Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers relating to the TV series “Daisy Jones and the Six”
“Daisy Jones and The Six” is a TV adaptation of a book by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The book and TV show revolve around a six-member Fleetwood Mac-esque band in the ’70s, consisting of Billy and Graham Dunne, Karen Sirkos, Warren Rhodes, Eddie Roundtree, and Daisy Jones. This show contains a lot of commentary on drugs, alcohol, overdosing, infidelity, and intense drama that will leave you on the edge of your seat. There are 10 episodes total, all available through Amazon Prime.
The main plot is the push and pull of Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne. Both these characters are immensely flawed, and the writers do not shy away from it. Billy and Daisy experience drug and alcohol abuse, which is also a reflection of their dependency on one another. Billy is also married to his first love, Camilla Dunne. First meeting in a laundromat, Billy and Camilla dive head-first into a whirlwind romance that was bound to go up in flames. The actress who plays Camilla Dunne, Camilla Morrone, offers a mesmerizing performance as her character addresses Billy after finding him in bed with other women. This was my favorite scene of the entire show, as you could visibly see the stress of following such an incompetent man across the country. Controversially, they stay together through the ups and downs, including Billy having feelings for Daisy, until Camilla’s untimely death. Finally, in a video note for both Daisy and Billy, Camilla approves of their relationship after her passing.
This show also displays beautiful female friendships. While I do believe there should have been much more attention drawn to these friendships, I am still satisfied with the results. Daisy Jones has a lifelong friend, Simone Jackson, who is also trying to make it into “the industry” in the beginning. Along the way, she finds love in New York City with a woman named Bernie. This relationship is handled rather well, as both characters are black lesbians in the ’70s. There is a noticeable shift in the area when they are together, which is realistic for the time. However, the couple is still granted those moments of falling in love on screen (which is not as common for queer couples).
Karen and Graham have a secret affair and also experience a push and pull. Karen is portrayed as the “strong, independent woman” who fits perfectly alongside Daisy. In both the show and the book, Karen has an abortion. This procedure tears her and Graham apart, as the emotional distress weighs on Karen, and the reality that she does not want kids affects Graham greatly. A place where the show went wrong is not utilizing Suki Waterhouse’s – who played Karen – voice. As the only actor to be an actual musician off-screen, I believe this was a missed opportunity.
Overall, this show is amazing. Warren Rhodes is hilarious and brings a sense of relief on-screen, and Eddie Roundhouse offers vulnerability, resulting in him and Billy constantly butting heads. I cannot recommend this show enough.