Sirens Recap: Temptation Island

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As the credits finished playing, I chuckled to myself, thinking it was quite a light-hearted episode. Yet, despite dealing with some heavy themes that Sirens tackles, including some profound revelations in this particular episode, it’s the kind of show you can easily enjoy in one sitting on a pleasant afternoon after a relaxing session of quahogging.” (This is still a compliment.)

In the comedy “Monster,” helmed by Quyen Tran and penned by Colin McKenna, we find ourselves in Sirens’ funniest episode to date. It’s almost a play, with Ethan appearing in his ridiculous purple sweater slung over his shoulders, making it almost comical to the point of farce. This suggests that the show is self-aware and enjoys its own humor. Despite the occasional inconsistency in tone, I prefer a program that embraces funny oddities compared to one that immerses itself in somber drama throughout. Now, let’s get back to our discussion.

Simone had a terrifying dream about Kiki hurrying down some dreadful stairs towards the beach. When she tried to catch up, it wasn’t Kiki she found, but Ethan stuck on a sharp piece of wood from the shore. Even after waking up in the guesthouse where Devon and Jose took her following her anxiety attack, Simone can only think about how she’s “neglected exercising!

Devon expresses, “This location is causing me anxiety attacks.” Simone counters sharply, “It’s not the place; who are triggering my anxiety attacks.” This leads to another round of their usual squabbles, reminiscent of their disagreements in the previous episode. However, despite empathizing with some of Devon’s actions that I find unacceptable, this argument seems like a repetition of last week’s dispute. It does, though, expose a few more hints about their shared past, but the overall feeling is still familiar.

As Simone continues to express her unwillingness to aid their father, who appears to have legitimate reasons, Devon retorts sharply, “Simone, you can’t refuse me!” Later, in an attempt to escalate their ongoing contest of who is suffering more, Devon makes a daring and manipulative move. She discloses her recent second DUI, implying she shares the same alcohol problem as their father, and adds, “I’m the drunk, Dad is the flag. You’re about to walk out the door.

Simone, feeling swamped, hastily leaves. Devon, annoyed, contemplates abstaining from a morning drink of Ketel One, instead opting for her usual tactic of seeking out the first man she encounters. Just another day in paradise!

When Simone eventually encounters Michaela, her boss/friend appears utterly unfazed, which instantaneously sets Simone on edge. Michaela usually exudes an air of “calmly intimidating” demeanor, so her advising Simone to relax and rest instead of scolding her leaves a much more spine-tingling impression than if she had loudly reprimanded her assistant.

Regrettably, Simone persists in annoying the bear (Kiki). Despite Kiki’s objections, she questions whether there’s tension between them, hoping to diffuse it. Michaela scolds her for keeping secrets and takes advantage of Simone’s vulnerability by asking a very personal question: “Were your mother’s death truly in a car accident?” (It seems likely that both Simone and Michaela are Libras.)

In her role as Simone’s supervisor, Michaela should not be requesting this sensitive information anymore. However, that ship has sailed. The true account unfolds through a trembling Simone: Her mother indeed passed away in a vehicle, but it was not an accident. Desperate and distraught, she connected the exhaust pipe to the car and placed a 7-year-old Simone in the backseat with a coloring book, instructing her to keep drawing until she dozed off. Miraculously, Simone survived because Devon, who was then 12 years old, rescued her from the vehicle.

Michaela appears deeply concerned yet reassuring, perhaps more like: “Michaela’s demeanor shows genuine concern, mixed with a comforting presence.” She tenderly embraces Simone, who is weeping, offering solace. “I will look after you,” she vows. “From now on, you’ll receive nothing but compassion and goodness.” This is exactly the sentiment that Simone has longed to hear from a nurturing figure throughout her life, and her sense of relief is evident.

