Daisy Jones & the Six follows a rock band in the 1970s from their rise in the LA music scene to becoming one of the most famous bands in the world and explores the reason behind their split at the height of their success."[a] The Amazon Prime Video series is based on Taylor Jenkins Reid's book of the same name, which the author describes was partly inspired by her experience growing up and watching Fleetwood Mac performances on television.[12]
Cast and characters
Main
Riley Keough as Daisy Jones, the lead singer and songwriter
Sam Claflin as Billy Dunne, the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter
Camila Morrone as Camila Alvarez,[13] Billy's wife and the band's photographer
Twenty years after the dissolution of the famous rock band Daisy Jones & the Six in 1977, its members agree to participate in a documentary about the band's history. Beginning in 1968, the wealthy yet neglected Daisy Jones spends her teenage years at Sunset Strip music clubs and parties. She eventually begins writing her own songs. Meanwhile, in the Hazelwood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, brothers Billy and Graham Dunne form a band called the Dunne Brothers with their friends Eddie Roundtree, Warren Rojas, and Chuck Loving. They find local success, but Chuck eventually leaves for college. Tour manager Rod Reyes advises Billy to move the band to Los Angeles. They do so, along with Billy's girlfriend, Camila Alvarez. Daisy breaks up with a screenwriter who intends to make her his muse. She sings her own song at a nightclub and decides to aim for a music career.
2
"Track 2: I'll Take You There"
James Ponsoldt
Jenny Klein
March 3, 2023 (2023-03-03)
In Los Angeles, the Dunne Brothers rent a house in Laurel Canyon, and keyboardist Karen Sirko joins the band. They spend nine months building an audience but struggle to secure a record deal. The band changes its name to the Six. Daisy moves in with aspiring disco singer Simone Jackson and takes a job waitressing. While performing at a club, Daisy attracts the attention of music producer Teddy Price, but she refuses his offer to "shape" her career. After a chance meeting, the Six audition for Teddy, and he signs them. The band records a debut album, and shortly before they embark on a tour, Camila tells Billy that she is pregnant; the pair get married that night. While on tour, Billy descends into drug and alcohol abuse and cheats on Camila with groupies. Although heartbroken, she insists that he be around to support their child. When Camila gives birth, Billy cannot bring himself to see his newborn daughter at the hospital; Teddy takes him to rehab instead. Daisy records her first song and leaves it on Teddy's doorstep as a present.
Billy, now out of rehab and sober, decides to quit the band in order to be a dedicated father to his infant daughter, Julia. However, he is soon convinced to rejoin the Six. Teddy begins mentoring Daisy, but she struggles to write on demand. Billy writes a new song titled "Look at Us Now (Honeycomb)", and despite the record label rejecting it, Teddy sees its potential. He brings Daisy into the studio to rewrite the song into a duet. Billy is reluctant at first but eventually relents, and the recording session proves successful. Meanwhile, Simone is sexually harassed by a male record producer, but her spirits are lifted when she makes a connection with a woman named Bernie from New York City. Graham pines for Karen, but she resists mixing work with any serious romance.
4
"Track 4: I Saw the Light"
James Ponsoldt
Stacy Traub
March 10, 2023 (2023-03-10)
"Look at Us Now (Honeycomb)" becomes a huge hit. The band and Daisy are invited to perform at a music festival in Hawaii, much to Billy's chagrin. Despite him planning to introduce her after the third song to perform their duet, she storms the stage early and receives praise from the audience. Billy, feeling threatened, tells the press that Daisy was a one-time collaborator. Simone learns that the record producer who harassed her took her vocal track and had another performer lip sync to it. Daisy persuades her to move to New York to pursue her music career and be with Bernie. Feeling lonely despite her newfound success, Daisy breaks into her childhood home, is arrested, and is bailed out by Karen. Talks arise of Daisy officially joining the Six, though Billy protests the idea. Camila invites Daisy to a party, and during a blackout, Daisy joins the Six in a musical number with the guests. Shortly before the power returns, Graham kisses Karen, but she kindly rejects his advances. Camila helps Billy see that Daisy is exactly what the Six need to become superstars.
5
"Track 5: Fire"
James Ponsoldt
Scott Neustadter
March 10, 2023 (2023-03-10)
Daisy officially becomes a member of the Six, and the band goes into the studio to record their next album. Teddy instructs Billy and Daisy to write together. They initially clash but bond when it is revealed they both had difficult childhoods. Daisy reveals her parents did not tell her that they moved away, which was why she was arrested for breaking into her childhood home. Billy confesses his father was a deadbeat who abandoned the family. They also realize that they make each other better songwriters, but Billy is worried about Daisy's drug usage. As Graham pursues another woman, Karen grows jealous, leading to her and Graham becoming a couple in secret. Billy and Daisy write the song "Let Me Down Easy", which impresses everyone. The other band members appreciate that Daisy has pushed Billy into letting everyone contribute something to the recordings.
