The Siren Call: Let's Blame the Women

I'll be honest, the only reason I watched this show is because I thought it was based on a YA series that I read a long while ago.

Spoiler: it is not.

This show is so much weirder, so much more captivating, and surprisingly deep.

Sirens is deceptively good. It begins like any typical young adult series; we get the trainwreck older sister who can't get out of her toxic patterns and the younger sister who works hard to escape her past. We get the typical, neglectful, alcoholic father. We get the not-actually-her-boyfriend, Raymond, who is cheating on his wife and is also slightly in love with Devon, and the way-too-old-for-her love affair between Simone and Kiki's husband's best friend, Ethan. Then, we get Kiki's ever-so-elusive rich, billionaire husband, Peter.

The story begins very trope-heavy (think Sarah Dessen novels), with the toxic, broken family, the sister who wants to reconnect, the abusive father, and the toxic love relationship. But, then, it does something really, really cool.

I didn't even notice it at first.

The slowburn slowburns so hard that you get swept away by it, and it is not at all what you'd expect. Honestly, the only way to appreciate the show is to watch the entire season as a whole and then close read. And, it all has to do with the boys.

The Boys

The boys in this show are weird, and it's very obviously intentional. Other than Peter, all the men are depicted as blissfully foolish and unaware of the circumstances around them. Ethan, the secret boyfriend, lives in his little bubble of wealth, chasing after Simone as though she is the last piece of bread (you'll understand this allusion when you watch the show). Raymond is notoriously selfish, cheating on his wife and impulsively following Devon without a thought. Bruce, their father, is literally losing his mind, hanging somewhere in the past and present, unintentionally wreaking havoc in both girls' lives.

Within the span of the first few episodes, what becomes clear is that although women are the main characters, they have no power at all. They all end up immediately being taken over by their male counterpart. Simone wants and needs Ethan for his money; Devon both uses and allows herself to be used by Raymond because it's familiar and provides her with a semblance of certainty; and for Kiki to have any value at all, she needs Peter and his money.

That's when I realized: the show is playing with us.

The Original Siren: Wisdom and Age

According to various papers that I won't cite (that's a job for the academics), originally, the siren was a half-bird woman who symbolized wisdom and knowledge. As time went on, readings of the female body also changed slightly because, then, came the fish women. Now, there is a lot of contention surrounding when or why exactly interpretations of the siren changed. Some claim that sirens were conflated with mermaids while others claim that the influence of Christianity during the Medieval period changed the image, indicating the growing fear surrounding female sexuality and beauty. Interestingly, in Sirens, we get allusions to both.

It all begins with Kiki and her fascination with falcons.

When I first saw the falcon and Michaela's obsession with it, I was very confused. I watched the entirety of the show and still couldn't figure out what the point of the falcon was at all. Why birds? Looking back, though, I see it clearly. Michaela is the original siren, the one with the magical voice, but one that is marked by her age and wisdom (thus, the hideous half-bird allusion). Her call lured Peter in, but with time, we learn, so does its power and she knows it.

At the peak of her success, Peter comes home; the falcon splatters itself against the glass.

Man, Larger Than God

So, we get the literal God figure that is Peter. He looms over everything that Kiki does, constantly stripping Kiki of her worth without even having to be physically present. In fact, when he eventually returns to the house, he inhabits the actual tower, standing over the entirety of his kingdom.

Suddenly, the mighty seductress starts losing meaning. Kiki was supposed to have the siren's call; she was magic, luring people in with her voice, captivating them, taking control. The biggest rumour in town is that she entrapped Peter with her magic, and killed his ex. She is larger than life, divine in her abilities, visually blurred around the edges so that she looks ethereal. People follow her without thought, even taking on her "Hey, Hey" moniker. Yet, the show cuts her off at the knees. Peter returns. All we are reminded of is that he owns her.

The Mermaid Siren: The Sexual Temptation

Standing in opposition to Kiki, Devon and Simone present as the mermaid siren. They embody youth and fertility, something that draws all the men in. They enter the island on a ferry, deep from the underworld that is Queens. There, with the help of Michaela, who passes on her wisdom, Simone discovers how to stand on her own two feet. Devon discovers a new form of self-love. They begin to sing.

By posing both kinds of sirens next to each other, the show critiques the perception of the female body; everything, including age, beauty, and sexuality, is feared. The woman is the other; the unknown, untouchable creature who will bring men to their deaths.

And, they do. And they don't.

