Sirens

Analysis of Character Portrayals in Sirens

Since Big Little Lies , the female ensemble drama that left the deepest impression was Sharp Objects , and this year, Sirens has stood out with its classic "three women's drama" framework. Initially drawn by Julianne Moore and a cast of familiar faces, the lead actors all delivered remarkable performances—particularly Meghann Fahy (as Devon), whose portrayal surpassed her roles in The Perfect Couple and The White Lotus in nuance. From her foul-mouthed early days to her "demure wife" undercover act, and finally to the poignant farewell scenes with Simone and Mikaela, her performance evolves through distinct layers. Inner thought: Could she be angling for mainstream awards with this role? Below is an exploration of the main characters (personal views, approx. 3,500 words).

1. Devon: The Self-Sacrificing Guardian

Devon embodies the "ideal" motherly figure in the series and stands as the most "kind-hearted" character. In the first half, unaware that she dropped out of Ohio State University to care for Simone, viewers see her as a tough, sister-loving rebel. The revelation of her sacrificed future—abandoning higher education to rescue Simone from their abusive father and become her guardian—highlights her compassion, even extending to their ailing father. When Simone accuses Devon of defining herself through caregiving and fearing her recovery, the plot teases a potential Munchausen by Proxy twist (a trauma from Sharp Objects and True Detective ). Thankfully, Devon breaks free: she dumps Raymond, apologizes to his wife, and lets Simone go. Her decade-long sacrifice stems from love for Simone and a desire to heal the trauma of their mother’s suicide attempt—by ensuring Simone lives fully. Her alcoholism, promiscuity, and foul language are coping mechanisms for caregiving stress, gradually diminishing as she confronts family secrets.

Devon’s search for Simone is also a spiritual quest:

1. First Island Visit : Confused by Simone’s role as a waiter/babysitter assistant, she can’t fathom why her sister abandoned Yale.
2. Mikaela with a Dead Bird : Convinced Mikaela has brainwashed Simone, she sees herself as the rescuer, echoing her role saving Simone from their father and mother.
3. Cocktail Party Panic : When Simone collapses from a panic attack, Devon reverts to her protective role.
4. Gala Finale : Witnessing Simone’s transformation, Devon realizes her sister is self-sufficient. She tearfully bids farewell, letting go of the urge to "rescue" or judge.
   2. Mikaela: The Calculating Survivor
   Mikaela’s love for animals mirrors her skill in manipulating vulnerable people (e.g., comforting Bruce during his episode). Her defining moment comes at the ferry ending, where she accepts her predicament with calm detachment. Married to a millionaire without children, her marriage crumbles when she tries to control Peter. Though initially a regal hostess, she falls from grace—but her self-awareness keeps her composed. Her line "Simone isn’t a monster" feels forced, perhaps over-idealizing her to promote "girls help girls." Compared to Simone, Mikaela’s privilege (a past career, better manners) contrasts with Simone’s darker edge. Their shared trauma (absent mothers, poverty) vs. differences (fertility, moral ambiguity) offer rich ground for analysis.

3. Simone: The Trauma-Driven Chameleon

Simone’s character lacks depth—more psychological scenes could have smoothed her abrupt shifts. Her trauma justifies her actions: worship of Mikaela, hatred for her father, and emotional manipulation of men (Raymond, Ethan). As Raymond and Ethan note, she destroys others to rise—stealing Mikaela’s life and exploiting Devon’s sacrifice. Her darkness, while explained by trauma, leaves room for deeper exploration.

4. Peter: The Capitalist Elite Archetype

Peter’s arc is compelling: from panic attacks to orchestrating his image. After Mikaela fires Simone, his panic stems from guilt and loss of control. Learning Simone’s secrets, he swiftly disposes of evidence, divorces Mikaela (via prenup), and replaces her with Simone—exposing his narcissism, control freak nature, and disregard for others. Details like his casual kiss on Simone, callous divorce, and dismissal of Ethan’s relationship reveal his elitist entitlement. Yet he also shows vulnerability: missing his children, smoking weed, and craving authenticity. His panic disorder humanizes him slightly, but his core remains a satire of capitalist greed and misogyny.

