Previous Episodes Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

Nothing beyond S02.E12 in here please.

[paulvdb]

Pilot screening for Siren at New York Comic Con on October 7

Quote

New original series Siren will present its first episode in its entirety to the crowd, followed by a Q&A with cast and executive producers starting at 4pm in Room 1A06.

There will probably be articles and reviews about the pilot after that screening. Use the spoiler thread to discuss any spoilers from the pilot. That means anything ecept the basic premise of the show. I'm quoting that basic premise from the linked article so that you can easily figure out if what you want to post is a spoiler.

Quote

What if there was something sinister swimming beneath the sea’s surface? In Freeform’s new original drama Siren, the coastal town of Bristol Cove, known for its legend of once being home to mermaids, is turned upside down when a mysterious girl (Eline Powell) appears and begins wreaking havoc upon the quaint village. Using their resources, marine biologists Ben (Alex Roe) and Maddie (Fola Evans-Akingbola) must work together to find out who and what drove this mermaid out of her home, and are there more like her out there?

[paulvdb]

FREEFORM DECLARES MARCH 29 INTERNATIONAL MERMAID DAY WITH THE PREMIERE OF NEW ORIGINAL DRAMA, 'SIREN,' AT 8 P.M. EDT
 

Quote

"Siren" will premiere on THURSDAY, MARCH 29, with a special two-hour episode (8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT).

Also announced during today's panel was the casting of Aylya Marzoff ("Grandfathered") and Sedale Threatt Jr. ("Hap and Leonard") who will both join the cast in recurring roles.

[paulvdb]

Breaking News from Freeform's First-Ever Freeform Summit

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UPCOMING MERMAID DRAMA 'SIREN' RELEASES NEW TEASER TRAILER & FIRST CAST PHOTO

[sarkygal]

Yeah, I'm in. Pretty decent pilot. The lead actor could be stronger, but the mermaid actress is killing it.

[Mystery Author]

2 hours ago, sarkygal said:

but the mermaid actress is killing it.

Yeah, but too many illogical flaws. Why must a pilot throw everything but the kitchen sink at a viewer?

[Dream Boy]

I'm in as well and agreed on the main mermaid actress. She's selling me on it alone lol 

[Gwen-Stacys]

I like it so far. I love that they're making the mermaid out to be what she is, a deadly, highly intelligent predator and not some lovesick girl with a tail.

Calling it now, main guy's girlfriend is a mermaid hybrid and her missing mom is a mermaid that went back home (to the sea).

[UNOSEZ]

2 hours ago, Gwen-Stacys said:

I like it so far. I love that they're making the mermaid out to be what she is, a deadly, highly intelligent predator and not some lovesick girl with a tail.

Calling it now, main guy's girlfriend is a mermaid hybrid and her missing mom is a mermaid that went back home (to the sea).

I was thinking something along those lines.. As adult as it got.. Its still a fantasy show on freeform... Plus dropping that mom disappeared a while ago is pretty standard genre tactic... 

[DearEvette]

3 hours ago, Dream Boy said:

I'm in as well and agreed on the main mermaid actress. She's selling me on it alone lol 

Yes!

 

2 hours ago, Gwen-Stacys said:

I like it so far. I love that they're making the mermaid out to be what she is, a deadly, highly intelligent predator and not some lovesick girl with a tail.

Calling it now, main guy's girlfriend is a mermaid hybrid and her missing mom is a mermaid that went back home (to the sea).

Double Yes!  I especially liked that when she reverted back to her native form she did not care that guy in water was nice guy who helped her -- he was lower on the food chain and he was prey.  I hope that continues.

And I immediately headwanked that Mermaid Sestra was Maddie's "missing" mom.

I enjoyed it and like that it is rather dark.  Not fluffy at all.  I also love the sense of place for the setting.

