The L.A. Complex
The CW | Much Music | CW | MuchMusic | Release Date: January 10, 2012
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
73
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
14
Mixed:
0
Negative:
1

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Slant MagazineAaron RiccioJul 16, 2012
Season 2 Review: The L.A. Complex manages to be far more relatable and honest than other self-referential shows about "the biz." Read full review
91
Entertainment WeeklyKristen BaldwinAug 23, 2012
Season 2 Review: Their cautionary tales never become dreary, thanks to artful, funny writing that examines the absurdities of Hollywood life with a wry frankness. Read full review
83
NewsdayDiane WertsApr 20, 2012
Season 1 Review: The show has sneaky depth. The leads are pretty without being "pretty," refreshingly down-to-earth likable, and able to flesh out their youthful stereotypes with this weird thing called personality. Read full review
80
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob OwenApr 23, 2012
Season 1 Review: No one will confuse The L.A. Complex with "Mad Men" or "The Good Wife," but for the type of show it sets out to be, this Complex is surprisingly, well, complex. Read full review
80
VarietyBrian LowryApr 20, 2012
Season 1 Review: Even with some amusing bleeps and pixelation to obscure saucy language and (apparently) beer labels, L.A. Complex feels pretty authentic, and gets the relationships much better than something like the increasingly preposterous "Smash" does. Read full review
75
New York PostLinda StasiApr 24, 2012
Season 1 Review: The dialogue is actually pretty darned good and kind of inside funny. Read full review
75
Uncle BarkyEd BarkApr 24, 2012
Season 1 Review: On the surface at least, it's hard to imagine responding to CW's three-pronged tagline attack of "Small fish. Big pond. Huge dreams." Wonder of wonders, though, this series sells its premise while only occasionally trying way too hard. Read full review
75
RedEyeCurt WagnerApr 23, 2012
Season 1 Review: An affectionate and surprisingly insightful look at Hollywood hopefuls clawing to make careers in TV, music, comedy and dance. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyClark CollisApr 20, 2012
Season 1 Review: By the end of this first episode, The L.A. Complex has done enough to deserve a callback. [20/27 Apr 2012, p.106]
70
The New YorkerEmily NussbaumAug 22, 2012
Season 1 Review: The L.A. Complex is maddeningly low-rated, but it's worth seeking out: it's no masterpiece of cinematography, and can veer into melodrama, but at its sharpest moments the show has as much "Midnight Cowboy" in it as it does "Melrose Place." Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesRobert LloydApr 24, 2012
Season 1 Review: Even the most concocted bits play out in a relaxed way, as when a drummer lay back behind the beat, putting new life into an old tune, making the corn convincing, the familiar unpredictable. Read full review
70
Philadelphia Daily NewsEllen GrayApr 24, 2012
Season 1 Review: What starts out as a seemingly generic series about an assortment of showbiz wannabes becomes more engaging over the first few episodes. Read full review
70
The New York TimesMike HaleApr 23, 2012
Season 1 Review: Over all it's as essentially disposable as most CW shows, but in between the rockin' pool parties and show-business clichés there are moments that are better written and less formulaic than the norm for this network. Read full review
67
HitfixAlan SepinwallApr 24, 2012
Season 1 Review: It's a primetime soap, but one that's genuinely more interested in what the characters want to do for a living than in who they're sleeping with. Read full review
25
People WeeklyTom GliattoApr 27, 2012
Season 1 Review: This blah drama about kids living in an LA apartment complex while hustling for big breaks is a Canadian import. [7 May 2012, p.46]
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