The miniseries Sirens debuted in May, quickly making Netflix’s list of Top 10 most-watched shows. At first glance, preview images of beauty and a luxurious seaside estate may initially attract viewers looking to satiate their appetite for “wealth-porn”, but I found the series, based on Molly Smith Metzler’s 2011 play Elemeno Pea, has more to offer. In just five episodes, the drama between two estranged sisters highlights a growing reality for many Americans who must decide whether or not to seize economic opportunities – opportunities with a cost.
Sirens opens when one sister, Devon (Meghann Fahy), is struggling to care for their alcoholic father, recently diagnosed with early-onset dementia. She is furious to receive an edible arrangement from her absent sister Simone, the only reply to her call for help.
Simone (Milly Alcock) has left her life in Buffalo behind to pursue a perfectly curated lifestyle of elite luxury as the beloved assistant to Kiki (Julianne Moore), wife to the billionaire owner of the island estate where they all live. Simone’s every move is carefully considered, and it is clear her livelihood and relationships on the island depend on her ability to maintain appearances and remain in the favor of her employer. For many young women in particular, who often have more to lose and more to gain from their social performance, the stress of the character’s situation is immediately apparent.
The other sister may be more relatable for other viewers with a distaste for appeasing high society. When Devon arrives to demand her sister’s return to the family home, she grates against the island’s rules. This place demands self-restraint, conformism, money, and abandoning her vices (such as smoking on the property). She is critical of the island’s people who “all look like Easter eggs”. She slips into the tribalist temptation to villainize the “other”, which, in Sirens’, is formed by the rift between the characters’ social and economic classes.
After Simone asks her to leave the island and come home, Devon and Jose (Felix Solis), a member of the estate owner’s staff, get into a conversation about baseball. While their allegiances lie with different teams, they both hate the Chiefs. This mutual sports rivalry mimics their bond over their shared sense of being “other” to the island’s elite. Furthermore, Devon equates the power Kiki has over the women of the island to a cult, accusing Kiki of brainwashing her sister, and even murder.
As Siren‘s narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that each sister has embraced a different mindset in response to their traumatic childhood. Simone is a picture of American individualism who has left her past behind, adopting a new identity that allows her to take opportunities without being weighed down by family problems. Today, roughly one in two Americans is estranged from a close relative.
In Sirens, Simone’s separation stems from her father’s neglect, allowing her to focus on caring for herself. While reasons for estrangement differ, many young people are forced to consider concentrating on themselves and leaving family behind, or remaining close with family to the potential detriment of self-development.
Michelle Obama has spoken about the challenges individuals face on their journey to achieve upward mobility, particularly those from families of lesser means. She related the effort of leaving family to climbing Mount Everest, of which not everyone has the same capacity. She asks,
“One of the hardest things, when you discover that, I mean, do you stop, do you go back because there was one member that wasn’t ready? Or do you keep climbing and leave them where they are?”
[Spoiler alert.] While Simone’s decision to leave has propelled her economically, her life is one of transactional relationships, including the staff she manages, who openly cheer for her downfall. Devon urges her sister to reconsider her choices and reminds her that she has Simone’s back, not her new boss, and that she left college to return home to care for her when their parents couldn’t.
By the end of Sirens‘ final episode, neither sister is wholly villainized. Simone accepts an advantageous relationship and continues on her path of amassing personal power. She is reassured by Kiki, who says, “Let go of what no longer serves you.” Devon also stays true to her collectivist ideals, professing that she is proud of her decision to sacrifice herself for her family. She turns down an opportunity to escape with a handsome sailor and returns home to her sick father.
Viewers are left to consider the consequences of each sister’s choices and reflect on Sirens’ depiction of how American individualism often plays out in the lives of modern families. At such a precipice, which is the best choice?
Works Cited
Coleman, Joshua. “How Estrangement Has Become an Epidemic in America.” Time. 13 December 2024,
Jay Shetty Podcast. “MICHELLE OBAMA Opens Up On Her 8 Years In The White House: ‘We Know Too Much.” YouTube video. 8 January 2024