The casting is excellent -- firstly for the diversity.  Yay!  Maddie, Captured mermaid, Xander,  and the captain of the fishing boat are all of African descent. Maddie's dad is Native American.  And Calvin and the guy who is entranced by captured mermaid are Asian.  Also main actress looks th part so well.  She has such distinct features, she really looks like she is otherworldly.  Same thing with Maddie if she really is a hybrid.  There is just something about her features as well.

[UNOSEZ]

1 hour ago, DearEvette said:

Same thing with Maddie if she really is a hybrid.  There is just something about her features as well.

Cheekbones... 

[AnimeMania]

Why would a marine researcher have such a crappy aquarium?

[Zanne]

9 hours ago, Gwen-Stacys said:

Calling it now, main guy's girlfriend is a mermaid hybrid and her missing mom is a mermaid that went back home (to the sea).

 

5 hours ago, DearEvette said:

And I immediately headwanked that Mermaid Sestra was Maddie's "missing" mom.

I agree that I was thinking the captured mermaid was going to turn out to be the missing mom. I also thought the main guy's mom who is in the wheelchair might have mermaid blood and the reason she couldn't walk was due to that fact somehow.

Edited March 30, 2018 by Zanne

[UNOSEZ]

Well looks like we all agree.. Someone else...be it his mom or girlfriend is at least part mermaid

[DearEvette]

1 hour ago, Zanne said:

I also thought the main guy's mom who is in the wheelchair might have mermaid blood and the reason she couldn't walk was due to that fact somehow.

Ooh, that's a good one.  I didn't even think of that one.  I did think of Checkov's wheelchair, cynically believing it has some significance.  But then I thought .. benefit of the doubt... maybe they are just trying to be inclusive repping a character with a disability without any ulterior plot motive?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Dale and the local police's investigation starts pointing directly to Ryn. Meanwhile Xander and Calvin's search for Chris heats up when they locate the nurse who works at the military bunker.

 

[paulvdb]

This was much better than I expected. My expectations were low but I enjoyed it very much.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Man, Ben's dad is such an ingrate. Since his wife is in a wheelchair, her $600 shoes will never get scuffed!

I hope Maddie didn't kill Helen. She was the only one in town who was sympathetic to the mermaid plight before Ben discovered Ryn.

I agree that it was nice to see some diversity in the cast. Hopefully they won't all be killed off in the next few weeks.

I like that Ryn in mermaid form is all instinct. I guess it's sort of like we've seen werewolves portrayed - when they turn into their other form, they are different from their human counterparts.

[IntoTheMystic]

I am SO in.

I keep trying to get into every single sci-fi show that drops because I've been looking for something to fill the Buffy the Vampire Slayer void since the series ended ... Siren doesn't come close to Buffy YET, but I'm in. I really liked it. The lead mermaid is amazing and absolutely gorgeous.

[Jadzia]

On 3/30/2018 at 12:36 PM, DearEvette said:

Also main actress looks th part so well.  She has such distinct features, she really looks like she is otherworldly.  Same thing with Maddie if she really is a hybrid.  There is just something about her features as well.

She reminds me a lot of Bjork. If they ever make a movie about Bjork, they should cast her.

I also was thinking that the mom in the wheelchair may have been a former Mermaid just because it reminded me of original Hans Christian Andersen Little Mermaid story where she could have human legs but felt terrible pain when she walked.

I was also really surprised by how much I enjoyed this show. It's not high art, but it was fun and held my interest.

[tennisgurl]

I agree with what everyone else has said. The actress playing the mermaid is just killing it, and she really has a very distinct look. Very beautiful, but also otherworldly and intense. Those eyes! I would keep watching just for her alone. I also love that she is a deadly predator, instead of a giggling Disney princess. Not that I mind the Disney mermaid version, but this version is cool to focus a show around. The original mermaid tails (pun intended) often had very dark versions of mermaids after all. 

