Daisy Jones & The Six, the Prime Video limited series based on the Taylor Jenkins Reid book of the same name, is out now! Despite the fact that episodes are dropping in batches, I will be recapping each and every one right here for you. From the formation of the band to its eventual collapse, we’re going along on this wild ride together

Track 7: “She’s Gone” opens up with Simone, who, if you remember, moved to New York City. It’s 1975, two years earlier than where we last left our gang of hopeful band members. Interestingly, this episode is directed by Will Graham, who was the showrunner for A League of Their Own. There’s so many similarities between the two shows—both period pieces centering early-adulthood white people set alongside a queer Black woman’s story. I wonder how much of Simone’s storyline being included at all was his idea, or whether this is a theme that we’ll be seeing in TV shows Graham has nothing to do with before long. While I have seen nothing but great reviews for Graham’s work, I do wish a Black queer woman could have been hired to direct an episode that is, for the most part, about a Black queer woman. 

That should be the bare minimum, and while I am glad Simone and Max (A League of Their Own) are included at all, Black characters deserve entire TV shows where they’re the main characters, not just single episodes. There is also something to be said for the fact that in Daisy Jones and The Six, the only Black main character is forced to shoulder the burden of being sexually harassed/assaulted at her record studio and be closeted in order to get her music out into the world. I’m so happy to see Bernie being joyfully herself for this entire episode, and I hope that we get to see more of the two of them being happy together and in their careers.

Anywho! 

Simone arrives at the NYC address which Bernie gave her when she was visiting LA, and the Black woman bouncer at the door immediately tells her the party is full. When Simone gives Bernie’s name, indicating herself as “kind of a friend”, the woman lets her inside.

There’s a party going on, filled with Black queer people dancing and having the time of their lives, with Bernie DJing. It’s an underground dance scene, and when Bernie sees Simone, she immediately switches records. When Simone sent her vocals, Bernie took it upon herself to throw some music under it and play it for the crowd. Not only is Simone’s music being played, she has fans! This is the opposite of Simone’s experience at the record label. Here, she’s celebrated. 

And just like that, she’s back at Bernie’s place, and the two are making out. The next morning, these absolutely gorgeous women are waking up side by side. Simone doesn’t normally wake up next to people, but there’s something about Bernie that made her make an exception. I love them! It’s adorable! 

Then, we’re back at the club again, and people are going crazy for Simone’s music. They love it, and Bernie encourages her to sing live. People are cheering and dancing, and Interview Simone tells us she could have sang all night, and the people would have let her. 

Bernie repeats the song over and over so that Simone can keep singing, and together the two suggest that Simone should work on having more than just one song. Bernie leans in for a kiss, and Simone immediately puts her hand out to stop her.

“People are watching” she says, and then walks away to sing her song yet again. 

Later on, at Bernie’s apartment, they address what happened at the club. Simone wants to stay lowkey about it, but Bernie doesn’t understand why they can’t be their true selves at the club. They’re there in front of “their people” and that’s when they shouldn’t have to hide.

Interview Simone acknowledges that she was hiding. But that allowed her to put her emotion into the music, and that made the song incredible. She put out a record with a tiny label in 1976, and handed it out to every DJ her and Bernie knew. This allowed her career to take off! She was booking shows at roller rinks and other clubs just like Bernie’s, singing, dancing, and celebrating among people who valued the Disco music she sang. 

She’s performing at three or four different clubs each night and staying in touch with Teddy. One night he calls her to ask if she’s heard anything from her old friend Daisy. While Simone hasn’t, Teddy shares that Daisy didn’t show up to the album release party and he’s getting a little worried something is wrong.

Simone doesn’t seem worried, and Interview Simone says that while she kept in touch with Daisy, they didn’t speak every day so she didn’t think much of it.

Simone is thriving in her own right, and she didn’t have time to worry about Daisy’s drama. Salsoul execs are coming to her next performance, and they want to pursue a record. She’s on top of the world, and then she gets a telegram from Daisy. It says “I need you”.

For people who don’t remember, Daisy decided to hop on a plane and fly to Greece, and that’s where she’s contacting Simone from. Bernie is unhappy. She doesn’t understand why Simone is going to up and leave when they have shows booked, but she’s also not going to let Simone fly away alone. They’re going to Greece to save the damsel in distress!

