Top 10 Differences Between Daisy Jones & The Six Book & Series

It was clear from the jump that the series wouldn’t be a scene-for-scene reenactment of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel. We discover that the Dunne Brothers, the first iteration of the band, was created by Graham Dunne and his school friends. His older bro Billy is persuaded to join when he’s invited to give advice and then takes over as the frontman. This is totally different from the book where the band is called the Dunne Brothers because that’s exactly who forms it. Later, the band performs at a wedding where Billy and Graham encounter their estranged father. While they do see their father in the book, they never even interact with him. Intentional or not, the band’s formation changes the sequence of events for the rest of the series.

In only the first three episodes, Teddy Price establishes himself as an essential player in the band’s rise to fame. However, in the book, it isn’t Teddy, but Rod Reyes who takes on this role in the band’s early days. While Teddy does become important to the story later on, Rod helps the band get gigs and establish themselves in the industry. Instead of chasing Teddy down in a grocery store, the band actually meets him when he discovers them at a music venue. Meanwhile, book Daisy is in a negative working relationship with a manager called Hank. In the TV series, these roles are amalgamated and taken on by Teddy, who becomes a manager, advocate, and mentor to the band members, particularly Billy and Daisy.

Each character in this story is complex and riveting in their own way. But the one who changes most in the adaptation is Camila Alvarez. There are a few things that make her character different. She decides to join Billy in California, where the book has them separate for a time. Camila also works as the band’s photographer and videographer, which gives her credit for much of their early footage used in the documentary. Overall, her character is given a new agency and a voice that allows us to dive deeper into her story. According to her actress Camila Morrone, Camila is no longer just an extension of Billy, but a compelling character of her own.

Billy’s substance use disorder is one of the primary themes of this story and the band’s tour is a pivotal moment for the characters. While the book allows every character to give their point of view, the show especially hones in on Camila’s perspective. Not only do we hear from her, but there are flashback segments that focus on her, too. We see her navigating pregnancy alone, waiting by the phone, and worst of all, discovering Billy in a compromising position. While we don’t get to see Billy’s undoing, we certainly do see the aftermath as he even considers leaving the band to be with Camila. This unravels everything we think we know about the characters and time will only tell how it will impact the story.

If there’s one song in The Six’s catalog that is most pivotal to the plot, it’s “Look at Us Now (Honeycomb)”. Written after his rehabilitation, it symbolizes an idealized future that Billy promised his wife, Camila. The song takes on a new life when Daisy is brought in and it’s turned into a duet. The TV series brings this tune to life, with some noticeable edits. In addition to the lyrics being different, Billy’s inspiration also changes. The new lyrics left us wondering about more plot differences from the book and what implications they may have on the story’s infamous love triangle as the show progresses.

In the book, Simone Jackson plays a fairly important, but relatively smaller role. Much of her identity is wrapped up in Daisy’s story. She appears only when Daisy is in need of support, but rarely do we hear anything about her own journey. The TV show aims to fix this by creating a storyline for Simone that is separate from Daisy’s or the band’s. We see her navigate not only her burgeoning musical career, but also her sexuality. Her story runs parallel, but not enmeshed with Daisy’s and honestly, this is one change that we are extremely grateful for in the show.

Fans of the original book might have noticed one glaring absence when it came to the Amazon Prime Video adaptation. While changes were inevitable and some characters were modified, such as Simone Jackson, others were removed altogether. One such character was Pete Loving. In the book, Pete is Eddie’s brother and bassist to The Six. While Pete plays his part in the unraveling of events, it was ultimately decided that his character didn’t make enough of a dent in the story to justify keeping him in the show. His exclusion gave room to explore other characters who were overlooked and delve deeper into their stories.

It’s not a show about the ‘70s without a little rock ‘n’ roll. When it comes to the music, “Daisy Jones & The Six” delivers. The show delves into everything from the fictional band’s writing process to their live performances. Fans of the book will know that each song was given full lyrics by author Taylor Jenkins Reid. When it came time to bring the book to TV, the music was adapted as well. This process wasn’t without a handful of changes. While some fans were disappointed by the more significant alterations, there’s no denying that the soundtrack packs a heavy punch. Crafted by musical powerhouses like Phoebe Bridgers, Jackson Browne and Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons, we can’t help but nod our heads through every song.

If you ask us, one of the most compelling aspects of the story is the time jump. Interviews with the band are used as a literary device, creating suspense as readers try to piece together each member’s perspective—especially as they overlap or contradict one another. While this was executed very well in the show, there was one detail that left fans scratching their heads. In the book, the characters are interviewed 40 years after their final concert. However, in the adaptation, this time jump is shortened to 20 years. And miraculously, they have hardly aged a day! Ah, Hollywood.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Billy & Camila’s Meet-Cute
The Pair’s Romance Begins in a Laundromat, Instead of a Bar

Dentistry School
Instead of Dying in Vietnam, Chuck Leaves the Band to Be a Dentist

Karen Gets the Hollywood Treatment
The Tomboyish Karen Becomes Glamorous… & British

Daisy Jones Who?
Daisy’s Mom Casually Drops Her Real Name, Margaret

Eddie’s Backstory
The Disgruntled Band Member Harbors Feelings for Billy’s Wife

Remember Pete Loving? While excluding him allowed the show to give more depth and time to other characters, we can’t ignore the fact that his absence still makes a remarkable difference in the story. In short, it brings The Six down to only five members. This is a pretty big oversight that the writers try to explain by implying that Camila is the sixth member of the band, although her position is really only honorary. Okay, so “Daisy Jones & The Five” doesn’t have the same ring to it. Still, it makes Pete’s absence all the more noticeable.