Daisy Jones & The Six hits the ground running with an inaugural season that is sure to thrill many fans. This 1970s period piece has been long-anticipated for Riley Keough alone. Taylor Jennings Reid’s book, on which this series is based, captivated readers. While there are some incredible moments in the show’s first season, the whole package doesn’t quite come together by the time the last note is sung. 

As a full disclosure, this writer did not particularly care for the source material. The story itself was mostly a build-up to nothing after teasing a highly explosive event that tore this fictional band apart. While the core of the story examined the rot that characterized the 1970s rock scene, this never came full circle. There were so many missed opportunities to delve deeper into each of these characters. Unfortunately, the show does little to remedy this. 

Let’s begin with the positives. Keough is nothing less than magnetic. While Daisy as a character may not be particularly sympathetic, Keough gives her entire heart to this role. She seamlessly weaves the character’s chaos with her lovable soul. It’s hard to imagine anyone else embodying the character’s duality so flawlessly. Even when she’s at her worst, she’s so endearing and easy to cheer for. 

It also has to be said that Daisy Jones & The Six has a stunning aesthetic. The grungey, dirty look comes across as aspirational. It’s a difficult task, making such an objectively gross decade seem appealing. The clothes, the lighting, and the smokiness all contribute to a sense of immersiveness that lasts throughout the season. It’s a shame that this is not enough to distract from the major issues the series faces. 

One of the best characters in the series is Simone (Nabiyah Be). Unfortunately, she’s far too underutilized and underdeveloped. In the book, her character is an amazing friend while maintaining necessary boundaries. The original character is never afraid to maintain her distance from Daisy to keep her own peace. This would have made for an effective story in the series. Instead, Simone is in this codependent friendship with a woman who doesn’t show her the love she deserves.

Then, there’s Billy (Sam Claflin). It’s not that Claflin doesn’t have incredible talent, he obviously does. However, his character is so far departed from the source material that it’s laughable. The original character is a meditation of the struggles and rewards of sobriety. His family is a grounding influence. There is none of that here. He would have been better off as a tragic hero, who chooses his family above all else and makes difficult choices even if they’re against everything he wants. 

Daisy and Billy as characters have a very strange dynamic. It’s odd for Daisy to call Billy out for not having anyone stand up to him when Daisy herself radiates the energy of someone who has never been told no in her life. While their relationship is evidently meant to be a toxic kind of love, there’s no critical analysis of how damaging this dynamic is to both of them. Instead, the story paints them as kind of star-crossed lovers who were always meant to be together. 

On this note, Daisy Jones & The Six does a massive disservice to Camila (Camila Morrone). Gone is the woman who is so fiercely protective of her family. She effectively becomes a bystander to her own story. She is the heart and soul of this group, even when they don’t realize it. Amidst the chaos, this character acts as a grounding force. She’s repeatedly cast aside so that we can focus on where the show sees the greatest love story. There’s a missed opportunity to show that sometimes, the greatest love story is keeping a family together. 

Karen (Suki Waterhouse) is another female character who isn’t given nearly the respect she deserves. The abortion storyline is completely swept under the rug. This could have been a powerful tie-in to the present day and the fight for reproductive rights in the United States specifically. The focus could have been on what a radical act of self-love getting an abortion was for this character, particularly for this time period. 

The music itself is unfortunately a mixed bag. There are some great tracks. The series would have been better off not leaning into the rock element. From a decidedly non-music expert, this feels more folksy than rockish. Keeping the genre more general would have made the music fit the story more. While this writer defers to music experts, the music just did not fit. The process was enthralling to watch. Like so much of the show, the music could have been more. 

Daisy Jones & The Six had the opportunity to reflect on the 1970s music scene rather than idealize it. There is no space to question the harm that this lifestyle could have caused anyone living it, and how artists like the ones shown here were so often taken advantage of. For women in particular, this would hardly have been an ideal existence. There are hints at the emptiness of life on the road. There was more to delve into. 

As a whole, Daisy Jones & The Six never quite comes together. While this series will no doubt enthral fans worldwide, it just seems incomplete. There are so many stories that could have been centred more. Instead, the audience is trapped watching a couple that was never anything more than a toxic combination of regret and self-loathing. There are too many songs left unsung. 

Daisy Jones and the Six is available to stream on Prime Video.