In Hydra, life could not be more different than LA or New York. Bernie and Simone request a taxi, and an old woman points them to two horses that they can take.

They’re wandering around among stones that mark building entrances when suddenly Daisy comes shrieking out from down the path. She’s delighted! Simone came! She’s happy, and doesn’t understand why Simone would think otherwise. My heart breaks for Simone at this moment. She potentially gave up a record deal because she thought Daisy—alone in the world Daisy—needed her, and instead it was Selfish Daisy who simply assumed Simone was hers to direct. Daisy is incredibly far from being in trouble. In fact, she’s getting married to a man named Nicky Fitzpatrick. 

Daisy catches her friends up on the whole story, and Bernie suggests next time using a telephone if she just wants Simone to be her maid of honor. She’s holding hands casually with Simone, and it makes me so incredibly happy to see their domestic bliss. I watch lots of shows with a majority-straight cast, and normally enjoy them, but then the instant I see a queer couple I connect with them so much more strongly. I apologize for all of the needless gushing in this recap! 

Simone asks Nicky what he thinks of The Six, and Nicky has never even heard of them before. He didn’t even know Daisy was a singer, although he does acknowledge that her voice is beautiful. 

Over dinner that night, we find out that Nicky owns multiple houses and is a student working on his dissertation. How is he this successful, you ask? He’s a prince in Ireland. He even has a castle! 

While Bernie sleeps, Simone slips outside to chat with Daisy. She’s playing a strange looking guitar, and Daisy shares that she lost hers when the cops found her stash in it and started swarming. She just left it to avoid the whole situation.

Simone brings up the tour, and Daisy says that she’s never going back to the US so none of that matters anymore. 

Simone: That’s you. On the cover of Rolling Stone.
Daisy: No it’s not.

Daisy takes the magazine from Simone and walks inside. Then, as though she can’t help herself, she opens the pages and begins reading yet again. Billy has filled the article with quotes such as “Talent like Daisy’s is wasted on someone like Daisy.” “Addict”, “head case” and  “selfish” pepper the page. The entire article has become about how Daisy is impossible to work with, filled with photos of Daisy and Billy interacting. Daisy’s close to tears before she sets the magazine down and returns to her fiance in bed. 

The group heads to a party, where Daisy and Simone meet a poet. The man shares that he won a large prize four years ago, and ever since then he hasn’t published anything. If people want to read his poetry, they can come over to his house and read it. Simone doesn’t understand, believing the point of writing is for it to be read, but Daisy looks as though she’s never heard such an incredible idea in her life.

Daisy’s not the only one who’s happier than ever. Nicky, who Daisy has only ever seen as happy, went through a period of deep depression when his parents died a few years ago, and it’s only with Daisy that he snapped out of it. Daisy looks shocked to hear this, and I wonder how much she actually knows about Nicky’s life. 

Simone is also feeling free. She’s happy to be in a foreign country where she doesn’t know anyone with Bernie, but she also can’t stop thinking about the fact that they’ll need to go home eventually. Bernie knows that it can be the same back in New York. In fact, she says that she’s in love with Simone! For her part, Simone just looks on sadly, wondering if she can give the woman what she wants. My heart breaks! I want Simone to be happy and fully herself. 

On the walk home, Daisy confronts Nicky. She wants to know why he didn’t tell her about his parents. He tells Daisy that he tries to focus on the positive, and this is enough for Daisy to open up. She tells him about Billy, and about how much he hurt her.

Nicky: It’s easy to confuse a soulmate with a mirror

Daisy says maybe that’s true, and Nicky wants to make sure the connection is fully gone between Daisy and Billy. Rather than answer, she leans in, kissing him deeply. 

The next day, Simone and Daisy are hanging out in one of the most scenic and beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Daisy thinks that Bernie coming to Greece with her seems like they’re pretty serious, but Simone isn’t sure. She doesn’t want to be stuck playing in small clubs forever. Simone craves the fame and exposure that Daisy has! Daisy, of course, can’t understand why she can’t have both.

Simone, for her part, doesn’t know if Daisy is making the right decision. She was heartbroken only a month ago, and now she’s about to get married. Daisy just wants to be happy, though, and this is enough for Simone.

