‘Everybody loves Daisy Jones’: the differences between the series and the book

One of the best series of 2023 on Prime Video, ‘Everybody Loves Daisy Jones’ has finally made the leap from the shelves to the Amazon Prime Video catalog, and, as usual, fans of the best-selling novel have already caught many differences.. Based on the 1970s music scene, the story, written by Taylor Jenkins Reid, follows a Fleetwood Mac-inspired band whose rise to fame is complicated when the two lead singers fall in love. At first, the series is close to the book, but as it progresses it begins to incorporate some important differences. The sixth episode includes not one, but two juicy plot twists.

Even so, the team working on the series is dedicated to keeping the spirit of the novel alive. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Scott Neustadter, one of the showrunnerstalked about bringing the story to life with Reid’s help. “We don’t bring the authors in to show them how we do it, but they are always the first readers of our adaptations”said. “I think the biggest changes we make are thoughtful and the audience will buy into it. But you’re not going to be able to capture everyone’s favorite aspects.”.

Although the series differs from the novel, Reid praised the production team’s performance in an interview with Town & Country. “It’s a rare adaptation that honors the book in a really charming way, and yet also enriches it”, said. “He makes interesting changes that make it compelling to engage with this story a second time.”

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Below we have broken down all the differences between the series and the book of ‘We all love Daisy Jones’.

BEWARE OF SPOILERS!

Daisy Jones says her real name is Margaret

In episode six, Daisy Jones tells Billy that her real name is Margaret. It is an important moment of intimacy between the two characters, but in the book, she is born as Daisy Jones. Since the series looks to amplify the differences between the two lead singers in a limited number of episodes, it makes sense that Daisy would have a big emotional reveal. It’s like she’s finally telling Billy a secret, but in the book, their relationship builds naturally as they spend time together.

Billy kisses Daisy

After a tense recording session in episode six, Daisy runs out into the parking lot and Billy runs after her. So, in a shocking twist, he pulls her in for a kiss and convinces her to go back inside. Although this created a lot of drama in the story, it doesn’t happen in the book. In fact, Daisy and Billy never kiss. They almost do during a romantic songwriting session, but Billy walks away at the last second. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Keough spoke about the change. “I think half of the readers would want to kiss and the other half would be mad that they kiss,” he said.

Camilla cheats on Billy

In another surprising turn of events in episode six, Camilla cheats on Billy with his bandmate, Eddie. In the novel, Camilla’s character is faithful throughout her marriage, while Billy is not. Her nobility is a key part of his character; unlike the novel, however, the television series explores what would happen if each character gave in to her impulses. Is it really unrealistic for Camilla to seek an affair on her own? While it may deviate from the original plot, Camilla and Eddie’s actions are a result of Billy and Daisy’s.

The lyrics of the songs are different

One key difference that readers may have noticed is that most of the song lyrics have been changed. Reid wrote his own versions of the band’s most popular songs, but the production team brought in songwriters to fine-tune them. While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Neustadter said that changing the songs was “a strategic decision” meant to give songwriters the creative freedom to turn Reid’s words into viable themes. “We couldn’t tell them that they had to use pre-written lyrics,” she said.

Pete Loving and Chuck Williams don’t exist

Another difference is that two of the original band members do not exist. In the book, Pete is a school friend of Billy (the co-lead singer) and Graham (the guitarist). Pete plays bass and is the first member to leave the band.. Although Pete is present for the first few chapters, he has little to no dialogue and only returns at the end of the novel to comment on the band’s success.

Chuck Williams, the band’s first guitarist, is also left out of the story.. In the novel, he is drafted into the Vietnam War and dies abroad. Later, Eddie Loving, Pete’s younger brother, is introduced to the gang and takes Chuck’s place. In the series, Edie Loving becomes a character named Eddie Roundtree, who plays bass and is not related to anyone.

Billy and Camilla meet differently

In the novel, Billy and Camilla meet at a wedding in which Billy is performing. He sees Camilla, who works as a waitress bringing cocktails, and gives him her number. Instead, the series shows Billy and Camilla meeting in a laundromat.. In that scenario, it is Camilla who approaches Billy. After meeting his eyes, she walks over and says, “Excuse me, are you…?” before Billy interrupts her and says, “I am, yes. Billy Dunne, nice to meet you. She then replies, “I was just going to say, are you using that basket?” Later, during an interview, Camilla says, “Of course I knew who he was, are you kidding me? Every girl in Hazelwood knew Billy Dunne, and not because he was in a band.”

Teddy sends Billy to rehab.

Later in the story, Billy goes on a spree while Camilla is in labor with her first child. In the novel, Teddy, the band’s manager, arrives at the hospital and sends a message to Billy, at Camilla’s request. “Tell him he can start being a father right now or he’s going to rehab,” she says. But in the series, it’s Teddy who sends Billy to rehab after he and Billy get into an argument at the hospital. Billy says that he can’t meet his daughter “like this”, and Teddy rushes him away.

Simone is a lesbian

Simone is Daisy Jones’s only friend, but appears mainly as a minor character in the novel. The series gives her character a more vibrant and independent story. In the novel, Simone’s sexuality is unknown, but the series casts her as a lesbian black woman making her way in the political climate of the ’70s.. When he’s not navigating his sexuality or monitoring Daisy, he’s working on her own music career. While speaking with Town & Country, Neustradter explained that she was able to expand Simone’s role by removing Pete’s story.

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