Scott Neustader on Billy’s breakdown, Daisy’s decision, and what happens in the future.
Warning: This article contains spoilers about the finale ofDaisy Jones & the Six.
The legendary (fictional) rock band Daisy Jones & the Six have officially taken their last bow.
Sam Claflin and Riley Keough as Billy Dunne and Daisy Jones.Lacey Terrell/Prime Video
In between some truly stellar songs, we find the entire band in disarray.
In the future setting of the documentary, it’s revealed that Camila died of a terminal illness.
Billy does as his wife asks, and we end on ahopeful shot of Daisy’s face.
Sam Claflin and Riley Keough as Billy and Daisy.Lacey Terrell/Prime Video
We called up showrunner and executive producer Scott Neustader to take us behind the music of that finale.
Why was that the compelling choice to you?
Billy had to react and she finally put the screws to Billy’s insistence on gaslighting her and pretending.
Riley Keough as Daisy Jones.Lacey Terrell/Prime Video
Walk me through that shift.
It works really well because of the writing.
Nobody has any agency of their own.
The band: Will Harrison (Graham Dunne), Sebastian Chacon (Warren Rojas), Suki Waterhouse (Karen Sirko), Josh Whitehouse (Eddie Roundtree), Riley Keough (Daisy Jones).Lacey Terrell/Prime Video
We wanted to restructure it in a way that all three of them could make a choice for themselves.
What made you want to do that as the last beat of his story in the 1970s?
We talked to a lot of addiction experts in our writer’s room and did a lot of research.
Camila Morrone as Camila with little Julia.Lacey Terrell/Prime Video
Because after that one rehab stint, he was able to resist temptation for the rest of his life.
Everyone we talked to was like, “That is such a rarity.
It happens, it’s possible, but it is really unlikely.”
Suki Waterhouse as Karen and Will Harrison as Graham.Lacey Terrell/Prime Video
And Billy was having all of this turmoil.
Daisy has confronted him and forced his hand to make a decision.
Billy finds himself in a bar at wit’s end and someone offers him a drink.
We didn’t believe that he wouldn’t take it.
Before he makes that choice, he calls Teddy.
What is he hoping to get out of that call that he doesn’t get?
You’re not going to be able to do it on your own.
Or maybe he’s embarrassed, or for whatever reason he can’t go through it.
He’s asking for help there.
But he has a lot of growing left to do still.
The episode wings in and out of the final concert at Soldier Field, which is super epic.
It’s finally a chance to really see Daisy and Billy letting their chemistry out on stage.
What was it like filming that?
The idea for the episode was something that I had even when I was reading the book.
The Talking Head’sStop Making Senseis one of my favorite movies.
Because we haven’t really seen full performance stuff up until now.
We’ve seen glimpses of it.
We took over a soccer field in New Orleans.
We built that stage from scratch.
I guess we had it for like four days or four nights.
It had to be in the evening.
Everybody was so pumped and ready; we were all fueled by adrenaline.
Eddie has a much more dramatic exit here.
You’re missing the fun, man."
Eddie has got to wake up and realize that this is a very singular experience that they’re having.
They grew up together as kids, and he’s the big older brother that you idolized.
Once he realizes that, there’s no turning back from him.
Yeah, I do.
Based on the Camila conversation earlier in the day.
He can put two and two together.
What she says to him is, “you could’t fall in love with her.
That’s the line that you cannot cross.”
She’s not going to accept it.
It was important for everybody to know that Billy does not win her back that night.
Billy tells Daisy, “Let’s be broken together.”
What dp you think would’ve happened if she said, “Okay.
That sounds good.”?
They probably would’ve made a pretty chaotic album.
It’s the timing thing.
This is the wrong time for them to couple up because they’re both such emotional wrecks.
It probably would’ve turned into some kind of Sid and Nancy situation.
Why do you think Daisy tells Billy to go in that final moment?
She gives him that nudge and sends him after Camilla.
He shouldn’t let Camila go.
He should fight for her.
He’s feeling like he has crossed too many lines and it’s hopeless.
And what she’s saying is, “It’s never hopeless.
You’ve just got to work.”
He is someone who’s worked on himself for a really long time.
He’s resisted temptation and he’s tried.
She’s just saying to him, “Try harder.”
It’s a nice gift that she gives him.
It’s very similar to the gift that she gives him in the novel as well.
And she says, “You don’t think I see all of you?”
Do you think she does?
I do think she does.
She’s the character who knows more and sees more than a lot of people think.
There’s the wife of the rock star trope and she transcends it.
She’s wiser than her years.
She’s pulling some some strings the whole time that they might not recognize.
So I do think that she understands what he’s dealing with.
She can’t really empathize because she doesn’t have the same demons, but she loves him.
She wants what’s best for him.
Why do you think he can’t see that?
It’s a question of Billy wondering how someone could see that in him and still love him.
Tell me more about that choice and pivoting from her colder approach to things on the page.
Our theory was that Karen was somebody who loves the music first.
Just because she wants one thing doesn’t mean she doesn’t also want romance and love.
The difference here is that Graham doesn’t want that.
He lies to her first and he says, “Oh, I’ll give it all up.
I don’t need a family.
Let’s just you and me go on the road and be happy.”
And she’s like, you’re lying.
It’s a heartbreaking thing for her.
Theoretically, the band is going to see this documentary.
I guess it’s up to them if they watch it or not.
Do you think Graham watches it?
And if you do, how do you think he feels about that revelation from her?
I really don’t know, but it’s a fun thing to think about.
Do you have in your head an idea of what happens after Daisy opens that door?
I have a ton of different ideas.
It can go in a lot of different directions.
The one thing I don’t think happens is that they immediately fall into each other’s arms.
There’s definitely a lot more going on there, and they have a lot to talk about.
Do you think they’ll definitely make more music together?
She doesn’t need him where she is in her life.
She’s done really well and she has the successful solo career and everybody loves her.
Especially now that it’s been sanctioned by Camila.
Well, and they do owe Camila a song.
Both Riley and Sam said they would be up for performing.
I would love it.
I would definitely buy a ticket to that.
Figuring out their schedules is going to be the hardest challenge.
But I sure hope we can find some time to do a show or a couple shows.
I know they can do it really well, and selfishly, it would be super fun to watch.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