5. Supporting Roles: Comedy and Symbolism

• Jose : Shifts from friendly to obsequious, embodying loyalty to power.
• Morgan : The handsome, romantic foil, offering a contrast to toxic masculinity.
• Ethan : His impulsive proposal reeks of midlife crisis and performative virtue.
• Copycat Wives : Dressed in pastels beside Mikaela’s white suit, they symbolize women enslaved by wealth and status.
• Comic Relief : Gardeners, drunk police officers, etc., lighten the drama while mocking elitist absurdity. Conclusion: A Stylish, if Flawed, Ensemble
  Sirens succeeds in crafting conflict (trauma, marriage, class) and complex characters (Devon, Peter). Its Greek myth symbolism, scenic island setting, and blend of drama/comedy align with Netflix’s formula (reminiscent of The Perfect Couple ). While Simone’s development feels rushed, the series effectively critiques power, trauma, and female survival in a capitalist world—making it a worthy addition to the female ensemble genre.

The English title of this show is "Sirens," named after the daughters of the river gods in Greek mythology, also known as "the Sirens" or sea monsters. According to the legend, the Sirens failed to win a singing contest against the Muses. As punishment, their wings were removed, and they lost the ability to fly. They were exiled to the waters near the Strait of Messina, where they lured sailors to their deaths with their beautiful songs.

The Sirens represent "sweet traps" and symbolize things that appear beautiful on the surface but are ultimately deadly.

The show consists of five episodes, with the titles as follows:

Exile Claw Demon Persephone Siren Persephone is the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture. She was kidnapped by Hades, the god of the underworld, while picking flowers. Zeus permitted the kidnapping, which caused Demeter to fall into a deep sorrow, plunging the Earth into winter. Eventually, Zeus intervened and decreed that Persephone would return to the underworld for four months every year (symbolizing winter), and spend the rest of the year with her mother on Earth (symbolizing spring and summer).

The Sirens were once Persephone's handmaidens. When Persephone was abducted, the Sirens failed to fulfill their protective duties and were punished by being transformed into half-bird, half-human monsters. They became guides in the underworld, responsible for escorting souls to the afterlife.

The stories of Persephone and the Sirens both reflect themes of life and death in Greek mythology, from the perspectives of "natural law" and "human trials." The former uses the cycle of seasons to metaphorically represent the endless flow of life, while the latter warns of the dangers of desire through the allure of song. Together, they provide a profound exploration of fate and freedom.

Highlights 1: The screenwriters are brilliant, using the mythological allegories as the spiritual core of the story, framed within a modern context. The show reveals the seductive and corrosive nature of luxurious living, especially under a patriarchy. Once chosen by a rich man, all dreams become reality with a simple wave of his hand. Then, with another wave, the beautiful life turns to ash, and it’s impossible to return. The plot is gripping and fast-paced, and the ending is abrupt, leaving viewers deep in thought.

The show draws on the structure of Greek mythology but breaks new ground in its depth. KIKI, Devon, and Simone, three women who lost their mothers in childhood, share the same psychological void. They lack enough security, making them easy prey. As KIKI says, “In a room full of girls, I can always spot the one without a mother.”

Highlights 2: The performances by the three leading actresses, particularly Julianne Moore, are outstanding and seamless. Their acting is transcendent, standing strong in countless close-up shots.

Highlights 3: The locations are stunning~~~

The show also contains numerous subtle metaphors. Early on, Simone wears flashy clothes that align with her status. The deep blue dress she wears symbolizes her alignment with KIKI. In the final scene, when she’s with Peter, she wears a gown that closely resembles KIKI’s. This foreshadows that their fates will align. On the other hand, Devon wears her own clothes at the end, signifying that her heart remains true to herself.

Moore: The legend of the Sirens makes me think of sailors blaming these mythical creatures—these singing women—for their accidents. I find it a bit amusing. You crashed your ship, but you're saying these supernatural beings made you do it?

Producer: The Sirens are a type of female monster, extremely beautiful, whose songs cause passing sailors to crash their ships and die. I think that's a good question because we don't really know them. We've only heard about the Sirens through men's descriptions. We've never heard their side of the story. Maybe the songs they sing are actually songs of pain. Maybe they are very lonely and misunderstood. Perhaps there’s an entirely different perspective on this story.