What this show does best is situate everyone in the grey space between empowerment and disempowerment. Although the girls are viewed as ethereal and powerful, their voices also become the very thing that is weaponized against them.

The Fates

Cue in the second mythology: the three sisters of death.

Going hand in hand with the sirens mythology is the Moirai, the three sisters who are responsible for the thread of life. We got Clotho, who spins, her sister, Lachesis, who measures, and Atropos who cuts the thread.

Do the names sound familiar? No?

Cloe. Lisa. Astrid.

Don't worry, it went over my head, too, the first time.

Michaela's minions are barely on screen, which makes it hard to even notice unless you're actively looking for it. What struck me at first was that they were the second trio presented in the series. Most importantly, they were creepy.

Lisa: Kiki saw potential in us, too.

Devon: To what? Marry rich guys?

Cloe: I'll handle this. We didn't pursue them, Devon. They... came to us.

Astrid: We have special powers.

We have special powers. ( in unison ) All of us do.

Cloe: When you love yourself, when you project strength and confidence, Mother Nature bends to your will. Your gravitational force. Men will come running.

This moment is important because it defines what exactly the siren's power is: self-love, respect, and confidence. These are the very things that we discover men fear the most. The moment a woman speaks up, all of the men change tactics. The blame shifts: she made him jump off the cliff, she made him marry the younger girl, she ruined his family. What is supposed to be a magical power is cause for their downfall, and that is the plight of being a woman.

The Crone, The Maiden, The Mother

So, I got obsessed with the number three. It was everywhere: the three sisters. And, since this show is about sisters and mythology, I just had to google what that meant. Which led me literally to "the three sisters" or the Triple Goddess archetype.

Google tells me that the Maiden represents youth, new beginnings, and potential. The Mother represents fertility, nurturing, and creativity. The Crone represents wisdom, experience and endings. And, yes, they are linked to the three Fates.

Considering that Devon, Kiki, and Simone are three sisters mirroring the Fates, it is not too far of a stretch to claim that they follow the Triple Goddess archetype. Kiki is the Crone passing along her wisdom and knowledge. Simone is the Maiden, glowing in her youth and potential. Devon, of course, is the Mother, full of fertility and nurturing.

As the Triple Goddess archetype, the timeline becomes clearer. Sirens, then, is not simply a satire on the upper-class, or a bond between sisters. It is a critique of womanhood, an exploration of what it means to be a valuable woman, and how long it could last. I realized then that the story isn't just about sisterhood, the whole series is a thread measuring the lifespan of women. And, in the wealthy world of Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, no empowered woman lives for long.

The Siren's Song

Here's where the Fates' warning comes to light. It all begins to make sense. The thread unravels and splits between Kiki, Simone, and Devon, and it all happens in the final episode.

It is every person for themselves, except that's not even the important part. The important part is the blatant misunderstanding between man and woman.

Simone breaks up with Ethan because it's clear he doesn't listen and doesn't understand her. He immediately flips the narrative, calling her heartless, a monster. Later that night, drunk and angry, he throws himself off a cliff, screaming: "You did this to me. You. You did this!"

Devon, at her wits end, screams at Raymond to leave her alone. When he won't listen, she yells for him to go drown in the ocean. Later the next morning, she finds him in jail and learns he almost drowned. When she asks, "Who walks into the ocean naked?" Ray's simple response is that "You told me to."

Then there’s Peter. First, in the quahogging scene with Simone, he blames Kiki for “severing ties” with his children, then kisses her. Later, high and rambling to Devon and Simone’s dad, he says of his ex: "She ruined me. Shipwrecked me. Made me lose my kids" Noticing a pattern? Without telling us, the show reveals Peter's unreliability and how he plays the women around him. Simone calls him out for cheating, well, no problem, he blames Kiki for it.

She Told Me To Do It

The craziest part about the show is that you don't even realize that the battle is changing until it's too late. The prophecy comes to light. It doesn't matter that Ethan is chasing after a girl half his age; she is the one who led him there, led him to the edge of the literal cliff. It doesn't matter that Peter committed an act of infidelity; Kiki is the one to blame. Raymond blames Devon for ruining his life because she said to. No man takes accountability. All women lose in one way or form.

The cycle of power reaches its end; the Maiden takes over and the Crone must die.

What do you think?

What does the falcon represent?

Why is Jordan's character important? Is there significance to his name and its connection to water?

What about the colour schemes? How do you think it played into our understanding of class and wealth?

(Let me know in the comments below!)