The rest of the actors seem solid enough, and I also am glad that the show has a pretty diverse cast, with a lot of character actor types who I recognize from other stuff. And, yep, I wondered about Maddie and her disappeared mom too. The story about the man falling for a mermaid and then her disappearing might have been foreshadowing. I didn't consider the mom, but that would certainly be an interesting twist, especially with the family history stuff.  

I also really enjoy the atmosphere of the town, it really has a very small fishing town kind of vibe. Very strong sense of place. 

Its got some kinks to work out, but I think it has a lot of promise. 

[AngelKitty]

I liked it. As long as there aren't too many stupid guy bar fights.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

When I was at the taco truck tonight, the girl behind me in line was talking about the show with her boyfriend (she had watched it, he hadn't). I don't know what the ratings are like, but it seems like a good sign that a 20 something girl in he parking lot of a bar was talking about the show!

[paulvdb]

14 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I don't know what the ratings are like

Ratings were decent by Freeform standards, The first hour got 872,000 viewers and 0.30 A18-49. The second hour got 869,000 viewers and 0.30 A18-49 so it looks like viewers stayed for the whole two hours. That means that viewers must have liked it or else the ratings for the second hour would have been lower with people changing the channel or turning off their tv.

[paulvdb]

Freeform press release about the L+3 ratings for the premiere

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The 2-hour debut of "Siren" (March 29, 2018, 8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT) ranked as Freeform's biggest drama launch in more than 2 years among Total Viewers (1.540 million), Adults 18-49 (743,000/0.58 rating), Women 18-49 (483,000/0.75 rating), Adults 18-34 (396,000/0.57 rating), Women 18-34 (279,000/0.80 rating) and Persons 12-34 (510,000/0.54 rating) - since "Shadowhunters" on 1/12/16.

[enchantingmonkey]

The reviews I read were the lure but Eline Powell is what hooked me.  As others have said, she's owning this show.  Alex Roe is passable as a male lead, although he does come to life a bit more when sharing a scene with Powell.  

This could be a fin exploration of other-ness.  

Deadline reports that the show scored FreeForm its highest ratings in 2 years, and did well across social media platforms.  

[UNOSEZ]

Another strong episode.. Tho I wish it was another 2 partner.. Because I can tell this was a bit of a set up episode for more of the series.... Run us trapping Ben and Maddie in her song... So now we find out we don't know where either of Maddie 's parents are from or where they are... Hmmm

[calliope1975]

I'm getting polyamory/threesome vibes from this show, and I'm okay with that. 

[HunterHunted]

It was a bit of a set up episode, but I'm fine with it. Plus, I'm actually shocked how close Team Mermaid came to finding Chris. They know he's in a military base, but now they need to find a way in. And luckily in the military base, testing has slowed down. Have they even fed the poor mermaid? They kept talking about her being listless and I wondered if they'd fed her. Plus she's in a cramped tank. Of course, she's listless.

1 hour ago, calliope1975 said:

I'm getting polyamory/threesome vibes from this show, and I'm okay with that. 

Yeah, it totally freaked me out, but in the best possible way.

Edited April 6, 2018 by HunterHunted

[tennisgurl]

One day your a normal small town marine biologist, and the next, your five minutes from a polygamous relationship with your significant other and a fish woman. I can totally get behind this. 

[steelyis]

4 hours ago, calliope1975 said:

I'm getting polyamory/threesome vibes from this show, and I'm okay with that. 

 Oh my, yes.

[wayne67]

Xander is really grating on my last nerve, all he does is complain and freak out. 

I can't tell where Rin is developmentally, she bounces between unsure child, rebellious teenager and serial killer mode. 

I liked the low key scientific examination of Rin, it's nice to get some curiosity from the main characters about a mythological creature, something greatly missing from shows like Teen Wolf. 

