Warning! Spoilers for Sirens ahead!

Sirens' title relates to the alluring monsters of Greek mythology, and this profoundly connects to Simone, Devon, and Michaela's stories. Though the Netflix series is a dark comedy, it tackles some rather complex themes revolving around the way women's actions are viewed by society. There's an observable trend within each female character's story, which stands in stark contrast with those of the men. To both mislead audiences and drive this point home, Sirens leans heavily on the age-old idea of the seductive, monstrous women who lure men to their deaths on the rocky shores.

At the start of Sirens, Devon (Meghann Fahy) became suspicious of her sister Simone's (Milly Alcock) boss, believing her to be a cult leader and murderer. The boss in question, Michaela (Julianne Moore), undoubtedly had a unique hold over people, and her relationship with Simone was inappropriate. However, when Sirens' ending, Michaela answered that Simone isn't a monster either.

Simone, Devon & Michaela's Stories Reflect How Women Are Vilified Compared To Men

Only The Women Of Sirens Were Called Monsters

The primary question throughout Sirens appeared to be whether Michaela, Simone, or Devon herself was the real monster—the titular siren. At one point or another throughout the series' five episodes, each of these female characters seemed to be a sort of siren who lured a man to her. Devon was even followed across the beach by three separate men who seemed to be under her spell. However, in truth, neither Devon, Simone, nor even Michaela was ever a monstrous seductress. They were simply blamed for the men's poor choices.

Michaela is meant to be the most obvious monster in Sirens. It's revealed that Peter had an affair with Michaela during his first marriage, which meant the whole of Cliff House saw her as the terrible "other woman." Peter allowed the staff and his own children to treat Michaela like the enemy, and, eventually, he came to see her as a monster as well. No one (especially Peter himself) stopped to consider Peter's role in all this. His behavior was excused, while Michaela was blamed.

Similarly, Raymond blamed Devon for ruining his life in Sirens when his wife found out that he had been having an affair. He called her a monster and claimed that she was the reason for everything that had gone wrong for him since his golden days in high school. Sure, Devon made bad decisions, and she chose to sleep with a married man. However, she took responsibility for those choices, while Ray ignored his own wrongdoing and identified Devon as the heartless monster.

Then, of course, there is Simone. Ethan called Simone a monster and blamed her for his fall off the cliff, even though he had completely sabotaged their relationship. Then, at the end of Sirens, Simone stole Michaela's husband, and it's already evident that she would be regarded as the new monster of Cliff House. This is Peter's second time leaving a wife for a younger woman, but, once again, no one even thought to consider him the seductive, alluring monster of the jagged shore. Sirens are women, after all.

Simone, Devon & Michaela's Treatment By Men Subverts The Greek Mythology Around Sirens

Did They "Lure" The Men Into Bad Decisions?

In Greek mythology, Sirens are beautiful women who wait upon a rocky shore and sing sweetly to lure sailors to their deaths. Netflix's Sirens leaned into this idea with its setting, placing Michaela's home on the ocean cliffside. The series is foggy and mysterious, and a woman's haunting voice is heard singing from scene to scene. This initially leads audiences to believe that Michaela possesses some sort of ancient seductive power. As Devon begins to seduce men around every corner, it's implied that she, too, is a sort of siren.

The hurt and trauma from their pasts attract people of a particular type, and it also means that they themselves are drawn to different individuals.

Of course, Sirens intentionally misled audiences with all of this. Michaela and Devon aren't mythological enchantresses. Instead, they are just two very broken people. The hurt and trauma from their pasts attract people of a particular type, and it also means that they themselves are drawn to different individuals. The same is true for Simone, who was, perhaps, the most broken of all these women. Men see this broken vulnerability and want to care for them and fix them, but they turn around and blame them when this brokenness results in bad decisions.

Peter stands as a meaningful contrast throughout Sirens. Though the details of his past are never revealed, we see that he is also profoundly broken and suffers from panic attacks, just like Simone. This leads him to make toxic and self-serving decisions. However, the personal consequences of these decisions are entirely different from those of the female Sirens.

The Real Meaning Of Devon & Michaela's Conversation About Being "Monsters" Explained

Who Was The Real Monster?

At the end of Sirens, Devon apologized to Michaela for thinking she was a monster. She had fallen into society's perspective of women, but after all that happened, Devon realized that her evaluation of Michaela had been unfair. The woman's response immediately emphasized just how wrong Devon was about Michaela. She answered that Simone is also not a monster, despite what the younger girl had just done. Michaela saw herself in Simone and knew that she was just a hurting young woman running away from trauma. Her choice was selfish, but she was just human.

The full reality is that these characters, including Peter, are simply making choices based on their own trauma. They're all imperfect, self-serving, and human.

It would be easy enough to say by the end of Sirens that Peter is the only true monster. He is the common denominator, after all. However, this isn't the point that the Netflix series is trying to make. It's telling that society will quickly label women as monsters but not the men. However, the full reality is that these characters, including Peter, are simply making choices based on their own trauma. They're all imperfect, all self-serving, and all human.

All five episodes of Sirens are available to stream on Netflix.

Ultimately, the sirens of Greek mythology aren't real. Similarly, none of the characters of Sirens are monsters. They all have the potential to learn and improve, and we see some of the cycle breaking in Michaela and Devon. These two women, who could have become natural enemies, sailed away together, fully understanding where the other was coming from. Whether Peter or Simone would ever learn a similar lesson is anyone's guess. They could go on making harmful choices after Sirens, or choose to be better. Either way, "monster" will never be the right word.