If you’re in need of the perfect summer binge-watch, consider yourself covered with Netflix’s Sirens. The five-part limited series—which is based on an original play titled Elmeno And written by the show’s creator Molly Smith Metzler—has all the makings of a juicy seasonal watch: a stacked cast, a sister-centric plot line rife with drama, and a dreamy setting of a picture-perfect coastal New England town.
Meghann Fahy and Milly Alcock co-star as sisters Devon and Simone DeWitt, who grew up in Buffalo, New York with an alcoholic father and deeply troubled mother. The series follows Simone, the younger of the two, as she aims to leave her traumatic past behind by assimilating into the world of the New England elite, working as the live-in assistant of a wealthy and demanding raptor conservationist named Michaela Kell, who is portrayed by Julianne Moore. Devon, however, isn’t on board with Simone’s new life as part of the one percent and is determined to save her litter sister from what she sees as less of a supportive community—and more of a cult.
Sirens is only five episodes long and its final episode leaves viewers with more than a few lingering questions. Ahead, we break down the ending of the limited series and what it really means.
What happens between Simone and Michaela?
Throughout the series, Michaela is constantly paranoid about whether or not her husband Peter Kell (Kevin Bacon) is loyal to her. Convinced he’s having an affair (when he’s really just trying to escape home to see his children from a previous marriage), she hires a private investigator to follow him and gather evidence in case a nasty divorce case is on the horizon. Simone is also ordered by Michaela to follow Peter to get intel on his whereabouts, and when she finally finds him—alone and fishing—she joins him and is surprised to hear about where and how he’s really been spending his time. When, at the end of their fishing excursion, Peter misreads the situation and kisses Simone, the private investigator captures a photo that ends up in the hands of Michaela. Once she discovers this, she fires Simone, sending her into a quick downward spiral.
What happens between Simone and Peter?
This is where it gets interesting. Distraught at the thought of having to return home to Buffalo to care for her ailing father who neglected her as a child, Simone goes to Peter for help. She reveals that she was sent to follow him and figure out his true whereabouts and also exposes that Michaela had sent a private investigator to follow him to gather evidence for a potential divorce. Now furious, Peter promises to ensure that Simone won’t be set home. Viewers then see Peter tell Michaela their marriage is over effective immediately and he ultimately kicks her out of their grandiose estate. Before Michaela leaves, she sees Simone come down the stairs dressed to the nines. She’s clearly ready to replace her not just as the evening’s host and head of the Wildlife Preservation Society, but also as Peter’s new partner. Well played, Simone.
Where does this all leave Devon and Simone?
By the end of the series, Devon realizes that Simone isn’t meant to return to Buffalo and a life of luxury is what she ultimately wants for herself. Devon says goodbye, trusts that her sister is doing what’s best for her, and returns home—via ferry—to New York. Devon forfeits the opportunity to sail along the coast with a gorgeous boat captain in order to take care of her ailing father. Being an eldest daughter isn’t for the weak.
So, are the women of Sirens…actual sirens?
The very last scene of the series sees Simone standing at the edge of a cliff on her newly secured estate, staring off into the ocean. Ominous music plays while the wind blows through her hair and her eyes appear laser focused on the horizon. While there isn’t anything in the show’s five episodes that blatantly proves Simone, Devon, or Michaela hold supernatural powers, Smith Metzler, the show’s creator, revealed what fans might take away from its premise and framing.
“Women—especially women like Michaela, Simone, and Devon—are villainized, or cast as seductresses, or they’re beautiful, or they’re cast as monsters, but who’s to say they’re the sirens? What is a monster?” the creator told Netflix’s Tudum. “In Greek mythology, the sirens are only described by the sailors. We don’t ever know the sirens’ point of view. So, even a show like this with these strong female roles, in the end, Peter’s point of view is very, very important. It was very intentional on our part, and I think it might cause some fun debate and comments.”