The band continues working on their new album, Aurora. Daisy and Billy become increasingly flirtatious, while Camila begins to feel neglected by Billy. Enlisted by Teddy to write an article about the band, Rolling Stone reporter Jonah Berg asks Billy about his and Daisy's relationship, which Billy asserts is not real. When Jonah relays this to Daisy, she is heartbroken and goes on a drug binge while the band is in the studio waiting for her. When Daisy returns to the studio, she is presented with a song Billy wrote about her, "More Fun to Miss", and she and Billy fight over their feelings, leading to a kiss. At the Aurora photoshoot, Billy learns that Daisy informed Jonah about his rehab stint. Karen urges Graham to keep their romance a secret, fearing she will be known merely as his girlfriend. When Daisy writes "Regret Me" about him and convinces the band to record it for the album, Billy divulges Daisy's struggle with addiction to Jonah in exchange for omitting his rehab story. Camila runs into Eddie at a bar; they leave together, and she does not return home until midnight. Daisy, angered by the article, impulsively flies to Greece.
In 1975, in New York City, Simone and club DJ Bernie begin a romance. They also work together, and Simone becomes a successful disco singer on the gay club circuit over the next two years. However, she is afraid to publicly show affection towards Bernie due to them being a lesbian couple. Daisy summons Simone and Bernie to the Greek island of Hydra. There, they find her rushing into marriage with a wealthy Irish nobleman named Nicky Fitzpatrick, who is initially unaware of Daisy's fame as the lead singer of a rock band. Despite making the cover of Rolling Stone, Daisy confesses to Simone that she wants to abandon her career in favor of a new life with Nicky. Simone and Bernie profess their love for each other and dance together at the wedding reception. The day after the wedding, Simone chides Daisy for squandering her talent and being selfish, and the two fight. Nicky, realizing Daisy needs her career to emotionally thrive, accompanies her back to Los Angeles.
8
"Track 8: Looks Like We Made It"
Nzingha Stewart
Jihan Crowther & Liz Koe
March 17, 2023 (2023-03-17)
Daisy, with Nicky in tow, reunites with the Six in time for the Aurora tour. She and Billy are still angry at each other over the Rolling Stone article. The tour, managed by Rod Reyes, is so successful that it is expanded. Eddie talks to Camila about their night together, but she does not want to be unfaithful again. After Eddie and Warren tease Graham for not sleeping with groupies, Karen reveals her and Graham's relationship. As the tour continues, Daisy and Nicky increasingly abuse drugs. Billy and Nicky come to blows over the situation. An intoxicated Daisy injures herself on stage but soldiers on and sings "Look at Us Now" a cappella. Billy, who has refused to play the song on tour, storms off. Later that night, Billy and Rod find Daisy overdosed in her hotel suite. While Rod calls a private doctor, Nicky flees the scene before Daisy slowly regains consciousness in Billy's arms.
9
"Track 9: Feels Like the First Time"
Nzingha Stewart
Judalina Neira
March 24, 2023 (2023-03-24)
Enraged at Nicky's abandonment, Daisy orders him to leave. The Six proceed with the tour and successfully perform at several stops. Daisy cuts back heavily on drug use and reconnects with Billy after admitting she needs help. Karen tells Graham she is pregnant but does not want to keep the baby. After the band performs on Saturday Night Live, Warren begins dating the night's celebrity guest host, and Teddy suffers a heart attack. Meanwhile, Simone is hesitant to sign a record deal as the label expects her to hide her sexuality. Simone rushes to the hospital after hearing of Teddy's heart attack, and she and Daisy make amends. On the band's hometown stop in Pittsburgh, Daisy and Billy confess mutual feelings, but Billy rebuffs the prospect of a relationship out of loyalty to Camila. Camila accompanies Karen to an abortion clinic but subsequently catches Billy and Daisy in an emotionally intimate moment. During the concert, Billy takes one of Eddie's solos. The next day, the group resentfully departs Pittsburgh for Chicago.
10
"Track 10: Rock 'n' Roll Suicide"
Nzingha Stewart
Harris Danow
March 24, 2023 (2023-03-24)
Tensions arise between the members as the band prepares to play a sold-out show in Chicago, unaware that this would be their final performance. Earlier that day, Camila confronts Billy about his feelings for Daisy. Tired of being constantly sidelined, Eddie tells Billy that he is leaving the band and admits his fling with Camila; Billy punches him and begs Camila to come to the show, after which he relapses. Karen admits the abortion to an upset Graham. Before the show, Billy and Daisy kiss, but she is concerned when she realizes he is intoxicated. Graham confesses his love for Karen, who lies to him that she does not reciprocate in order not to keep him from the family life he wishes for. Daisy urges Billy to make amends with Camila before leading a performance of "Look at Us Now" as an encore. The next day, the band goes their separate ways. It is revealed that the documentary interviewer is a grown-up Julia and that Camila had recently died due to a longtime illness. Julia shows Billy and Daisy footage of Camila encouraging them to contact each other. Billy knocks on Daisy's door, and she opens it with a smile.
