Daisy Jones and the Six Episode 7 and 8 Recap

General Takeaways:

Shannon: I was bored in episode 7, sorry. I understand that that was just how it was broken up but I was like okay enough Greece lets get this girl back to LA and get the real storyline going. And oh boy once we did. Episode eight was everything I hoped for. I loved the spiral that Daisy was going down being reflected in her singing of The River, which Julie wonderfully articulates below. But I will say, I loved the descent into “crazy” by using the same line in the bridge. By the end we know Daisy is about to hit rock bottom because she’s not even singing words anymore, it’s just inoinoinoinoino just kind of jumbled together. I loved that.

Julie: Maybe it’s that it was two episodes instead of three, but the pacing felt like it slowed down a lot during this week’s episodes. I like that we got to take some time and catch up with Simone, although I wish we got more of her in last week’s episodes as the band started to take off. I think starting off from Simone’s point of view and then leading into her finding Daisy in Greece was a great choice. We get to see how messy Daisy seems from the perspective of someone who loves her but isn’t surprised at her worst tendencies, and how there are people in her life who genuinely care about her despite those who have been indifferent. I think speeding into episode 8 would have been too much, and we needed to slow down to examine where the characters are before they embark on a whirlwind tour. Speaking of the tour, I loved the “The River” montage, and you can hear the notes of anger in Daisy’s voice become sharper as each night passes. This episode was truly a showcase for Riley Keough’s voice. And unfortunately, as bad as they are for each other, I love Daisy and Billy together. There is just something so electric about their dynamic, as fraught and passionate as it is (“everything that made Daisy burn, made me burn” etc.), which makes that final scene stick the landing. Billy is forced to confront the reality of Daisy as someone who has never had any semblance of security as he witnesses Nicky making a swift exit, while at the same time confronting his intense feelings for Daisy in spite of his efforts to stay faithful to Camila. I’m not a fan of cliffhangers in big emotional moments, because I feel like it’s a way of avoiding how the characters work through those emotions in an immediate aftermath, but I’m still on the edge of my seat for how it’s going to end.

Changes From The Book (Good or Bad):

Shannon: Okay, maybe I blacked out while reading but I really don’t remember Daisy going off to Greece? Just me?? I know that it happened in Songs in Ursa Major (a similar, GREAT, novel if you’re interested) but… not in Daisy Jones. I do remember Daisy marrying but a big change was that Nicky was really an okay guy up until that last moment. I remember in the book Nicolai being an absolute ass the whole time he was in the book but that also could have been due to the way the characters were describing him.

Julie: Nicky! I’m sorry, was this man not an Italian prince before? Nicolai? Or am I crazy… Not sure why he needed to be Irish, but go off I guess. Love how he is introduced and then leaves within two episodes. We also got crumbs of Karen and Graham this week, so I’m assuming all of their big moments are coming in episodes nine and ten. I feel like most of this is how I remember it being in the book, but as we’ve established, I’m not exactly the leading source on that.

What We’re Most Excited For Going Ahead and Finale Predictions:

Shannon: I am excited to see what the present day is going to bring. To find out if Daisy and Billy were ever able to reconcile, if Camila and Eddie continued hooking up post Billy, if there is a post Billy for Camila. I am excited for (and never going to be ready for) THAT scene with Karen and Graham. We all know I am #1 Karen and Graham stan and I am not ready for the heartbreak that is coming… will be interesting to see if they keep it the same in the book or change it. We shall see!

Julie: I need more Warren! As my personal favorite member of The Six, I would like him to have more screen time. In general, I feel like it’s been light on the talking heads and documentary elements recently. In the early episodes, every character came in to explain almost every scene from some version of a present-day perspective, and there were lots of instances of archival camera footage or photos being used that added to the sense of the chronology of the story. One of the most crucial elements of this framework is how the ending of the story will be contextualized from the present day – how do the characters feel about the events that transpired, what do they mean for each band member, and especially, what do they mean to Billy, Daisy, and Camila? I hope we get to see more from their older selves in these final episodes.