The Defiant Ones: Season 1

2017
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Poster for The Defiant Ones: Season 1

A four-part Emmy-nominated documentary series detailing how the partnership between Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre shaped and transformed contemporary culture.

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The Defiant Ones: Season 1 episodes

EPISODE 1.1

Part 1

Years before they brokered one of the biggest deals in... More music history--the 2015 sale of Beats Electronics to Apple for $3 billion--Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine navigated very different environments towards destinies that would, ultimately and improbably, bring them together. Dre's story began in Compton, CA, where his fascination with dance music, DJ innovations and sound brought him into contact with Eazy-E, Ice Cube, DJ Yella and MC Ren. Together, they would become the core of the 1980s gangsta-rap supergroup N.W.A. A native of Red Hook, Brooklyn, Jimmy gravitated to music following an indifferent academic career, and with a determination to avoid continuing in the family business as a longshoreman, he turned stints answering phones in recording studios to connecting with artists like John Lennon, Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen through a combination of hard work and old-fashioned luck, eventually building a reputation as a fearless, talented, indefatigable producer.

EPISODE 1.2

Part 2

With provocative recordings like "F**k the Police" and "Straight Outta... More Compton," shaped by the bitter race relations in Los Angeles, N.W.A. evolved into a force to be reckoned with, in LA and beyond. But a series of calamities--including personal losses on the streets, run-ins with the law, a bitter contract dispute, and a clash over management that strained Dre's relationship with Eazy-E--undermined the band and landed Dr. Dre at a crossroads, looking to make a fresh start. Meanwhile, Jimmy continued his rise up the music ladder via successful collaborations with Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks (with whom he had a relationship). But he hit a wall, and considered his own career shift, after a particularly arduous collaboration with U2--whose tireless drive in the studio rivaled his own.

EPISODE 1.3

Part 3

By 1989, Jimmy had parlayed his production expertise into a... More new career as co-founder of Interscope Records, committing the label to on-the-edge artists like Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Gwen Stefani and No Doubt...and Dr. Dre, whose solo LP The Chronic had been recorded by Death Row Records, a post-N.W.A. label he created with Suge Knight, the D.O.C. and Dick Griffey. Blown away by Dre's singular talent, Jimmy cut a deal with Death Row for Interscope to become the label's distributor. The Chronic became a huge hit and spawned an ever bigger LP from Dre's protege, Snoop Dogg. But hostility was mounting across America towards the misunderstood violent influence of rap music, and Interscope and Time Warner (which owned 25% of the company) found themselves in the crosshairs of an angry political mainstream. As Jimmy resisted overtures to sell Interscope's stake in Death Row, Dre, along with Snoop Dogg and recent signee Tupac Shakur, became embroiled in a violent feud with East Coast rap rivals, notably Sean "Puffy" Combs and his Bad Boy Records, which drove Dre to seek out another new beginning.

EPISODE 1.4

Part 4

Leaving Death Row Records to form a subsidiary of Interscope... More called Aftermath Entertainment, Dre endured a string of disappointing solo releases, but Jimmy stood by him as others argued he should be dropped. Dre's fortunes turned when Jimmy turned him on to the music of an unknown white rapper named Eminem; with Dre producing, Eminem and Aftermath recorded The Slim Shady LP and took the rap music world by storm. On a roll with Dre and an enviable list of hot new acts, Jimmy was nevertheless worried that the music bubble would burst due to the emergence of Napster, and looked to forge corporate-marketing partnerships to boost the visibility and incomes of his artists. An opportune sit-down between Jimmy and Dre led to the idea of Beats Electronics, the speaker-headphone phenomenon that vaulted the partners to new heights, and paved the way for an historic 2014 deal with Apple. The world's most valuable company wasn't just interested in headphones: it was investing in the genius of Jimmy and Dre, who continue to innovate at Apple Music while picking up accolades--Dre was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with N.W.A. last year--and giving back to the communities that fostered their unique talents.

The Defiant Ones: Season 1 | Ratings & Reviews

"Where The Defiant Ones really soars however -- and where it can teach all of us a lesson -- is by capturing what happens when we open our minds and ears to one another."

The Washington PostThe Washington Post

"The Defiant Ones harbors an obvious soft spot for these big personalities, but ultimately provides an enlightening window into Iovine and Dre in particular and the big business of the music industry in general."

CNNCNN

"The Defiant Ones is nothing if not entertaining, shot slick and edited sharp; it's no chore for anyone seeking a chaperoned visitor's pass to music history."

NPRNPR

"The Defiant Ones is witty, polished, grand in scale, ambition and budget, while remaining totally engrossing. The other music docs may as well give up now."

The GuardianThe Guardian

"The Defiant Ones tells a compelling story and tells it effectively and well, but its bloated length is a bit hard to justify."

VarietyVariety

"The Defiant Ones stumbles most in the final half-hour, which often feels like a commercial for Beats headphones, the latest mega-success for Iovine and Dre. Although, by that point, I didn’t really care because I had heard so many interesting stories over the previous three-and-a-half episodes. Most of all, I was allowed insight into two men who lived up to the adjective in the title of this show."

RogerEbert.comRogerEbert.com

"HBO's The Defiant Ones, written and directed by Allen Hughes, spends all of its four episodes on Dre and Iovine, covering their separate lives and their "improbable partnership" together in a gripping, digestible deep dive that always remains intimate."

Hollywood ReporterHollywood Reporter

"The Defiant Ones certainly falls into that overly celebratory trap at times. But the careers of both men are so inherently interesting, and the incorporated footage of some of the most revered pop musicians in history doing their thing is so much fun to watch, that you may be willing to forgive the show’s overuse of words like visionary and genius."

VultureVulture

"The Defiant Ones sends you away admiring the two guys who made the big score."

Huffington PostHuffington Post

"Through five meticulously captured hours chronicling their lives’ work, Dre and Iovine are shown bucking expectations and sticking to their guns in the face of unparalleled adversity. Their accomplishments are great, but their defeats aren’t ignored."

IndieWireIndieWire

The Defiant Ones: Season 1 | Details

Genre
Documentary
Country of origin
USA

The Defiant Ones: Season 1 | Trailers