At home, I’m persistently probing my detective skills by directly questioning the staff downstairs about Peter’s former spouse. Instantly, they fall silent. So, I step outside and encounter the “Big Cheese” from the lofty crow’s nest. He warmly invites me up to share another joint in a secluded corner of the house that he still claims as his own. It’s accurate: The traditional wooden crow’s nest seems out of place amidst the entire estate, giving off an air of “What if the Bella Donna Hotel were transplanted to the Hamptons?

In some way or another, the conversation shifts to dreams. Devon admits she doesn’t experience them, attributing it either to excessive drinking or a significant personality disorder. Peter laughs lightly. “Give it time if you stick around, you’ll start dreaming,” he suggests. “Perhaps you’re dreaming now… we might be sharing a dream. It often happens around here.” Devon is intrigued, but for the moment, Peter seems to have finished his philosophical musings. “I’ll see you when we come back to reality,” he says, leaving her with a mysterious smile. (If I had met Peter a decade ago, he would have undoubtedly disrupted my life.)

Meanwhile, it’s clear that Michaela is upset because she suspects Peter has been untruthful about his trip to Tokyo. She’s found a box of chocolates delivered from the store he claimed was her gift, but the ribbons on them are different. However, her lawyer seems unconvinced by this evidence as he also expresses disbelief over the poorly drafted prenuptial agreement she signed. “You’re an attorney,” he says in astonishment, “I can’t believe you let yourself sign this document.” Michaela sighs, admitting, “I was swept off my feet by a billionaire … I guess I just put hearts on every ‘i’.

She poses another query, yet. “Suppose he’s not involved in an affair, what if he still files for divorce? What happens then?” It appears she would be left vulnerable, financially, as she couldn’t bear children and the prenup seems quite stringent (What on earth is this prenup?!). Her stern look upon hearing this suggests Peter might want to keep a watchful eye.

In the world of cinema, I find myself drawn to the enigmatic figure of Jose, a man whose loyalty is as steadfast as the characters he serves. When Michaela attempts to dismiss him for safeguarding Peter’s confidences, Jose merely chuckles. “I work for Peter, not you,” he retorts, reminding her that his service to Peter spans an impressive 19 years, a tenure far surpassing hers. With a contractual clause in place, he asserts that she is powerless to let him go.

In a surprising turn of events, Jose takes it one step further, stating that even the late, kind Mrs. Kell could not have terminated him under normal circumstances. This comment stings, and Michaela responds with a warning, “Watch your back.” But Jose remains unfazed, his composure unbroken for now. I can’t help but admire this man’s resilience and unwavering dedication to his employer.

High up in the crow’s nest, Devon embarks on an eerie voyage. After assuring Peter that she doesn’t dream, it seems she might be mistaken, for she finds herself wandering barefoot through the deserted house. The humming echoes and flickering light suggest a watery environment, adding to the dream-like quality of this experience. Indeed, it feels like a dream… or perhaps something more surreal.

In a quick turn of events, Devon finds Michaela taking a bath. “Fancy anything?” Michaela quips. “First the gardener, now you. Quite an eventful morning.” Hmmm. “I’ll give you a moment to get dressed,” Devon suggests. “No, I’d rather you stayed,” Michaela responds. Hmmm again. Kiki, if your preference is more towards aimless young women instead of wealthy men, why not just clarify that for us?

In a different phrasing: Since Devon doesn’t seem interested (oh dear), Michaela shifts the conversation towards her mother, asking, “Did you feel jealous when she picked Simone instead of you?” This question takes Devon aback. However, Michaela persists, her tone becoming reminiscent of Galadriel while delving into the heart of Devon’s childhood wounds — “Beneath that tough exterior, didn’t you just yearn for someone to acknowledge your accomplishments?” Eventually, Devon breaks down and reveals what he had been hiding.

When Devon left for college, their father, who was clinically depressed, neglected Simone completely – he didn’t feed, bathe, or care for her at all. By the time Devon returned home, Simone had wasted away due to this neglect. “She was in a living hell,” Devon recalls, still visibly upset. (I should clarify that this wasn’t an episode filled with laughter, but it was certainly entertaining.)

