The meaning of the Netflix show can be explained by delving into Greek mythology: who are the Sirens in the series?
Sirens landed on Netflix in May 2025 and immediately captivated audiences. The series stars Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon, Milly Alcock, Meghann Fahy and Bill Camp. Its gripping plot unfolds slowly before our eyes, allowing the characters to evolve and reveal their personalities gradually. And viewers are rightly asking: why is the series titled Sirens? What is the meaning behind this choice, and why is Greek mythology involved after all?
There are three main female characters in Sirens: Michaela, also known as Kiki, the wife of Peter Kell; his personal assistant, Simone; and Simone’s older sister, Devon. Kiki is a woman who has reached a position of power in society: wealthy, adored by everyone, and free to make all the decisions. Simone works for her but, in some ways, shares that same power, as she is the one who gives orders to the entire staff. Devon is the most unfortunate of the three — the sister who stayed behind to care for their depressed father and who is frequently arrested due to her out-of-control lifestyle.
In what way can these three characters be interpreted as sirens? In Greek mythology, Sirens are mythical creatures known for their enchanting voices and irresistible songs that lured sailors to their doom. From the perspective of the authors of the texts surrounding that myth, the Sirens represented temptation: if men followed their song, they would fall victim to it. However, if we delve deeper into the origin of the Siren myth, we discover that they are, in fact, the result of a divine punishment: the gods transformed them into non-human creatures for failing to fulfill their duties as mortals. The Sirens were exiled to remote islands, where they spent their lives trying to seduce men out of an eternal, tragic desire for companionship, to fill the void left by their loss.
This is the perspective that explains the meaning of the Sirens in the Netflix series, and it’s the show’s creator, Molly Smith Metzler, who clarifies it in this article on Netflix Tudum: “In Greek mythology, the sirens are only described by the sailors. We don’t ever know the sirens’ point of view.” In the series, the female characters each attempt to seduce men—who symbolize power—in their own way. Michaela becomes Peter’s wife after somehow pushing his first wife out of the picture. She takes her place and becomes the queen of Peter’s life, even driving a wedge between him and his children. It could be said that Michaela uses her femininity to capture the man in her web and claim his power for herself. And that is precisely what Simone manages to do by the end of the series.
From this perspective, Devon can be seen as a woman who failed to become a Siren. Like Michaela and Simone, she secretly desires power and wealth, but she maintains a sense of dignity that prevents her from compromising her moral principles to achieve them. Devon seduces men not to gain power, but as a way to fight her own addictions and inner turmoil. She is a seductress, yes, but she tries to remain honest—with others and with herself—staying by the side of her ailing father.
There are other Sirens in the Netflix series as well. There are the three women around Michaela, who naturally use their femininity to gain favor—and access to the men’s power structures. But there is also Peter’s first wife, Jocelyn: she ends up with a disfigured face after trying to preserve her seductive powers through plastic surgery. By the end of the series, the true villain of Sirens appears to be Simone: in less than a day, she steals the spotlight from Michaela and takes her place, becoming the new “Mrs. Kell” right before everyone’s eyes.
However, the real question is: are the Sirens the true villains of the series, or are they ultimately victims of men’s power? This is the reflection that the Netflix series tries to suggest, and the true meaning of Sirens: one can become a monster because the environment forces them to resort to controversial means to survive. Women like Devon and Simone probably have to turn to alternative solutions to find fulfillment in life after a terrible childhood. Perhaps Simone becomes a ruthless Siren because the male-dominated society gave her no real alternative to pursue her aspirations with dignity. And maybe Michaela is a victim in the same way—cast down from her pedestal by Peter’s sudden choice. Who is the villain in Sirens, and who is the victim?
