In 2019, comedian Rachel Sennott went viral when she posted her “Come on, it’s LA!” skit on Instagram, poking fun at the stereotypes of films set in Los Angeles. Six years later, Sennott is starring as the lead character in her self-written show “I Love LA.”
“I Love LA” follows a group of friends navigating their 20s in the city of angels. In a recent red-carpet interview, Sennott said she hopes her show offers a more complex view of Los Angeles than the viral parody she created six years ago.
The first episode of the series, “Block Her,” debuted on HBO Max on Nov. 2, starring Sennott along with Odessa A’zion, Josh Hutcherson, True Whitaker and Jordan Firstman, with cameos from Leighton Meester, Elijah Wood and Quen Blackwell.
“Block Her” drops viewers into the deep end, introducing viewers to Maia (Sennott) as she struggles through her 27th birthday. After her boss refuses to give her a promotion, Maia stumbles into her ex-friend Tallulah (A’zion), who made it big as an influencer in New York City. As she weaves an increasingly elaborate web of lies to paint a more glamorous portrait of her life, Maia’s special day devolves into chaos.
“Block Her” is snappy and satisfying, bringing charismatic characters to life and jumping straight away into an exciting plot. By presenting a hellish day in Los Angeles as a usual occurrence, Sennott uses the first episode of her comedy series to grab viewers’ attention and avoid starting off slow. Sennott’s performance, riddled with sarcasm and annoyance, is funny and effective.
Although basing a comedy show’s plot around miscommunication can be trite, Talullah’s obliviousness to Maia’s jealousy is necessary to build a sense of impending tumult.
The episode ends on a cliffhanger as the tension grows between Tallulah and Maia. This remaining anxiety adds to the show’s intrigue, as it becomes obvious that the next episode will find Maia falling deeper into her self-dug hole. This anticipation allows viewers to grow comfortable with committing to a wild ride of a show while leaving plenty of room to be curious about how Talullah and Maia’s dynamic will evolve.
Juxtaposing Maia’s destructive day with a feverish and dreamy landscape of Los Angeles, “Block Her” leans heavily into the Southern California stereotypes Sennott channeled in her 2019 skit. The episode features the luxury grocery store Erewhon, the beach and the Church of Scientology in a dreamy montage, its cinematic aspect akin to driving down a romanticized Sunset Boulevard.
While “Block Her” relishes in a stereotypical view of Los Angeles, the episode hits on the highs and lows of city life and its accompanying mayhem. However, as the season continues, the show must add layers to its depiction of Los Angeles beyond a shiny hub for influencers purchasing $20 celebrity smoothies. By delving further into a more nuanced view of how the characters interact with their city, “I Love LA” will be able to continue trading one-dimensionality for expansiveness.