The first few episodes of the show resemble the Kyle family in society’s eyes: the wronged, submissive husband, who can’t even get a piece of bread without permission and must sneak around to see his grandson; the controlling, evil stepmother, who is both malicious and manipulative, living in luxury and adored by all. Devon’s misunderstanding mirrors society’s misunderstanding of her. In the second episode, Peter is in casual clothes, and Mikaela urges him to change. It seems that Peter is the one who is helpless, while the wife’s demands are too petty and strict. He gets along with the staff, eating bread together, while her demands are unappreciated.

Mikaela is actually quite a "love brain." I didn’t expect her to be just a pure "love brain" character. If she wanted to stabilize her position, she could have let Peter do whatever he wanted. But she doesn’t; she’s genuinely upset and exposes her vulnerabilities in front of him. She knows Peter can’t control himself, and driving Simone away is just an emotional outburst. She’s too much of a “good wife,” not a "girl’s girl." Despite Simone’s sincerity towards her, she still drives her away for a man, which makes Simone’s eventual darkness understandable. In the end, Peter thinks she’s pressuring him too much and being unreasonable.

Peter’s trait is that although he harms others the most, he remains relaxed and carefree on the surface. The tension between the first wife, the mistress, and the mistress’s past is just a facade; Peter is the root of all evil, the true instigator who effortlessly stays out of the mess, leaving the women to drown in it. Jocelyn’s excessive plastic surgery might be related to his affair, as she felt she couldn’t keep him. What’s suffocating about Peter is that he truly believes he’s the victim—selfish and unaware, thinking all he wanted was to see his grandson. Even his affair, he claims, is because Mikaela pressured him too much. And the world chooses to believe him, with even the staff sympathizing with him being “controlled” by Mikaela. The only women who can stay with him are those who don’t have genuine feelings for him, and that’s exactly who he chooses.

As Peter’s true nature is revealed, Jose also goes from being the warm, affectionate uncle to an emotionless lackey. Like Peter, he doesn’t think he’s done anything wrong and easily goes along with the crowd, painting Mikaela as the villain. This "good guy" character with such biases is exactly what creates the pressure of public opinion. I think if someone still likes him after watching, they haven’t fully understood his character, but many viewers on foreign sites have noticed.

Simone: She probably won’t follow in the footsteps of the previous two wives, because she doesn’t like Peter. She won’t “push him too hard” like Mikaela did. But who knows? Peter does like divorces. Just wait until he dies, she wins—after all, the age gap this time is too large.

The translation of "妖惑心计" seems a bit off, mainly because I didn’t see any real scheming. I’d suggest translating it as "Femme Fatale" or "Red Beauty" to retain the sarcastic tone of the original title.

Actor Review:

Simone: Xiao Lei (the actor) didn’t seem to fully figure out who Simone should be. This character should be much more complex than what’s shown now, and she doesn’t seem like a purely dark character. But the performance was so good that it made me forget about that.

Mikaela: Gradually, I started supporting Mikaela, but her acting wasn’t good. It felt like she wasn’t putting much effort into it. When veteran actors get too much praise, they lose that drive. Every scene felt superficial and weak.

Devon: She was great, very serious, and her performance was steady. There were no flaws.

Others: The actor playing the father of the two sisters was a subtle MVP. Peter’s actor, on the other hand, was average and had a very "showy" film actor style.

"Sirens" - A Show Review:

The original wife was given this title. There were rumors that she had a seductive power, that she pushed the previous wife off a cliff. In the end, she tells Kyle that she allowed him to demonize her, and she is not a demon, but all the blame was placed on her. Devon and Simone’s names, one is Devon, the other is Simone – if you merge "De" and "mon," you get "demon," but in the end, Simone, whose name starts with "Si," becomes the latest siren.

The demonized first wife – what was she really like? A woman who signed a prenuptial agreement before marriage and after the divorce got no assets; a former lawyer who gave up her career for marriage; a woman with ovarian issues, who truly saw the bird as her child, and when that peregrine falcon died in her arms, it symbolized her own inability to have children, a reason for her abandonment by her husband. If she could have children, would Kyle have sought someone else? The answer is no. The real reason is that the first wife had already borne a son, and even now, has grandchildren. The true reason for her being discarded was her aging and fading beauty, which no longer interested Kyle. He turned everything, from his estrangement with his children to her inability to have children, her cautious attempts, and the evidence of his infidelity, into her fault.

