Sex, drugs and rock and roll are running rampant in 1967 Los Angeles, California on the "Aquarius" premiere "Murder. Madness. Manson."

Sam Hodiak (David Duchovny, "The X-Files"), a well decorated World War II vet and homicide detective, feels disconnected from the city he is now policing. Free love, the Vietnam War, men with long hair, cheap drugs, skyrocketing crime, protests, police brutality and Black Power are radically reshaping the U.S. and the world.

When Emma Karn (Emma Dumont, "Salvation," "Bunheads"), the 16-year-old daughter of Sam's ex-girlfriend, disappears in a crowd of hippies, Sam agrees to find her. In his search, he is up against distrust, hostility and silence. He asks a young undercover vice cop named Brian Shafe (Grey Damon, "True Blood"), who has been allowed to grow his hair long, to help him infiltrate the new counterculture and find her.

Old school Sam and idealistic Brian share a generational conflict that is heated, but as dedicated law enforcement officers, they are devoted to finding Emma. Soon, the quarrelsome pair realize the need to bring Emma home is far more urgent than first thought -- she has joined a small, but evolving, band of drifters under the charismatic power of a career criminal who dreams of being a rock star: Charles Manson (Gethin Anthony, "Game of Thrones").

The music of the era accompanies "Aquarius," a vast work of historical fiction that starts two years before the 1969 Sharon Tate and Leno LaBianca murders.

Prepare yourself for a shocking thriller, character drama and, in the end, the story of how the era made our society what it is today.

Gethlin Anthony ("Game of Thrones") plays Charles Manson, Claire Holt ("The Originals") plays Charmain Tully, Michaela McManus ("Law & Order: SVU") plays Grace Karn and Brian F. O'Byrne ("Prine Suspect") plays Ken Karn.

Watch David Duchovny in "Aquarius" premiering Thursday, May 28, on NBC, and watch the full 13 episodes online starting May 29, 2015.