There’s something special about Daisy Jones and The Six, the limited series from Prime Video adapting the bestselling book from Taylor Jenkins Reid*. The series takes what could be (and, despite its strengths, sometimes is) a rather simplistic look at a smash hit rock group from the 70s who called it quits at the height of their popularity (with fans, critics, and the general public at a loss as to just what went wrong) and turns it into a series that charms and presents some star-making turns from its cast. That isn’t to say there aren’t some rocky elements – which I’ll touch on below – but this is a series that I suspect will hit the right notes with a wide array of folks who give it a look and buy into just what its offering.
*I haven’t read the novel, so I’m not sure just how faithful an adaptation the series will be. Just from some conversations with those who have, there appear to be some changes that were made, but this review won’t be calling out anything like that.
The series is a memory play of sorts, with the band (and several supporting, non-band but band-adjacent, characters) sitting down to be interviewed for a documentary in 1997 to discuss the band’s formation, rise to fame, and sudden break-up (after a concert at Soldier Field in Chicago in 1977, scenes from which bookend the series). Periodically throughout the ten episodes, a character in “the present” pops in (talking-head style) to comment on the action. Then we’re whisked back in time to see that moment play out – the betrayal happen, the romance begin, the song written, the mistake made – and we continue sailing along in the past until another cut-in occurs with a comment on the action and we repeat the same. If I have a single complaint about the series – and really, I only have a few – it’s that these breaks in the action hurt far more than they help matters. The reason is two-fold. First, for a production with some great production value, they really skimped on the old-age make-up. The older versions of the characters look barely older than the initial versions we’re introduced to 30 years prior. A slightly gray wig can only do so much when everyone’s face still looks 20-something when they should be pushing 60. And the other reason is that the dialogue is, well, not great in those talking-head installments. At first, I assumed it was a little in-joke on how stilted the dialogue can be in documentaries like that – leading statements to get you to tune-in after the commercial break is over – but they are actually going for emotional impact and character development in moments that don’t play like that in execution.
But, on the whole, Daisy Jones and The Six is a really solid series. The story may be familiar to those who have followed bands on a similar trajectory (the story is loosely based on Fleetwood Mac’s journey, although it obviously doesn’t track exactly seeing as Fleetwood Mac enjoyed greater success and a longer run than Daisy Jones and The Six), but the performances and the writing surrounding the band’s rise to fame work to craft compelling characters in an interesting story and make it worth your while. Our two leads are Riley Keough as Daisy Jones, a free-spirited woman who had to grow-up quickly and ended up getting embroiled in pills, drugs, and alcohol to fill the emotional voids in her life, but who has a hell of a voice and great songwriting skills, and Sam Clafin as Billy Dunne, the leader of The Six, their songwriter with a swagger – and a history of alcoholism to boot. The chemistry between the pair is off the charts, as is the destructive nature of their relationship – something that the series comes back to time and again, even when it doesn’t really need to as we’re well aware of just what they could cost the band should they give into their connection (another quibble of mine – less focus on their tortured relationship and more on everyone else). Naturally, Billy is married (Camila Morrone plays his wife, Camila, giving a nuanced and emotionally resonant performance every time she’s on screen – you absolutely root for Camila, which isn’t any easy assignment to achieve when you’re the woman keeping the series’ leads apart), and desperately needs to keep his life on track to avoid a relapse. It’s a tightrope for the character and the series to walk and it manages to do both seamlessly. Keough and Clafin are superb when they’re together on screen. In fact, I’m glad Amazon made the choice to release the first three episodes on Friday, as the series doesn’t really hit its stride until the duo begin working together in episode three.
Rounding out the band are Suki Waterhouse’s Karen Sirko, the keyboard player, Will Harrison’s Graham Dunne, Billy’s younger brother and the lead guitarist who carries a torch for Karen, Josh Whitehouse as Eddie Roundtree, the bass player who also happens to carry a torch for Camila, and Sebastian Chacon as Warren Rojas, the drummer, who often serves as the comic relief. Now, while several of the characters do get moments to shine, I would have loved to see each get more screen time. Waterhouse, in particular, is sensational – she even makes her talking-head segments pop – and I would have loved to see her get more screen time throughout. Perhaps one fewer trip around the “will they or won’t they” express for Daisy and Billy? The series also has small arcs for some non-band characters (Nabiyah Be’s Simone, a queer rising disco star and Daisy’s only real friend, gets most of an episode to herself, but her story could have easily been its own series and I would have gladly watched), but again, there are more than enough strong characters here to lead their own limited series who get short-changed in this one.
Once the series gets the band together – or at least has The Six working with Daisy Jones – things start working (which in turn means the first two episodes of the series are by far its weakest). And that blend continues to be the secret to making the show work. On their own – or in arcs without the band as a whole together – things are more hit and miss. Luckily for viewers, most of the final seven episodes focus on the band (with a single episode in the middle that takes a detour that is interesting, but still feels a bit out of place). The music – a crucial element of the story – also works wonderfully, hitting the right combination of 70s rock with just enough allusions to Fleetwood Mac (Amazon is releasing a full album of original songs under the band’s name on March 3 – and I, for one, will definitely be snagging it). While there are some issues baked into the series, it works far more often than not and the performances at its heart are more than good enough to keep you coming back for more drama. If you’re a fan of compelling, if slightly soapy, drama, Daisy Jones and The Six is definitely the show for you.
Daisy Jones and The Six premieres on Friday, March 3 on Prime Video. All ten episodes were provided for review.
-
Acting
-
Writing
-
Direction
