I Love LA Series-Premiere Recap: Sympathy Is a Knife

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When I landed in Los Angeles, I was immediately bombarded with the advice to give it a solid two years – that’s how long it takes to figure out if you can handle living there. But actually liking it, falling for it? That’s another story. It’s a city that feels…surreal, almost manufactured. Rachel Sennott nailed this feeling in a strange but captivating 2020 video – it perfectly sums up what her new HBO show, coming in 2025, is all about. She basically said, with a bewildered laugh, “Come on! It’s L.A.! Haha! What?! It’s L.A.!” And that’s it, really. You either get the L.A. vibe, or you just don’t.

I used to love L.A., but that changed. Leaving turned out to be surprisingly difficult, because I genuinely grew to appreciate so much about the city – the amazing food, the thriving arts scene, the incredible variety of nature, and its energetic atmosphere. L.A. really is a great place! However, watching the city’s more closed-off side through the show, especially as seen through the eyes of its creator, Lorene Scafaria, felt surprisingly relatable. While people will likely compare I Love LA to Girls, I think it’s more similar to Entourage, with all the ambition and sometimes harsh realities of Hollywood that show portrayed.

The first episode really grabbed me right away – it opens with Maia waking up on her 27th birthday, and things are immediately… chaotic. She jumps on top of her boyfriend, Dylan (played by the always charming Josh Hutcherson), and they try to make the best of it, even though there’s an earthquake happening! Her line, “If we’re gonna die, I just wanna come,” is just… perfect. It sets such a wild, darkly funny tone for everything that follows.

After successfully completing her important task, Maia falls into her usual birthday habit of complaining about getting older. Dylan tries to cheer her up, quickly discovering that telling her she’s becoming more authentically herself isn’t as effective as complimenting her weight loss – which she definitely appreciates. Avoiding one emotional upset, she then opens Instagram and immediately encounters another. She sees a photo posted by her former best friend, Tallulah, from a project they did together in New York, before Tallulah ended their friendship to pursue a more influential manager.

Fuming with anger, Maia heads to meet her friends Charlie and Alani for a walk around Silver Lake Reservoir – a typical L.A. activity for people who want to be healthy without actually exerting themselves too much. She enjoys the compliments on her new haircut, but is really looking for support in ending her friendship with Tallulah. Maia feels Tallulah has become unbearable since transitioning from a fun, carefree person to a social media influencer, and she’s deeply resentful. She believes she was the one who helped shape Tallulah’s image into something profitable, and she’s frustrated that Tallulah is now benefiting from her efforts. With Charlie cheering her on, Maia blocks Tallulah and immediately feels much better.

Any initial feeling of accomplishment Maia gets quickly fades when she starts her unrewarding job as a publicity assistant. It vanishes completely when her boss, Alyssa (played by Leighton Meester, who is always great to watch, even as someone frustrating!), denies her a promotion. The director does a fantastic job of focusing on Sennott’s expressions throughout the first episode, like in this scene where Alyssa awkwardly avoids giving a straight answer. When Maia reluctantly mentions her experience managing Tallulah – now a popular influencer known as It Girl Tallulah Steele – it’s clear how difficult it is for her to bring it up.

Maia was completely surprised to come home from work and be greeted by a nearly-naked Tallulah, who excitedly shouted “happy birthday!!!!1” as if everything was normal. Apparently, Alani had flown Tallulah to L.A. as a birthday gift – thanks to his wealth and connections! Tallulah has always been naturally charismatic, and A’zion immediately amplifies that, making her incredibly attractive and giving Maia a lot to feel insecure about. Having a friend who’s effortlessly cool and can make things happen is great when it works for you, but it’s hard when you feel like you’re being left in the dust.

Sennott’s writing cleverly avoids making Maia a total spoilsport when contrasted with Tallulah. Just one conversation reveals their friendship: the scene where they’re waiting in line for a club Maia initially said she didn’t want to attend.

Talullah: “You remember when I got roofied at Mr. Purple?”

Maia: “Yeah, that night was insane. They used to roofie people here, but then they fixed it.”

Tallulah: “Ugh, bummer.”

Maia: “Yeah, I know.”

These two, to quote a dearly departed HBO show, really did used to be The Disgusting Brothers.

We don’t see exactly how Tallulah connects with the club owner while Maia is making a fool of herself trying to skip the line. But whatever happens leaves Maia with a terrible hangover the next day, so she can’t enjoy the highly-rated bagels Charlie waited so long for, or join Tallulah when she suddenly wants to ditch their plans and go to the beach – which seems odd, considering they’re in L.A.! Frustrated and tired, Maia lets Tallulah and Alani have some fun – complete with a dreamy montage set to Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” – involving getting high, shopping at Erewhon and vintage stores, and looking great in swimsuits. Meanwhile, Maia spends the entire day desperately trying to add one last person to her important birthday dinner reservation.

By the time Maia and Dylan get to dinner, the reservation is pointless. Tallulah, as usual, has done something unexpected. The hostess, clearly not impressed, leads them to a hotel suite Tallulah mysteriously booked for a surprise party. Even Charlie seems completely taken with Tallulah, which annoys Maia. To make things worse, Tallulah invited Alyssa, because Maia had downplayed their relationship and lied about not getting the promotion. But the ultimate insult? Tallulah told the hotel she was celebrating her birthday. When a cake arrives with “Happy Birthday, Tallulah!” written on it, Maia is understandably furious – it’s the final straw of a terrible day.

Maia slipped away from her own party, needing some time alone. Tallulah, oblivious to the situation, followed her. Dylan attempted to join them, but Charlie and Alani wisely held him back. It was finally time for the girls to have a truly honest conversation, and they headed to the bathroom for some privacy.

Maia finally admits to Tallulah that she’s struggling, saying Tallulah’s success just highlights her own failures. Luckily, Tallulah’s having a rough time too – she’s broke and discovered her wealthy boyfriend was sending inappropriate pictures to other women. This immediately makes Maia sympathize with her. She jokingly tells Tallulah to just search for pictures of breasts online. It might not be the most graceful reaction, but sometimes all it takes to mend a friendship is realizing you’re both going through similar struggles (and recognizing that some men are simply awful and uncreative, of course).

Maia and Tallulah are reunited and ready to take on Los Angeles. Tallulah, with just a designer bag and her striking looks, decides to stay and officially makes Maia her manager. As Peaches’ song plays, they excitedly vow to succeed, then rush back to their hotel suite where a male stripper is already performing for Alyssa. Maia gets a turn with the stripper, then cleverly redirects the attention to Tallulah, happy to work behind the scenes as long as they’re a team – though that arrangement doesn’t last forever.

Just Circling Back…

Being a Gemini myself, it’s obvious to me that Tallulah is one too! Sending good vibes her way as she navigates her Saturn Return.

The small detail of Dylan nearly having his day spoiled by a lost bookmark is surprisingly effective.

I really need to avoid getting another urinary tract infection. My doctor warned me that if I do, they won’t be able to prescribe my medication through virtual appointments anymore.

• “You don’t see me hanging out with Avicii anymore, do you?” “Yeah, because he died.”

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2025-11-03 07:56