We don't know about you but we're fans of mermaids ! So when a new series proposes to address this theme, we did not think long with throwing ourselves on the pilot. But what is this first episode of Siren worth?
On March 29th, Freeform launched its brand new series simply called Siren. No one is going to be spoiled if we reveal that this series is about mermaids, as you could very easily guess thanks to its title. While these aquatic beings are rather exploited on the side of youth series, the channel offers us a fantastic and rather dramatic series.
History
The small town of Bristol Cove is known throughout the United States for having sheltered sirens a long time ago. The love story between a sailor and a beautiful mermaid made the reputation of the city which even today, exploits this history to attract tourists. Mermaid Day is known throughout the country and gives rise to beautiful parties throughout Bristol Cove.
But the tranquility of the city will be upset by Ryn's arrival. It all starts when a fishing boat inadvertently catches a mermaid in its nets. Determined not to let go, the mermaid will defend herself and seriously injure a sailor before being swept away by the government, which will be happy to cover up the case. Returning to port, everyone thinks the sailors are crazy, and no one gives credence to their mermaid story.
But that was before Ryn arrived. This young woman will descend to Bristol Cove on a beautiful sunny afternoon. His strange behavior will soon attract the attention of Ben, the mayor's son and oceanologist. A strange relationship will develop between these two protagonists. Ryn does not speak, but does possess the ability to sing. Ben is obsessed with Ryn even though he's only seen her once. Very quickly, we understand that the young woman is a mermaid, and that she is a little angry that the government has taken away her girlfriend.
Goodbye Ariel, hello Ryn
If you like beautiful mermaids, very nice who comb their hair with shells, Ryn will not please you. If you like beautiful love stories between a mermaid and a handsome innocent sailor (or prince), then Siren is not for you.
In this series, the sirens are not the same as at Disney. They are predators that consider humans as prey. Ryn isn't here to make friends or to laugh. If you try to get a little too close, you may leave with one arm missing. Maybe we should inform Ben of this detail, right? In any case, Ryn's personality makes this first episode of Siren a real success.
Freeform's new series does not fall into the trap of the romance-based youth series that is easy to do with mermaids, but offers a story close to a horror series. There is blood, it's even a little gory at times, and we do not fall into the nianian (even if a love story is on the horizon). The series doesn't have a big budget or impressive special effects, but it works pretty well. And I think that comes from, not only an intriguing story that holds up, but also an interesting cast.
Cast
In this pilot of Siren, we discover some recurring characters of the series. First of all, Ryn is played by Eline Powell who is really excellent. She does not fall into the caricature of the beautiful mermaid very sexualized but manages to scare us with a simple look. Ryn gives us chills in the back while she does not say a word of the episode and that's the strength of this actress. For fans of Game of Thrones you can recognize this actress because she plays Bianca in season 6 (she is part of the theater troupe that Arya infiltrates).
The second main role, that of Ben, is held by Alex Roe whose face should also speak to you. If you've seen the movie The 5th Wave, you should easily recognize it since it plays Evan Walker alongside the beautiful Chloë Grace Moretz. And that's it for this very quick tour of the casting since the other actors making appearances are still unknown to the battalion.
To conclude, a first episode rather not bad for the new series of Freeform, Siren. We liked the bloody and gory side of the series that does not fall into the cliché of the nice little mermaid very sensual. We can't wait to know where this new series will take us, which has plenty of surprises in store for us, we're sure!