It’s wedding day! The ceremony is beautiful, and the two get married with Simone and other friends by their side. 

Interview Daisy: You know, I’ve done a lot of dumb things in my life. Really dumb. Things that I’ll regret until the day I die. But I don’t regret that day.

Simone looks on happily as Daisy dances. I think Daisy is wearing the same dress she wore in the photo shoot with Billy, but I cannot be 100% sure. Either way, Daisy’s happiness is enough to give Simone the push she needs, and she pulls Bernie to her feet and onto the dance floor.

Slowly, the two dance arm in arm, pulling closer together.

Simone: “Hey. I love you too”
Bernie: “No shit”

Yay! They kiss! In public! I’m so deeply happy for them that I cannot stop grinning. 

That night, Simone and Nicky chat. Nicky acknowledges that Simone thinks this is crazy, but Simone says no, the wedding is sudden but “crazy” would be not going on tour with the band she took number one. 

Nicky says he doesn’t understand what sense is. After all, if Daisy says she is happy, who is to say otherwise. At that moment, Daisy walks up to see what’s going on. This gives Nicky the idea to drop acid and then go for a swim. While Simone doesn’t think this is a great idea, the newlyweds flit away. 

The next day, Daisy expresses fear over the fact that Simone isn’t having fun. Nicky says of course, not, Simone is in love with Daisy. Ugh! This could obviously not be further from the truth. Simone loves Daisy, yes, and she’s jealous of the life which Daisy has access to by virtue of being white and straight and born rich and beautiful. But Simone is most certainly not in love with Daisy any more than any of us are in love with our friends.

Daisy seems to know this intuitively, calling Nicky crazy and saying that she would do all of the same things for Simone that Simone has done for her. Still, Nicky holds strong to his point, kissing Daisy on the top of the head before walking out. 

Simone, for her part, is getting ready to leave. She was planning on staying for breakfast and then heading out, but Daisy wants her to stay for one more week. Simone has shows booked, bills to pay, and responsibilities to meet, none of which Daisy understands. 

Simone has finally met her breaking point, and she snipes at Daisy that some people have to work twice as hard for half the breaks. Daisy is pissed, and then Simone laughs. She remembers who Daisy used to be before she was famous, and she knows Daisy deep down. This scene is so incredibly well shot. Neither of these friends have to raise their voices to get their point across. They truly do know each other, and while Daisy was miserable when she realized Billy didn’t love her, she’ll also be miserable if she gives up her shot at fame and never has another.

Simone tells Daisy that she cares about all of the things she’s saying she doesn’t, it’s just that she’s too scared of Billy Dunne to let herself think about that. Daisy, a scared cat pushed into a corner, snaps back. “Are you in love with me?” she asks angrily, and Simone is too shocked to speak.

Her eyes fill with tears, and my heart breaks for her. Daisy is truly the only friend Simone has been open about her sexuality with, and here Daisy is throwing it back in her face. I cannot even imagine the level of pain and heartbreak this would cause.

Daisy tries to touch Simone, but Simone pushes her off and walks away, still fighting back tears.

Before Simone can get on a boat and ride away, Daisy comes down and apologizes. While this quote is long, I’m going to write it all because I don’t think I can recap it in a way that has the same power.

Daisy: I’m sorry.
Simone: I do love you, Daisy. And I’ll tell you what love is ‘cause you clearly have no fucking clue. It’s when someone tells you the truth, even when you don’t want to hear it. I love you, Daisy, so I’ll tell you the truth. You’re a real selfish bitch. 

Simone gets on the boat, and Daisy watches it float away.

When Daisy gets back up to the house, her face is streaked with tears. Nicky has found the Rolling Stones magazine for the first time, and is shocked to see how famous his wife was. He’d been eavesdropping on Simone’s conversation, and he wants to know if it’s true that Daisy has a need to connect with fans and other people over her work.

She says yes, she does want to go back, but she doesn’t want to get hurt.

She doesn’t have to worry about doing it alone, though. Nicky is coming with her.

And just like that, they’re in Los Angeles! “Regret Me” is playing on the radio of their taxi, and Nicky, shocked, realizes that he’s listening to Daisy. Imagine being married to someone and not even realizing who they were at all! 

Nicky: Daisy, is this you?
Daisy: I guess we’re about to find out.

And that’s the episode! 

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