Kiersten Brown
Professor Pressman
ECL 305
4/14/24

Siren: Discovery

The Freeform series Siren depicts mermaids as frightening predators. Siren contrasts the town’s celebration and folklore of mermaids as romantic and docile, shown in their Mermaid Days annual event. With the reality of the mermaids off their coast who are, as their leader Ryn shows, animal-like. Mermaids are not the romanticized version the people of Bristol Cove have created for their own fantasies. This show shows mermaids as creatures of nature and the ocean, not creatures of human culture or creativity. This thus serves as a reminder that mermaids are fierce creatures of the ocean, not human entertainment or fantasies. I see that this narrative is evident through the main character Ryn, who, despite her innocent and helpless appearance, is actually strong and violent. As this mermaid is navigating her new pair of legs in episode one, we see how this narrative that Bristol Cove has created about mermaids being weak and docile, is false.
In the first episode of Siren we can see how this fierceness of Ryn is portrayed, fending for herself in this new world and environment. Ryn’s depiction and behavior is breaking the narrative that Bristol Cove has created around mermaids, as they are celebrated in the annual parade, and are portrayed as innocent, blond blue-eyed, ignorant, and romanticized in general. The history of mermaids in Bristol Cove is the lore that the founder of the town fell in love with a mermaid, painting the picture that she was obedient and docile to him. This is shown with the parade celebration, as well as the statue built for the founder with the mermaid sitting at his feet, as if she is worshiping him and docile. This “love story” described between the mermaid and the founder turns out to be quite false, as he was obsessed and fascinated by her, which we find out at the end of episode one. As the episode goes on this idea of mermaids being docile and tame to humans is proven to be quite untrue, as Ryn cannot be tamed or controlled by the men around her. She refuses help from the other main character Ben, and anyone else who approaches her. Ryn’s true nature is portrayed through her actions, first killing the man who tried to assault her, and navigating the human world on her own without the reliance on a man to save her. When she killed the man in the car, blood splattered everywhere, depicting more of an animal-like kill, showing Ryn’s true nature and connection with nature. This narrative that the show Siren shows is how mermaids are independent and cannot be held down by humans or men, like the people of Bristol Cove have come to believe.
One of the most interesting portrayals of mermaids in “Siren” is the depiction of Ryn’s transformation from human to mermaid. While the town celebrates the depiction of mermaids to emphasize the beauty of a mermaid, Ryn’s transformation is depicted as almost demonic and is honestly disturbing to watch. Her tail, for example, is far from being covered with shells and pearls as it has more of an animal-like appearance, which further reinforces the show’s narrative of the connection between animals/nature with mermaids. This depiction is somewhat of a visual narrative for the untamed nature of mermaids, emphasizing not only their strength and capability of violence, but also showing their connection to being creatures of the ocean. We also see this as the sea lions suddenly growl and screech when they see/sense Ryn, they can sense the predator that she is as they escape into the water. She is an animal from the ocean, a big predator and threat to those creatures who dwell there as well. Not only this, but the imagery of Ryn’s transformation is more animal-like, and is also shown as very painful. Ryn is slowly dying, as she is separated from the water, also furthering the mermaid connection and need for the ocean. Not only does she rely on it to survive, but it is a part of who she is. She is not meant to be out of the water and live with humans, she is meant to be in the ocean preying on animals and sea creatures. As Ryn changes, it is not a beautiful image of her shifting from human to mermaid, but is a quite painful scene to watch. Depictions of her feet being sewn back into her tail, fins breaking the skin of her back to form, and her teeth morphing into sharp fangs, all animal like depictions. These images show the savage-like characteristics of mermaids, and that they are predators of the ocean.
Siren depicts Ryn as an animal-like predator, and someone to be feared. Throughout episode one, Ben is the only person who is genuinely trying to help Ryn. Before he realizes what she is, he also views her exterior as harmless and innocent. He learns this is not true, as when he jumps into the water to try to save her assuming that she is helpless and weak. Her exterior is deceiving to him and others, as it seems that she is lost and cannot speak english, he feels inclined to save or help her. As he jumps in he immediately sees her mermaid form, not as inviting as her human one. She sees him and attacks, going into her predatory mode and shifts from quiet and innocent, to violent. Although Ben did nothing to hurt or provoke her, it was as if she forgot his kindness before, and attacked – quite literally like a rabid animal. This depiction of Ryn further supports the narrative of mermaids the show Siren is trying to provoke: That they are animals and creatures of the ocean, not lovers and worshipers of humans that the town assumes. Humans are their prey in the ocean, nothing more than that. Once Ben escapes the water, with a bite on his neck from Ryn, he realizes just what he was dealing with. This new narrative of mermaids challenges all Ben has ever known of them, all the stories and folklore from his town proven to be false. The narrative of mermaids being beautiful tame creatures and lovers proves to be quite false, his ancestor was not telling the truth. As Ben was taken by Ryn’s siren song, he describes to her that it had been stuck with him since she sang it to him. This is showing the power of manipulation that Ryn holds as well, furthering the power she has over him and others. This has Ben questioning everything he’s ever known, and provoking new ideas and conceptions of mermaids.
Through the character of Ryn, Siren shows that mermaids are not tame and beautiful creatures, and instead the show presents mermaids as frightening predators. They are creatures that are capable of violence and murder. Ryn might have been seen as harmless in her human form, but the minute she hit the water she was no longer the prey, but she was the predator. The show Siren was able to portray that mermaids are a part of nature and the ocean, as they rely on it to survive. Ryn was strong, independent, and violent. She did not need a man to save her or the assistance of others, as she kept running away from Ben’s help. She was self-sufficient and able to take care of herself, although she didn’t quite know how to navigate the human world, she did not need the protection of a human or a man. By taking away the romanticized notions that Bristol Cove had of mermaids, and emphasizing the primal nature of the creatures, Siren offers an interesting interpretation of this mythological creature, one that resonates with themes of power, violence, and the relates them to the untamed wilderness of the Ocean.