Michaela gives a nod. “Ah, I see your unique charm.” She continues, offering help. “We’re kindred spirits,” she says, using a different phrase. (Cheers!) The next instant, Devon finds herself in the back of a luxury car with the Suburgatory triplets blasting “W.A.P.” as they head for a day out. While shopping for expensive dresses that cost $22,000, it feels like Devon has tumbled down Alice’s rabbit hole into an alternate reality. Whether this experience is a dream or not, one thing is certain – Devon is now living through her own personal nightmare.

Then, Morgan stepped into the store and was utterly taken aback by her stunning appearance. This led me to doubt Devon’s reality – until we catch them later, contentedly munching on treats in bed with barely any clothes on. It’s possible that Devon consumed more of Peter’s marijuana than intended, but Michaela is so disconcertingly natural that everything she does makes the world seem like a dream.

In another location, Michaela is attempting to distract Simone from Ethan’s disappearance by encouraging her to follow Peter instead. However, just like how Devon struggles with finesse when asking questions, Simone isn’t very discreet about it either. As a result, Peter soon discovers what she’s up to. Unbothered, he invites her for clamming (quahogging), and they enjoy each other’s company. He even shares with her that his recent trip to Tokyo was actually to meet his new grandchild. Peter claims that Michaela has insisted on him cutting ties with his children, which leaves one wondering why he didn’t file for divorce earlier if she isn’t some supernatural entity.

It’s heartwarming to observe Simone delighting in her time with someone who seems like a wonderful father figure. Naturally, it’s disappointing that he would spoil this by crossing boundaries and showing affection – Peter! We had hoped for better from you! I should have listened to my initial gut feeling: Be wary of a married man who shares too much when no one else is around.

As a cinema enthusiast, I found myself once more left speechless, prompting me to flee the scene. I quickly reached out to Michaela to debrief, but subtly assured her that my husband wasn’t up to anything shady. I merely mentioned he was clamming, which, for Keeks, is concerning enough. “Oh bother, isn’t he going to prepare that irritating chowder again?” I urged Simone to grab a bite and keep me posted on the situation.

Instead, Simone heads to Ethan’s residence. Unfortunately, he isn’t there, yet his luggage and timepieces remain behind. In a panic, she reaches out to Morgan for assistance. Upon their arrival, both Morgan and Devon appear, with Devon suggesting that it was Kiki, whom Simone values dearly, who might have pushed Ethan off the cliff. “My boss didn’t kill my boyfriend,” Simone asserts emphatically — however, she appears to be noticeably less confident in Michaela’s innocence than she has ever been before.

Devon, now stone-cold sober, slaps her hands together. “We absolutely must leave this place immediately!” (I couldn’t help but laugh, Fahy is really excelling.) Simone eventually concurs. However, when she fails to pick up Kiki’s call, Michaela remotely activates the smart home system to speak to her assistant via a disembodied voice. “Simone, I can see you’re at Ethan’s residence currently. Settle down, I’m on my way over.

When someone quickly enters through the front door unexpectedly, everyone quickly hides. However, it’s not Kiki; it’s Ethan, Simone’s father, and Raymond. It’s clear that this isn’t Simone’s favorite kind of surprise. Bringing his estranged dad to her workplace is quite a bold move – I didn’t see that coming before he dropped down on one knee and proposed… Wow, if this is just the halfway point, it looks like we’re in for an exciting journey!

Breadcrumbs

As a film enthusiast, I’m eager to delve deeper into Devon and Morgan’s relationship. While it’s clear that the guy is attractive and amiable, it would be great if he had a more distinct personality trait to make him more relatable and memorable.

• Michaela on Ethan: “Use a condom. That man greets the ferry with his fly down.”

What do you think about Michaela’s situation at present? Could she be a cunning manipulator, perhaps a disgruntled or apathetic spouse, or maybe someone caught in the whirlwind of billionaire courtship? Is it possible that she embodies all these aspects?

• “Who’s this guy?” “That’s Captain Morgan.” “Like the rum? Cool.”

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2025-05-22 23:57