By Emma Conlon ’25
As someone who loves Taylor Jenkins Reid and particularly her book Daisy Jones and the Six, I was especially discouraged to see the Prime Video adaptation to be missing that certain essence and quality that is so prevalent in the novel. The film series sounds idyllic on paper: a notable cast, including Suki Waterhouse, Camila Morrone, and Riley Keough; an established fan base, not only for the book itself but also the actors; and the fact that the original story was written in a documentary style format, all of which should come together in perfect harmony to create an exemplary show. Well, prepare to be disappointed because in my opinion, the show was a complete trainwreck.
If you aren’t familiar with the story, it follows the lives of the members of a 1970s rock band, with inspiration from Fleetwood Mac. It starts off in the present time, interviewing each member for a documentary about their experiences in the band, and the whole show takes place in flashbacks. I remember when I read the book I wasn’t able to put it down because of how well described and intriguing it was. I didn’t feel the same way when watching the show, however, and part of this could be because I already knew the story, but I also just found it incredibly dull. Translating a 400 page book into a 10-part series requires a lot of cuts to the story, which is often what happens in most book-to-film adaptations. Through cutting the story and script, a lot of the essence of the book was lost. I felt as if the story never truly came to life, even after major events such as Daisy and Billy’s love triangle and Billy leaving rehab.
Without any spoilers for those who haven’t gotten a chance to watch it yet, I honestly just was not a fan of the series despite so many incredible people being a part of it.