Siren Review: Ryn Leads An Underwater Expedition
Rachel Foertsch
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Freeform's unique and innovative drama upped its game on Siren Season 2 Episode 11 and Siren Season 2 Episode 12.
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Siren had always been a good show, but ever since it kicked off the second half of Siren Season 2, it has become extraordinary.
Unless a show has a budget the size of DC's Aquaman, it doesn't seem possible for it to do justice to a plot that revolves around underwater beings such as mermaids.
There's so much to explore and so many places to go that the audience will always want to see more, both literally and figuratively.
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A Freeform series may not be able to pull off an entire episode set underwater with incredible CGI effects, but they managed to work around it and give viewers a taste of what life in the ocean is like.
Maddie: Ryn, what is this place?
Ryn: This is where Ryn began.
Ben: You were born here?
Ryn, Maddie, and Ben's underwater expedition expanded the world of Siren and took the audience far beyond Bristol Cove. And none of it would have been possible if it wasn't for Nicole and the rest of the military.
It's ironic how hard Ben and Maddie tried to keep Ryn away from the military when the military's interest in Ryn and desire to conduct experiments has increased the entertainment value of the show significantly.
Rather than having one unanswered question after another, the military has the means to find an explanation.
For instance, Ryn's siren song has been an enigma ever since Siren Season 1. The effects may not be lingering with Ben the way that they were, but viewers never got an answer as to why the song impacted him the way that it did.
Discovering that the song is made up of hundreds of different frequencies, which can all be isolated to create different effects is compelling in general, as well as for the story.
This many layered frequencies from one voice? How is that possible?
Ben
It was also interesting to realize that the song affects everyone differently. Ben and Maddie both experienced hallucinations, but they didn't experience the same things.
For one, I'm pretty sure it didn't make Ben try to kiss Xander.
When it comes to Xander's romantic life, it's complicated, to say the least.
No matter what Nicole did to him, she's the kind of person that you can't shake.
Xander: This feels good.
Nicole: What?
Xander: This. You and me. It almost feels...normal.
Nicole: I know what you mean.
Xander: I propose a toast. To this right here. To leaving all that crap in the past. And to honesty.
Nicole: To honesty.
We're excited for them to give their relationship another go, but the excitement did die a little when Nicole started watching a live feed of Ben, Maddie, and Ryn through a hidden camera.
Creepy much?
It was easy to be frustrated towards Ben for not trusting Nicole when she's continued to prove that she's on their side, but Ben was right for keeping his guard up.
I'm on your side. I need you to remember that.
Nicole
Despite her suspicious behavior, I still love Nicole, and she remains my favorite character on the series. It's Nicole's unpredictability that makes her such an intriguing individual, and the idea that she could be on either side keeps viewers in a state of constant wonder.
When it comes to Ryn's connection with Ben and Maddie, essentially everyone found out about the nature of their relationship.
Nicole: Ben and Maddie are very close to you. Very protective of you. Does your song have anything to do with that?
Ryn: Not just song. With Ben and Maddie it is more.
Nicole: More?
Ryn: Yes. Ryn loves Ben and Maddie. Ryn makes love with Ben and Maddie.
It's refreshing that Siren is addressing such a unique component to their show rather than brushing past it.
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It was even more refreshing that everyone's reactions to the polyamorous relationship was mostly positive.
Maddie's mom was completely unfazed by her bisexuality and only cared about Maddie being happy and healthy. Xander was more shocked that Ben and Maddie were with a mermaid than anything else.
We're in love. The three of us!
Maddie
Xander has done a substantial amount of growing since he first appeared on Siren Season 1, and the evolution of his character never ceases to amaze me.
He went from a person we didn't care about, to one we couldn't stand, to a person that we genuinely love and want the best for.
Can we just fact-check for a like a second? So the three of you are working with the military to get some genetic goo out of Ryn and inject it into Ryn's mom. And because of all of this, Ryn just went "beast mode." I mean, I'm sorry. But you all need to get your damn heads checked! That's just one's guys opinion, so...
Xander
It's not easy for him to interact with Levi, and we can't blame him for still having feelings of hostility towards him. But despite being a bit disgruntled, he handled the situation maturely and with merit.
Which also brings up the question, why did no one tell Xander where they were going?
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Ben and Maddie were spending the day on an underwater expedition to a magical healing land and they didn't think to clue Xander in?
It would probably come in handy next time to keep him in the loop about things like that. You never know when a merman is going to pop up for a free beer.
Stray Thoughts:
- Helen is right not to trust to Beth and to look into her parents' murder. Beth is a terrible character in general who randomly kidnaps her family members for the fun of it.
- Why is Nicole monitoring Ben, Maddie, and Ryn in the first place? What is she hoping to see?
- We're calling it right now. Ben's dad is going to use Klesco's videotape to stir up a lot of trouble and cause problems for the mermaids.
- Hopefully, Levi sticks around for a while. He and Ryn both provide a unique type of humor that the show uses to its advantage.
Overall, Siren Season 2 Episode 11 and Siren Season 2 Episode 12 were two of the best installments of Siren to date.
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It was the perfect blend of action, science, romance, and comedy, which is something very few shows can balance successfully.
It's your turn Siren fans. What did you think of Siren Season 2 Episode 11 and Siren Season 2 Episode 12?
Hit the comments section down below and let us know!
And don't forget that if you missed the episode, you can watch Siren online right here at TV Fanatic.