Interestingly, Kyle wasn’t initially interested in Simone. He saw her as a little girl, a follower of his wife. When did he begin to care about her? It was when he found out that she had a romantic relationship with his friend. Just like the man who was once with Devon, who didn’t care about her, abandoning her drunk and unaware that she had even gone to jail. But when Kyle saw a young, handsome sailor showing interest in Simone, a man younger and better looking than him, his competitive nature kicked in. He even threatened to divorce his wife. But Devon was very clear-headed. She knew this wasn’t about love; it was just male competitiveness, wanting to win and get something, something that had value and could be highlighted by another man.

Simone realized after discovering the financial troubles of Kyle’s friend that his financial situation was dire, and the proposal failure was inevitable. But these poor sisters are forever stuck in a cycle, one might say a learned helplessness. In their childhood, their mother was a vulnerable figure, who, because of her husband’s indifference, committed suicide, but more likely due to the pressures of life. It seems that the men they find always share this trait. Devon’s partner, after getting drunk and going to jail, calls her a witch, blaming her for his downfall. Kyle’s friend does the same to Simone. They blame women for everything when things don’t go as they want or when they don’t get what they need. They abandon them. But Devon can’t choose the captain. Their love only has short-lived passion and romance, with no commitment. It’s just a dream on a small island. There’s a line in the show – once you come to the island, you dream. Devon says she won’t dream, she wants to but she wakes up. But Simone has been living in the dream. She is the third wife, just like the previous ones, wasting her years, not knowing when she will wake up.

Simone doesn’t want to return to Buffalo anymore. She’s been running away from everything in her past. Initially, she admired and worshiped the first wife. The first wife was her lifeline. She wasn’t cut out to be a lawyer because what she truly wanted was to transcend her class. After unwittingly wearing the ring and showing hesitation, the boyfriend she chose, and her final run to the beach, were all signs that she didn’t want that life. Her only way out was Kyle. She had to hold onto this lifeline. Was it love? No, it was just a cruel transaction. If the first wife was a smart person, she should have remained calm, quietly gathered more evidence, moved assets to a lawyer, and slowly transferred wealth. But she didn’t. She remained naive and childish, never speaking ill of her husband, silently bearing everything.

José, a loyal servant, a faithful dog. When Devon licked him, it felt like the greeting between dogs. He had once looked down on and mocked Simone, but when his master chose her, he too began to flatter her, treating her as the mistress and the second executor of the tasks.

Keep dreaming, Sirens, keep dreaming.

This show has received highly polarized reviews.

Some viewers say things like:

“I’m honestly furious. How can such a stellar cast be wasted on a story about women fighting each other to become caged songbirds and trophy wives? It’s ridiculous that even with five episodes, the story still can’t make itself clear.” One reviewer even titled their piece:

“SIRENS: Is this show criticizing men or women?” (PS: Can we stop using gender conflict to chase clout and traffic?) So what’s the real issue here?

The problem lies in the subtle details—for instance, when Bruce asks, “Why is this house so big? How did you get it?”, the sunny, casually dressed male host replies, “This house has been passed down for generations.” And during the rehearsal dinner, when Kiki tells him to shift 15 centimeters to the right, he says, “But I’ve stood here my whole life.”

Of course, the plot is melodramatic. Kiki fears that Simone threatens her marriage—the world she’s painstakingly built. So she destroys Simone’s world. Simone understands the rules of the game and seizes power: leveraging her youth, ambition, and good heart, she commits one act of cruelty in exchange for a future of her own. You could blame the male lead—after all, he’s the one who holds the property. All he needs to do is play by the rules. For example, if he can’t cite infidelity as a reason for divorce, then having a loyal lackey remove the incriminating photo becomes critical. Once the threat is gone, he gets to keep his private wealth and choose whichever woman he wants.

We can certainly blame Simone. And after blaming Kiki, we might even start to pity her. And then, coming back around, we can blame the man. But the fact that this man’s wealth can be passed down for generations is the heart of it all. This isn’t just one drama within a family—it’s one episode in the larger story of private property. His descendants only need to follow the “law” to continue exploiting everyone beneath them, generation after generation. Everyone striving for an elite life must serve them, just like Kiki and Simone—two women from the same background, pitted against each other.

So blaming individual people is meaningless. You can’t expect people to always be humane. But society operates on systemic logic. And that logic demands we confront the real demon—not a person, but the structure of private ownership itself. This is a problem of property, of who owns what and how it perpetuates inequality.