I wouldn't call it strictly romantisation, it's the simplification of a morally complex story by stripping it of its ambiguity. What makes the book work is that everything is said by people who have stuff to hide- there's no objective truth. You have to search the crevasses and parch it yourself. The fact that the events are being told TO Camilla's daughter makes you question the validity of everything said, and that's the beauty and uniqueness of the story. You never know what happened, while in the show you never question it.

Camila’s character change was the biggest disappointment! She fought for her family and Billy (not saying that is a woman’s responsibility). Daisy loved Billy, but she also respected Billy’s family. The conversation in the book is so important because it’s such a turning point for sooo many characters.

I wholeheartedly agree. The book is written to be somewhat of a mystery to its readers; we are forced to question and theorize about what truly happened or took place. The book provokes thought.

i read the book a while ago but the one scene i still remember vividly is when very near the end diasy and camila meet. they meet ONE time and you could feel every little complicated emotion stuck betweeen them. there was no yellling or screaming in fact camila helps daisy and that moment makes daisy change her ways. when the tv series shows them meeting in passing as if they were 2 rivals fighting for the same man i knew immediately that this adaptation does not, in fact, get it. BTW the author is a weirdo geno cide supporter so if yall wanna read the book please buy it second hand or find a pdf.

Completely agree with everything in this video. Though, there is one thing they changed about Daisy's character that I actually like: in the end, they say she went on to have her own solo career - even working with Warren again, which is fun - which I do prefer to the book's "she never made music again". I get that that makes sense with all the trauma she had associated with it, but I do love that idea that an older Daisy would manage to heal and eventually get back to her truest love, her songs

What irks me the most as Greek about them being to Greece, being set in the 70s Greece was either under the military dictatorship or freshly freed (the junta fell july of 1974). Yet they are out there partying in the islands like the neighbouring one isn't actively being used as a torture camp. You could argue that it's historically accurate how the rich ignored the struggle ( The Beatles tried to buy an island during this time! Activist John Lennon tried to buy an island from a Dictator) but it not being even mentioned is... weird. The scenes there where just shrouded with earie and horror for me, knowing that at the same time, the 'hippie' students were being literally crushed by tanks.

I haven't read the book, but now i understand that they should have kept very older actors for the documentary.  These recordings sounds authentic and the show would've been partial accounts of what might have actually happened back then.

Not only does the show lack depth it also looks too glossy. The 70s is known for being a gritty time and we should see that reflected in the sets, clothing, makeup, hair. Sure there was glamour but they’re 60s/70s rock musicians it should have a lot more grit

I listened to the audio book and then was just unable to get into the show the difference was too much for me, I didn’t mind the romance aspect but it just wasn’t hitting

Thats the thing! in the book we clearly knew Daisy and Billy longs for each other but they never outright say it. As a reader, you can already tell there's chemistry between the two of them. But the shocking thing is they never act on it. Every love confession is through their thoughts. Which is why i never finished watching the show because of how much they changed it. The show wanted to sensationalize the "cheating" and the whole love triangle bs, but the book clearly highlighted the yearning of two characters.

Watched the show first, then read the book and after reading it I totally understood where the criticisms to the show came from. To me, the book is a story about two messy people and their complicated relationship with their addiction, where that addiction comes from and how that addiction colors their relationship to each other and everyone else around them. And it’s very interesting to see both Billy and Daisy cope with their maladaptive mechanisms in the ultimately most harmful ways until they finally decide they can’t keep going on like this. The show, instead, focuses on the romance between the two. Sure, it makes for a more digestible story but it is far less interesting. A clear example to me is the song ‘Please’, where the show leads you to believe it is a romantic song dedicated to Daisy, the book highlights that it’s a song Billy wrote to his alcoholism, something that, though he’s been sober for a while, still haunts him.

They're both pieces of shit but at least Billy wanted to get clean for his family and got his life in order. The show completely misses the point by making him unlikeable and Daisy isn't even that likable from the get go!

You nailed it. I read the book first and absolutely fell in love with the complex, complicated, and deeply human characters. Camila Dunne might be my favorite character ever. Her strength and determination and kindness even toward someone she could have hated are so admirable. She is, in my opinion, the heart and center of that book.

And then the show... it's frustrating because it's not all bad. Sam and Riley are fantastic in embodying their characters. I think the show absolutely could have been great. But like you said, it missed the point. It might be a similar story on the surface, but everything that made the book compelling is gone, in favor of simpler, easier drama.

Also, this is petty, but why the heck did they make Karen British?

I think the show adaptation is sort of like the hunger games films in the sense that both adaptations miss the broader message in order the amplify the love story, which someone saw as its main focus. It's also a really good example of how shipping brain can really kill a good story

I love this book. I HATE this show. You're exactly right. I don't believe it. The book feels like you're reading transcripts from ACTUAL interviews by ACTUAL people who ACTUALLY lived these events. I blieve it to the point I had to check more than once that it wasn't based on real people. The show feels empty of realism. I don't believe any of it.

I loved the music but the two leads were unbearable to watch. They’re both good actors but man the CHARACTERS! They’re so self-absorbed and mean to those they love. And I know that that’s “the point” because they’re addicts and are broken, but if there’s no real redeeming qualities to your protagonists, then there’s no point in rooting for them.

I read the book twice, the second time was right before the show came out. I didn’t make it 3 episodes in before I gave up on the adaptation and never finished it. I think you summed it up best with your statement at the end of the video - I could have looked past a few minor changes to the source material, but all that they did change made the story and show come across as rushed and a cheap cash grab that lacked depth to me. I know that’s harsh, you were much more eloquent than me, but I was so excited for the show and was so disappointed by what it was. It felt like a wasted opportunity. I loved your analysis of it though, thank you so much for sharing!

Amazing video as always!

thank god people are starting to talk about this omg

This was one of the worst adaptations I have ever watched without a doubt. And pretty for the reasons you touched on. The show is very inconsistent and oversimplified everything, the characters are sacrificed for a love triangle, where it basically wants the audience to conclude that Billy didn’t love his family, he stayed with Camila for duty while Daisy was his true love but in actuality, he loved them both differently and his relationship Camila is established in the beginning, specifically with them breaking up prior to everything and him proposing before she was pregnant. The show changing that to him marrying because he finds out she was pregnant was such a disservice. Also Karen’s character was handled horribly.