[UNOSEZ]

I'm not sure if its polyamory I'm sensing... At least not with Ryn and Maddie... Its clear she's at least intrigued by Ben... But with Maddie its like she's searching for something... Could be she just misses her sister.. Also I sensed some jealousy from Ryn whenever Ben remembers he's with Maddie... Who's taking all the longing looks and touching and general bugged out behavior pretty well

[ElectricBoogaloo]

9 hours ago, UNOSEZ said:

So now we find out we don't know where either of Maddie 's parents are from or where they are... Hmmm

I must have missed this. I remember that last week, Maddie said her mom had been gone for eight or nine months but what did I miss about her dad not being her real dad?

[paulvdb]

She mentioned in this episode that he is her stepfather.

[UNOSEZ]

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I must have missed this. I remember that last week, Maddie said her mom had been gone for eight or nine months but what did I miss about her dad not being her real dad?

The sheriff is her stepfather... Miss Hawkins when talking about legends and what not said she was raised by a Haida man... And then either she or someone else referred to Maddie as his stepdaughter 

[HunterHunted]

7 hours ago, wayne67 said:

Xander is really grating on my last nerve, all he does is complain and freak out.

To each their own. Calvin bugs the shit out of me. He's all anger and impulsive decisions. First, he wants them to accost the nurse at her home. Then, he wants to break into the heavily fortified base despite knowing nothing about.  He's angry that Xander didn't have a conversation with the nurse when she calls even though the smarter play is to play it off like a wrong number. Finally, he flips out again when Xander says they should wait to try to get info from the nurse when she gets back. Additionally, he was super pissed about showing the beacon to Ben despite having absolutely no clue what it was and how to use it to track Chris. He's less a character than a walking impediment and antagonism generator. He's just going to be there to frustrate the progress of Team Mermaid because that's what the character does.

7 hours ago, wayne67 said:

I can't tell where Rin is developmentally, she bounces between unsure child, rebellious teenager and serial killer mode. 

I liked the low key scientific examination of Rin, it's nice to get some curiosity from the main characters about a mythological creature, something greatly missing from shows like Teen Wolf. 

I think Ryn makes sense. She's as intelligent as a human, but has never had her survival or predatory instincts dulled.

I love the scientific exploration of Ryn. Shows like Teen Wolf were shockingly uninterested in this. 

[AnimeMania]

13 hours ago, calliope1975 said:

I'm getting polyamory/threesome vibes from this show, and I'm okay with that. 

I was wondering if Ryn was doing some kind of "Siren Song" that makes men and "maybe" women attracted to mermaids.

It would be funny if mermaids main food source were humans.

[Luckylyn]

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I like this show.

I have one concern and that’s on the issue of consent.  Ryn has the ability to compel people and her sister has the same skill.  That is the trademark of a siren.  So if someone were to have sex with a siren would it be rape?  Ben nearly kissed Ryn in front of his girlfriend because of her power to draw people to her.   He was able to shake off Ryn’s control and stop the kiss, but what if he had not been able to do that?  Maddie clearly didn’t blame him for being drawn to Ryn.  She didn’t seem to blame Ryn either and Maddie is approaching the situation in a more scientific way.  She clearly sees it as an extension of Ryn’s power and Maddie herself has experienced Ryn’s pull.  I won’t be able to get on board with any romance for the character if the issue of consent is not clearly dealt with.   It’s like on Torchwood when Owen used the alien spray to seduce people into bed and the writers on the show disturbingly didn’t seem to comprehend that was rape because the spray made the victims enjoy the experience.   Frankly, I think sex against your will that your rapist made you enjoy is pretty psychologically damaging.   This show should not ignore that issue.

If it’s clear that Ben and/or Maddie are truly consenting and not just being compelled than some sort of polyamorous situation would be an original take instead of some sort of triangle.  I really like this cast and look forward to where this show goes.

[tennisgurl]

I really like how Maddie and Ben are coming at this from a scientific perspective, and not just a magical one. They both see this as an amazing scientific discovery, and want to learn more about this new, sentient species they discovered, which certainly makes sense coming from people who are in marine biology, but its not something you often see when normal people come across mystical creatures in these kinds of stories. And its good to see how more ethical scientists would treat meeting someone like Ryn, unlike the scientists who took Ryns sister and are doing painful experiments on her. 

