Arthur, a New York writer, comes to Los Angeles to research a book on hating L.A. He stays with his college roommate Robbie, now fabulously rich and staying in the guest house of the even richer Shrug, who lives off his trust fund and feels guilty about it.

Arthur is floored when all his friends feel compelled to watch a televised high-speed car chase. The surrealism mounts when the friends realize the person being chased is an acquaintance of Shrug's.

Shrug is stricken to suddenly remember how he tormented a girl in high school, so goes to a "memory therapist" to remove that memory.

Robbie's gift to Arthur of a Lauren massage horrifies him; he wants to be a boyfriend, not a client. Jennifer's new date impresses her by performing CPR on an accident victim. Shrug opens a detective agency to find out solutions to life's little mysteries.

Arthur's desire for a medium-rare hamburger leads his rich California friends to an expedition to "the Valley" to persuade a lower-class woman to drop a lawsuit.

Materialistic model Danna is dating Ernie the waiter. Arthur hastily scribbles 100 pages for publisher Mr Lynch. Shrug arranges for Elliott Gould to narrate his straight-to-tape autobiography

Arthur laments being a "Good Guy", and regrets never having had meaningless sex. Robbie can't tell if a man is good looking. Shrug visits his friend Hilo in jail. And Jennifer and Lauren go to a bar to confront a critic.

Lauren is attracted to the "good" half of a Siamese-twin star of a cop show, but will the "bad" half derail the relationship?

Told documentary style with interviews and reenactments in black and white. What went wrong with Robbie's romance from two years earlier.

Arthur's book is done and he's heading home to New York. Shrug investigates who stole Robbie's movie idea. Lauren gives Jesse Jackson a massage and Jesse gives Arthur some advice.

Arthur, back in New York City, finds out from his publisher that the critics hated his book. Robbie wants to dump his new girlfriend but can't while her publicist is sick.

Arthur returns to L.A. but no one seems to notice. Robbie wants to advertise Pay-Per-Jew before the Anna Kournikova highlights. Shrug thinks his new girlfriend may be a succubus.

Jennifer enlists Lauren's help to get back in the good graces of a manicurist with an unusual massage chair. Robbie and Shrug go looking for 'American girls' at a local chain motel. Arthur tries to apologize for a brutal comment to a blind date and winds up attending therapy with the lady.

Robbie is thrilled to be dating an ex-girlfriend of Val Kilmer. Shrug is financing a "smell bar" to be opened by his friend Hilo. The Los Angelenos are fascinated by an image on a billboard that they think is God. Jennifer is pursued by a man whose car she hit, claiming that it caused him to lose an arm.

Shrug and Lauren are both on the pill making them rather emotional. Jennifer has been outed by the phone company. Arthur confronts an old college friend who has been stealing his stories.

Arthur dates a 21 year old who turns out to have a more complicated sexual history. Robbie fixes up Lauren with his annoying financial advisor. Shrug and Jennifer protest at an execution.

Shrug gets a nanny, for himself. Robbie has a new Pay-Pet idea that involves Jennifer and Lauren. Arthur has to run back to New York.

Arthur is desperate to be seen as Lauren's boyfriend in other people's eyes. Robbie buys a house but struggles to tell Shrug. Jennifer rents out a police lineup room to root out a date. Robbie's house burns down.