Book adaptations are not a new thing. They are expected to happen once a book title reaches a certain level of popularity. At some point, we transitioned from film sagas to television series, which makes content more easily accessible to newer audiences that might not know the original content.
Something the majority of people can agree on is that adaptations can be tricky and risk not being well-liked by their target market. “Daisy Jones and The Six” has exceeded all expectations and become a sensation that welcomes old and new fans of the rock genre.
The 10-episode series is an adaption of the book of the same title written by Taylor Jenkins Reid and loosely inspired by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. It tells the story of The Six, a band from Pittsburgh attempting to rise to fame during the late 1970s Los Angeles music scene.
All the music in the show was sung and played by the actors themselves and released as an album called "Aurora."
Photo courtesy of Prime Video
Composed of five members, Sam Claflin as Billy Dunne (lead singer and songwriter), Suki Waterhouse as Karen Sirko (the keyboardist), Will Harrison plays Graham Dunne (lead guitarist), Josh Whitehouse is Eddie Roundtree (the bassist) and Sebastian Chacon plays Warren Rojas (the drummer).
The unofficial sixth member is Billy’s wife, Camila Alvarez, portrayed by Camila Morrone. She is the band’s photographer and the glue that holds them together.
They eventually meet the eternal and bubbly Daisy Jones, played by Riley Keough, and when both musical powers come together, their shot at reaching stardom is guaranteed. At the peak of their success, the band mysteriously disbands. 20 years later, all parties involved agreed to participate in a documentary to discover what led to their downfall.
Camila (Camila Morrone) is the heart of the band and is responsible for bringing Daisy and The Six together.
Photo courtesy of Prime Video
First off, the costume design is absolutely insane and fits the exact aesthetic of what it means to be a rock star and what that lifestyle entails. Daisy and Camila’s wardrobe, especially, is every girl’s dream and ranges from versatile and comfortable to high-end fashion and simply iconic. It deeply translates into their personalities and who they are.
The show is not without its differences from the book itself, which I read and fell in love with to the point where I finished it in three days. However, I believe the changes that were made, such as leaving minor characters and certain parts of the book plot out, served to tell more compelling and remarkable stories of some of the main characters.
For example, a change I particularly liked was how the show expanded on Simone Jackson’s (Nabiyah Be) backstory and how she heavily contributed to the Black queer nightclub scene of New York. We were able to see her struggles and how a male-dominated field affects women, especially women of color, who have a hard time making a name for themselves without subjecting themselves to harassment, abuse and suppressing who they truly are.
The cost of fame, unfortunately, is quite pricey for the beloved 70s rock band.
Alcohol and substance abuse is a big theme in the series. It’s done so casually that our characters do not notice the effects of consuming drugs until they are knees-deep into addiction. In my opinion, it’s a very clever way to highlight that the journey to sobriety never ends, the temptation is always near and it’s easy to succumb to it again because of such a demanding job.
The only criticism I have to offer is that I would’ve liked to see more of the songwriting process of the band, as that is a big part of the book, and how the band connected once Daisy joined. The show focused too much on the main conflict at play instead of developing the dynamics of the characters with each other.
Yet Billy and Daisy’s connection is undeniable. Despite hating each other at first, they create pure art once they eventually come together to compose songs. Claflin and Keough have some of the best on-screen chemistry I have seen, and it’s truly a pleasure seeing them act together and make the audience feel those very same experiences as if we were going through them ourselves.
Sam Claflin plays Billy Dunne, the lead singer and songwriter.
Photo courtesy of Prime Video
“Daisy Jones and The Six” delivers indie and vintage styles, drama, spice, a new perspective for fans of the book and a wonderful world to be immersed in for both old and new fans. If you want to see dedication and love for music, look no further. This is the time to view this series and live the groupie lifestyle of your dreams from the comfort of your own bed.