I do wonder if mermaids have any real concept of sexual orientation, or dating, or anything like that? I mean, they're fish people after all, they dont usually have all the same parts that we do in their natural habitat. Maybe in mermaid culture, its totally normal to meet a nice couple and start dating them both? I still keep giggling over Ryn just crawling into bed with Maddie and Ben, and snuggling in, and they're both like "well...ok" and just go to sleep. 

1 hour ago, Luckylyn said:

I have one concern and that’s on the issue of consent.

I think it would be really interesting of the show got into that, especially if Ryn used her siren song powers on Ben and/or Maddie and things went further. She probably wouldn't think much about it, but I can see this leading into an interesting discussion about consent.

[Tress]

Man, I loved this pilot.  I didn't realize that there were other episodes out already, wow.  'Can't wait to see them.  It reminded me so much of "American Werewolf in London" which I loved!

[enchantingmonkey]

Poor Ryn.  Those silly humans are trying to poison her mind with concepts like trust and love.  Run for the water, Ryn!  There's nothing to see here!  

Xander and Calvin made a better comedy team than I expected.  And, I appreciated that Xander admitted that he didn't really know what he's doing.  That sounds like every day of my life.  Thank you, Xander.

Also enjoyed Ben's brother asking how their relationship became strained, as that would be something a brother would feel and a fine attempt at emotional manipulation.  Was it emotional manipulation?  

Edited April 7, 2018 by enchantingmonkey
Because I can't keep names straight, yet.

[wayne67]

13 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

To each their own. Calvin bugs the shit out of me. He's all anger and impulsive decisions. First, he wants them to accost the nurse at her home. Then, he wants to break into the heavily fortified base despite knowing nothing about.  He's angry that Xander didn't have a conversation with the nurse when she calls even though the smarter play is to play it off like a wrong number. Finally, he flips out again when Xander says they should wait to try to get info from the nurse when she gets back. Additionally, he was super pissed about showing the beacon to Ben despite having absolutely no clue what it was and how to use it to track Chris. He's less a character than a walking impediment and antagonism generator. He's just going to be there to frustrate the progress of Team Mermaid because that's what the character does.

I think Ryn makes sense. She's as intelligent as a human, but has never had her survival or predatory instincts dulled.

I love the scientific exploration of Ryn. Shows like Teen Wolf were shockingly uninterested in this. 

Woops my bad, I meant Calvin, I guess I should learn the character's name or use descriptors. ITA on all the points you bring up. 

[AngelKitty]

17 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

Calvin bugs the shit out of me. He's all anger and impulsive decisions.

 

3 hours ago, wayne67 said:

He's just going to be there to frustrate the progress of Team Mermaid because that's what the character does.

He really is annoying. I find myself yelling at him to just shut up.

 

12 hours ago, Luckylyn said:

I have one concern and that’s on the issue of consent.  Ryn has the ability to compel people and her sister has the same skill.  That is the trademark of a siren.  So if someone were to have sex with a siren would it be rape?

Yes, yes it is.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

21 hours ago, UNOSEZ said:

The sheriff is her stepfather... Miss Hawkins when talking about legends and what not said she was raised by a Haida man... And then either she or someone else referred to Maddie as his stepdaughter 

Ha, I thought Miss Hawkins said, "Don't let your stepbrother hear you say that," and I thought wait, what stepbrother? I assumed that there would be more backstory on her family in a later episode and we would learn about this mysterious stepbrother. I just checked the episode transcript and she actually said stepfather so that makes more sense now! I'm strangely disappointed knowing that the sheriff isn't her bio dad, but they have such a great relationship that it doesn't matter if they're blood related.

[HunterHunted]

5 hours ago, wayne67 said:

Woops my bad, I meant Calvin, I guess I should learn the character's name or use descriptors. ITA on all the points you bring up. 

