake, but honestly, Maia admitted she still envies their lifestyle a little. It’s a mess, honestly, a total mess.

Watching Maia process her relationship doubts in this episode felt like watching a horror movie. It was especially striking because Dylan didn’t seem to notice she was hesitant when he complained about people who are overly focused on work. It’s good to have goals, and it’s okay if couples have different visions for their lives! Still, it was jarring to see them go from a comfortable, playful connection at the beginning of the episode – something Alyssa and Jeremy never really had – to Maia anxiously biting her nails while replaying her boss’s dismissive comments in her head.

It’s unrealistic to expect everyone to be like Jeremy, especially considering I’ve known many more Jeremys than Maia has. It should be easier for Maia to imagine a ‘Jeremy type’ succeeding in important situations, like landing major deals or appearing in magazines, than someone like Dylan. And honestly, watching that unfold felt like watching a disaster happen in slow motion – it was a truly unsettling feeling!

Just Circling Back…

• I Love LA’s sudden vomit counter: 2. Any bets for where we’ll be by season’s end?

The character Maia on Alyssa180 reminds me of what Ilana from Broad City would be like if she took her job seriously and got along with her coworker.

Let’s celebrate Courtney and her…distinctive cat vest! Hope she has a wonderful time on her apple-themed bike ride – it sounds perfect!

Everything Alani shares about the strange backstory of her life is increasingly shocking and hilarious. This week’s biggest reveal? The beautiful nude photos of her were taken by her dad’s old cinematographer, and she feels people overreacted to the situation surrounding him (though she acknowledges it was a messed up situation).

Leighton Meester is fantastic in this role, and I’m completely fascinated by the real-life Los Angeles personalities she seems to be drawing inspiration from for her character, Alyssa. Her delivery of the line where she apologizes for not noticing Maia’s perfume, blaming it on having COVID, is particularly brilliant.

• See also: “Do you know how many times I could’ve fucked Jon Hamm at Speranza?”

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2025-12-01 07:55