The series was originally start to production in April 2020, but postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[27] It began filming in late September 2021 and wrapped in early May 2022 in New Orleans.[28][29]
The single "Regret Me" from the fictional band in the series, Daisy Jones & the Six, was released on January 25, 2023. The second single "Look at Us Now (Honeycomb)" was released on February 15, 2023. A full-length album, Aurora, was released by Atlantic Records on March 3, 2023.[30] The album's lead vocals were performed by Riley Keough and Sam Claflin. It was composed, performed, and produced by Blake Mills, with additional production by Tony Berg and in collaboration with musicians such as Chris Weisman,[31][32]Jackson Browne, Marcus Mumford, and Phoebe Bridgers.[12][33][34]
Release
The limited series was released on Amazon Prime Video on March 3, 2023, with the first three episodes available immediately.[35][36] The first episode was shown in US theaters for one night only to Amazon Prime members on March 1, 2023.[37]
Reception
Critical response
The performances of Riley Keough and Sam Claflin as Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne, respectively, garnered critical acclaim.
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 69% approval rating with an average rating of 6.7/10, based on 107 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Daisy Jones & the Six comes up short at evoking the rockstar credentials that were implied on the page, but the lively duet of Riley Keough and Sam Claflin give this adaptation enough verve to occasionally bring the house down."[38]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 62 out of 100 based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[39]
Critics praised the performances of the ensemble cast and music. Nina Metz of the Chicago Tribune wrote, "Musically, Keough and Claflin are a good match. She has a strong, clear voice that bolsters their harmonies, but he can hold his own too, and they're credible as performers. [Keough] looks at home on stage and finds a way to channel some of [Stevie] Nicks' physicality and flowy-wispy stagewear without mimicking her outright,"[40] while Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly commented Keough "excels at self-destructive self-confidence".[41]
Reviews were critical of the show's pacing, writing, and documentary framing device. Writing for Vulture, Roxana Hadadi said, "For all the series' delights—the chemistry between Sam Claflin and Riley Keough, the constant scene-stealing by Camila Morrone, the fizziness of the original songs—there's an unignorable smallness throughout ... The series shrinks Reid's novel (partially inspired by the infamously stormy relationship between Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham) into a claustrophobic love triangle mostly uninterested in looking beyond its three points, and indifferent to the paranoia and exhilaration of the 1970s. Creative process is recurrently pushed aside for romantic pining, and there's no imagination for artistic motivation past jealousy and lust."[42] Hadadi opined "the series' best scenes are the ones that plunge into how they developed their sound, wrote their songs, and complemented or challenged each other."[42]
Others lamented the underdevelopment of the other band members as characters. Metz wrote, "The series is primarily the Billy and Daisy show, with the other members of the band relegated to supporting status, including Suki Waterhouse as a character based on Christine McVie. While the keyboard can clearly be heard on the tracks, the character's actual musical contributions are rendered invisible."[40] Metz added, "That's part of the fun of going behind the scenes. What does creative collaboration look like? Is it too boring to film? Maybe. But I would argue Peter Jackson's 2021 Get Back, the documentary made from old footage of The Beatles working on their final album, suggests the opposite."[40] She conceded "the episodes have a cumulative power, even if the storytelling often feels like it's cutting corners rather than digging in".[40]
Coralie Kraft of The New Yorker admired Keough's performance, but disparaged the titular character of Daisy Jones and her relationship with Billy Dunne. Kraft describes Daisy as a "depressingly one-dimensional" character akin to the Manic Pixie Dream Girl archetype: "A sexually liberated woman, she exists as a foil to male responsibility: she'll teach Billy the value of an unfettered approach while also instructing him in the risks of his own desires. He is drawn to her because she helps him understand himself. She is the caretaker of his catharsis and little else". Kraft ultimately concludes, saying: "For all its posturing about Daisy's independence and creative drive, Daisy Jones is myopically obsessed with the will-they-won't-they dynamic between Daisy and her tortured paramour, and within that dynamic, Billy retains all the power; the show's dramatic fulcrum rests on his decisions".[43]
TVLine gave Keough an honorable mention as the "Performer of the Week" for the eighth episode "Track 8: Looks Like We Made It", writing "Keough's Daisy was a captivating mix of blazing passion and tragic insecurities. What made the actress' portrayal even more impressive was that she packed those complicated emotions into multiple song numbers in which Daisy's state of mind broke down a bit more with each stop in the band's tour".[44]
For the final episode "Track 10: Rock 'n' Roll Suicide", Claflin also received an honorable mention. TVLine praised Claflin's "heartachingly vulnerable" performance and his ability to "switch to wild abandon as Billy [embraces] his worst qualities, falling into booze and oozing recklessness on stage with Daisy".[45]
Susan Coyne, Jihan Crowther, Harris Danow, Charmaine DeGraté, Will Graham, Nora Kirkpatrick, Jenny Klein, Liz Koe, Judalina Neira, Scott Neustadter, Stacy Traub, Michael H. Weber
Within hours of release, Daisy Jones & the Six hit No. 1 on Amazon Prime Video's Top 10 list in the U.S.[68] According to Parrot Analytics' data, the series had an "impressive" 49% increase in demand and became the fourth-most streamed TV series across all U.S. platforms.[69]