I figured you might have meant Calvin. I had to look up his name. He's just so grating and loud. "Look at me. Look at me! I hate your plan!" Ugh. Thanks Calvin. 

9 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Ha, I thought Miss Hawkins said, "Don't let your stepbrother hear you say that," and I thought wait, what stepbrother? I assumed that there would be more backstory on her family in a later episode and we would learn about this mysterious stepbrother. I just checked the episode transcript and she actually said stepfather so that makes more sense now! I'm strangely disappointed knowing that the sheriff isn't her bio dad, but they have such a great relationship that it doesn't matter if they're blood related.

They do have a great relationship. It's becoming more common that we see narratives where step families get along well, but that old Grimm fairytale trope always makes me surprised when I see it. Sometimes it is hard to let go of cliches.

[BooBear]

12 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I really like how Maddie and Ben are coming at this from a scientific perspective, and not just a magical one.

I just like the way that Maddie and Ben are coming at this. It is clearly them as a team wanting to help Ryn and also explore her scientifically. Typically on a show like this it would devolve into a romance with the guy and Ryn but I get the feeling that even if those two had sex Maddie might not see it as any big betrayal. She is in this too and there are bigger things happening here.  It is an interesting issue about potential rape especially since both Maddie and Ben are being established as being devoted to each other.  I do wonder if the show will go there or just hint at it.  I wonder if the show will have them trying to teach Ryn about wrong and right in the human world. 

[enchantingmonkey]

2 hours ago, BooBear said:

I wonder if the show will have them trying to teach Ryn about wrong and right in the human world. 

They've already started.  Ben told her she shouldn't hurt people after she threw Maddie across the room, and questioning Ryn about the guy in the car was likely headed in a similar direction.  

It seemed like Maddie may have excused the slaying of the guy in the car after she realized he was sexually assaulting Ryn.   

[DearEvette]

15 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Maybe in mermaid culture, its totally normal to meet a nice couple and start dating them both? I still keep giggling over Ryn just crawling into bed with Maddie and Ben, and snuggling in, and they're both like "well...ok" and just go to sleep. 

Ha!  Yes.  My own reaction, was 'Well, ok" as well.  And I loved the expression on their faces.

So far I like everyone  -- with possibly the exception of Ben's parents who seem like they come out of the "WASPy restrained rich people with murky motives" central casting.    And Yeah, Calvin is a piece of work, but Xander is fab and tempers him a bit.  But I am enjoying their side plot following up on Chris.  I also wish they'll break Helen out of her role as Mermaid Whisperer and person who drops ominous hints.  I want to know more about her background.  We are getting the idea that there is some friction between her and Ben's family. 

The Admiral is standard fare government villain.  I had to roll my eyes at his "Keep this project on track and keep her alive.!"  Dude, he just told you that she was probably dying with the aggressive pace of the project. I hate people like that who make impossible demands . I am liking the main guy who is overseeing Sister Mermaid -- I think his name is Aldon?.  Has he been mind-wooed by her or is his onset of conscience his own doing?  Hopefully he'll go rogue -- or more rogue than he went in this episode.  At any rate, I really want Sister Mermaid out of the tank!  I cant imagine it is a very stimulating acting challenge for the actress but I do appreciate they are making them so super intelligent.  Also,  I just want to see Ryn interact with her own kind.  I love the little throwaway that there are many of them.  Maybe we'll see some other sisters, brothers and cousins.

I think Ben, Maddie and Ryn make a very strong central group.  I agree the writing for them is really good and doesn't seem cliche. I would hate for it to devolve into a romantic melodrama.  I like the complexity they've introduced into that relationship.  Let's just say I am not opposed to some intra-species threesome.

Really enjoying this so far.

[walnutqueen]

I'm so glad I decided to record this, without knowing anything about it.  The second I saw the familiar scenery of my true home, I was all in (I just cannot resist the siren call of my beautiful B.C.).  The story so far is interesting, and I'm enjoying the ride.