Daisy Jones and The Six Review

The 70’s are making a comeback in Prime Video’s show adaptation of Daisy Jones and The Six

The Six are no Fleetwood Mac. Daisy Jones is not Stevie Nicks. Billy Dunne is not Lindsey Buckingham. But Daisy Jones and The Six delivers a convincing performance of life as the number one 70’s rock band. 

Daisy Jones and The Six is a mini series based on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s fiction novel of the same name. The series follows the lives of an imaginary band that had a momentary taste of success–only to fall apart due to internal fighting and the fHollywood drug scene just as they peaked on the charts. 

The series is set in Los Angeles, Calif., when Sunset Boulevard and the Troubadour were the places to find cheap, good music or finally get your big break. Soon enough, it would be Daisy Jones and The Six who would find each other here.  

Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) and Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) are the leads of the lyrical pop-rock band. The two are the epitome of will-they-won’t-they star-crossed lovers–the kind of tension that inspires epic songwriting. 

The casting was perfect. Riley Keough’s performance was powerful and heartbreaking, and Sam Claflin’s emotional delivery complemented Keough’s intense character. 

The other members of The Six include Graham Dunne (Will Harrison), Karen Sirko (Suki Waterhouse), Warren Rhodes (Sebastian Chacon), Eddie Rountree (Jose Whitehouse) and honorary member/Billy’s wife, Camila Alvarez (Camila Morrone). The band was formed by their fearless music producer and parental figure Teddy Price (Tom Wright). 

When you read a book, characters from the page can only be imagined. But to see those characters come to life on-screen is incredible. That is exactly what this series did–hippie dreams of the 70’s came true. 

For most movies or TV shows adapted from books, everyone says to read the book first. But, for Daisy Jones and the Six, watching the series first would not be an issue. The series followed the book plot during critical scenes between Graham and Karen and in Greece with Daisy’s husband. The series also included scenes that were not portrayed in the book, such as Billy helping Daisy when she overdoses, adding more drama that entices viewers into the band’s complicated relationships. Visualizing the characters seriously coming together as a band is astonishing and adds something that a book alone cannot do.

What makes this adaptation so believable is in part due to the well-executed 70’s style. Bell bottoms, flowy sleeves and maxi dresses are in every scene, which is why the visual representation of the characters in Daisy Jones and the Six is so convincing. 

What is unique about this series is that every cast member in the band learned to play their instruments or sing, with the exception of Waterhouse, whose experience as a professional singer gave her the skills needed for a powerful performance. The actors’ performances were more compelling and detailed given that they learned the instruments and took on the 70’s rockstar personas as part and parcel of the same process. 

The series included original, catchy songs like “Look at Us Now,” “Regret Me,” and “Let Me Down Easy,” with melodies reminiscent of the golden age of rock ‘n’ roll. What is special about a period piece like Daisy Jones and The Six is that they can pull from the record-breaking tracks and albums of the 70’s to coalesce an epic soundtrack. The Byrds, The Beach Boys, The Allman Brothers Band–the series breathes air back into the sounds of Laurel Canyon. 

If you are looking for a series reminiscent of the 70’s with exciting, original characters, Daisy Jones and The Six is worth the watch.