Review: ‘Daisy Jones and The Six’ is dramatic, personal, filled with catchy tunes

Photo credit: Amazon Prime Promotional Images

Protagonists Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) and Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) are seen exiting their private jet in the midst of their North American tour. Fans swarm the plane as the group enters the stage. “Daisy Jones and The Six” is human, raw and perfect for music lovers.

By Oona Seppala, Multimedia Editor

Disclaimer: “Daisy Jones and the Six” depicts topics such as sexual relationships, drugs and alcohol abuse, abortion and partial nudity. Topics like these might not be suitable for all audiences. Common Sense Media advises that it is appropriate for viewers ages 15+.

With enjoyable and catchy tunes, every episode of Amazon Prime’s Daisy Jones and the Six” will have you singing for days. The characters are lovable and raw, and the show is a great pick for music lovers of all genres.

The 10-part-series follows fictional rock band, The Six, and their lead singer-songwriter, Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) as they navigate the 1970s in Hollywood. The series begins with two musicians embarking on their own journey after leaving their homes in Pittsburg for the big city of Los Angeles. After moving, they collaborate on a single called “Look at Us Now (Honeycomb),” which quickly rises to number one on the music charts and jump-starts the band’s career. The drama miniseries streamed on Amazon Prime from March 4-23.

After their rise to fame, conflict ensues between lead singers Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) and Daisy Jones, as they’re constantly fighting about the future and creative vision of the band. The show is structured as if it is a documentary, following the band with footage from the past and interviews of each member from the present. During these interviews, each member of the band, as well as their partners, their managers and reporters, pull back the curtain to reveal what really went on behind the scenes of the infamous Daisy Jones and the Six.

Not only does the show follow the ups and downs of this brotherhood but also the characters’ complicated relationships. Billy, Daisy and Billy’s wife, Camila Alvarez (Camila Morrone), have one of the most complicated relationships of all, as they cannot seem to escape the drama of their lives. Though this drama is persistent, each member of the band is each other’s chosen family, which speaks to the connection that can be felt between the audience and the characters.

I really appreciated how the show was incredibly meticulous with its details, whether it was with the setting or costumes. You can see the band recording at the iconic Sound City recording studio in Van Nuys popularized by musicians such as Fleetwood Mac, Elton John and Nirvana. The costumes fit the time period perfectly, and while watching the performances, I noticed small details, such as the guitarists with slides on their fingers, which are used to manipulate the sound of the guitar. It is in these details that I truly fell in love with the show. I even felt an appreciation for L.A. in the ’60s and ’70s.

The series discusses and depicts topics such as substance abuse and addiction, extramarital affairs and abortion. Throughout the series, we see protagonists struggle with drugs and alcohol. The show depicts sobriety through rehabilitation but does a fantastic job at demonstrating how sometimes addition and sobriety isn’t that simple. By gaining a deep understanding into each character’s life, we can better understand why they make the choices they do, even if they aren’t the right ones. Today, abortion is a difficult topic to discuss because people have different opinions, but “Daisy Jones and The Six” makes this complicated issue seem simple: it is a woman’s right to choose what is best for herself.

Being a show about a rock band, the music was a critical aspect of the show. The soundtrack included songs by Fleetwood Mac and The Jam, which heightened the entire experience because it included other popular artists that fit the time period perfectly. Contributors such as Phoebe Bridgers, Marcus Mumford and Blake Mills composed the original music written for the show. I appreciate how the songs that were “written” by Daisy Jones and the Six felt like real songs from the 1970s. I found myself singing songs like “Look at us Now,” “Regret Me” and “Two Against Three” days after I finished the series. The music was relevant, catchy and a beautiful compliment to the entire show.

If you find yourself looking for a show with relatable characters, a dramatic plot and incredible music, I strongly recommend “Daisy Jones and The Six.”

  • Binge Potential
  • Acting
  • Technical Quality
  • Story
  • Music
4.5

Summary

 “Daisy Jones and The Six” is a musical drama miniseries that follows fictional and infamous 1970s band Daisy Jones and The Six as they navigate the ups and down of fame, touring and recording music. The docuseries style of the show interviews each character to find out what went on during the band’s most popular time.