I Love LA Season 1 Review

Rachel Sennott leads an incredible cast in I Love LA Season 1, which is a perfectly chaotic depiction of life in your late twenties.

Both pulled from the experiences of their creators/writer’s room, but given that times have changed so much since Dunham’s series ended in 2017, it gives Sennott an opportunity to speak for a new generation and she does so brilliantly.  

What also helps in my case is that I just wrapped up my late twenties as well, and while there was a lot to relate to when it comes to that aspect, Sennott and company also touch on what it’s like to reconnect with your closest friends after some time apart. Let’s just say as much as you may have missed each other, people change, and how you respond to that is the true test of whether or not your friendship is meant to last. This series also focuses on what it’s like to claw your way up the career ladder as a young woman with ambition and handling romantic relationships which leads to plenty of comedy as well as solid commentary. I Love LA Season 1 features so many aspects which audiences will relate to regardless of where they’re at in life, ultimately turning this series into one of 2025’s most pleasant surprises.

Rachel Sennott is naturally the standout of her own series as Maia. This role may be familiar territory, but she makes our main protagonist feel different from everything else she’s done. Maia has aspects you’ll love about her but is imperfect like any of us. At first she appears to be someone who just takes  advantage of everyone around her in order to get ahead with her talent manager position at a female led company. From her long lost influencer pal Tallulah (Odessa A’zion) who she begins managing to a celebrity stylist friend Charlie (Jordan Firstman) to her nepo baby bestie Alani (True Whitaker), it seems like Maia only goes to them when she needs something. However, as the season moves along, you get a true sense of not only who Maia is but of the fact she really is a ride-or-die for her friends. 

Our lead wants to be successful in her own right, but she wants what’s best for Tallulah as a client and friend more often than not. Seeing those two repair their bond is one of the biggest highlights of I Love LA Season 1 because Sennott and A’zion have fantastic chemistry. They bounce off each other comedically while also selling their dramatic moments. You really feel like these two are best friends who love each other through the ups and downs. 

Maia’s evolution is the heart of this narrative with multiple moving parts. She comes into her own throughout I Love LA Season 1 in more ways than one and it very much reflects what many people go through in their late twenties. There will be times where you win, as Maia does, but you’ll also lose and have to dust yourself off. Sennott puts the character through so much, clearly pulling from her own life and career. She makes you laugh and cry with a string of fantastic performances. Maia feels very real, which makes her victories even sweeter. 

Throughout the season, we get glimpses into the beauty and chaos that is your late twenties through our leads. All of these scenarios, even if some seem far fetched, are attainable considering these friends live in Los Angeles and work within or around the entertainment industry. The series is a bit like Entourage in that you never really know where their careers will take them and ultimately how they’re going to grow by the time it’s all said and done. 

Maia, her boyfriend Dylan (Josh Hutcherson), Tallulah, and Charlie go through a lot in both their careers and personal lives, which often collide. Charlie, for example, goes through a couple major career changes that ultimately lead him somewhere new in his personal life. Tallulah’s effort to do damage control for her image winds up taking her on a similar path. These characters feel like real, fleshed out twenty-somethings, not only because of their actors but because life keeps throwing things at them and they’re always there for each other.

More often than not, I found myself looking back on my past because the journeys of this group hit home even if I lived a very different life compared to what you see on screen here. When I think back on my late twenties, I do remember having to dust myself off, lean on my friends, and ultimately power through. That’s why it meant so much to see Maia and Tallulah find their way, because I’ve been there. In ways that are big and small, these people and their world reminded me of what these past couple years were like. It made me grateful that this series exists. A lot of people will feel seen by I Love LA Season 1, which has its finger on the pulse of Generation Z and tells stories that seem personal to those in the writer’s room. 

For all the positives this show has, it’s a shame that two characters in particular get the shorter end of the narrative stick. While True Whitaker’s Alani feels like a genuine person who is always beside her friends, she simply doesn’t have enough individual development. Alani is instead mostly around for comedic relief and whenever our other mains need help. She isn’t given a truly serious subplot until the season is almost over which is super disappointing considering how well the other characters are managed. Dylan is similar, as all of his story is mostly connected with Sennott’s Maia and their relationship. Whitaker and Hutcherson are great and I feel like a second season is going to do wonders for their characters, but it’s a shame they weren’t given more individualized arcs.

I Love LA Season 1 is an utterly chaotic delight that authentically showcases the lives of people in their late twenties. Rachel Sennott and this writer’s room have created characters who feel real and a story littered with emotion. This cast led by Sennott and Odessa A’zion runs with it, delivering marvelous  performances that make the series better. I had so much fun and even teared up a little bit. Here’s hoping we get more because I’ve already grown attached to these characters.

Season 1 of I Love LA debut on HBO on Sunday, November 2, 2025 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT, and will be available to stream on HBO Max. New episodes will be released weekly, with the season finale on December 21.