Sirenshas several hallucination scenes and unexplained events throughout its five episodes, and the strange sequences actually have a much deeper meaning that becomes clear in the show’s ending.Sirens' cast of charactersis led by Devon (Meghann Fahy), Simone (Milly Alcock), and Michaela (Julianne Moore) as three women struggling to maintain control of their lives as their situation grows increasingly strange. Struggling to care for their ill father,Devon sets off to find her younger sister Simone, only to find her seemingly in a cult.
Simone’s life with Michaela is so different from her former life that Devon is immediately convinced that Michaela is a cult leader with strange powers, and her suspicions are only strengthened as she too gets closer to Michaela. As the series progresses, inexplicable things begin happening around the women while their hardships become increasingly laid bare. Interestingly,Sirens' endingnever explicitly confirms that there is something supernatural occurring. Instead, the series opts to give a more logical conclusion.
Sirens Didn’t Actually Have Supernatural Events
The Inexplicable Moments Weren’t Really Supernatural
There are a lot of unexplained moments inSirensthat border on the supernatural, andtheir mystery is part of what makes the miniseries such a compelling watch. As the story unfolds, viewers never know if what they are seeing is real, if the story is being altered by the characters' imperfect perception of events, or if Michaela, Devon, and Simone truly do have some sort of powers like thesirens of Greek mythology.
There are several clear examples ofSirens' supposed supernatural events, but at the end of the day,these events are more a reflection of each of the characters' inner states than they are actually supernatural. The clearest instance of this is Devon’s interaction with Michaela in the bathroom, where the two have a strange conversation aboutDevon and Simone’s mother. The conversation about her death is already quite difficult, but it is made even stranger by Devon suddenly waking up in the car with three of Michaela’s followers.
The moment implies that Michaela has some sort of supernatural pull over Devon, but in reality,the dream-like conversation is simply overwhelming to Devon because she has so much discomfort talking about her mother. Other events, like Simone’s visions, the men following Devon, or the bird flying into Michaela’s window, feel similarly supernatural, but they were actually just unfortunate coincidences compounded by the stress of the environment and the characters' pasts.
Sirens' Hallucination Scenes Are Symbolic Of Devon & Simone’s Trauma
The Seemingly Supernatural Events Are A Commentary On How The Women Are Villainized
The seemingly supernatural events inSirensand the show’s elements of Greek myth are actually much more meaningful when considered in the context of Devon and Simone’s past trauma. Scenes like the bathroom scene or Simone’s breakdown are better understood as diving into the way the characters see their own pasts. As the caretaker for her family,Devon hallucinates a conversation that outlines how hard her mother’s death was on her. Likewise, Simone’s visions show that her life is much more difficult than she lets others know.
From an outsider’s perspective, Devon sees Michaela as a cult leader, believing that Michaela had some sort of power over others.
While audiences learn significantly less about Michaela, the same is also true for her. Her house and her marriage seem perfect from the outside, butshe hints that she also came from a working-class background and has had to fight for her statusat every turn. From an outsider’s perspective, Devon sees Michaela as a cult leader, believing that Michaela had some sort of power over others. Thus, when Devon finally learns that Michaela is just a woman, like her, and has also been hurt in the past, it feels much more realistic, but is harder to face.
InSirens' ending, Devon admits that she does not see Michaela as a monster. Michaela likewise assures Devon that Simone is not a monster either, creating an understanding that each of the decisions they were pushed to make were responses to trauma they have experienced, and the same is true for their hallucinations. Though it is entertaining to viewSirensas having a supernatural element, in a way, the inexplicable elements are actually even more useful as a metric to explore the characters' lives, and the ending finally allows Devon to see her surroundings clearly.
