Sirens

Billed as a satire, the new Netflix series, Sirens, sends up the ultra-rich in this tale of two sisters, Devon and Simone. Simone, having left her hardscrabble life behind, has scored a coveted gig working as personal assistant to socialite Michaela ("call me Kiki") Kell. Kiki and her billionaire husband, Peter, live in a sprawling mansion on an island off the New England coast. Pampered and kowtowed to by a coterie of servants, Kiki smiles and purrs to all and sundry, while Simone barks Kiki's orders to the hired help via a megaphone. Despite her high-profile status as a hostess and fundraiser (for predatory rescue birds), Kiki has a few quirks. Primarily, Kiki has cultivated a devoted cultlike following of Stepford Wives who hang on Kiki's every word and whim. They smile incessantly, maintain an illusion of warmth, and don't seem to have any life outside Kiki's orbit. Under Kiki's mentorship, Simone has drunk the Kool-Aid and become a brittle blonde with no secrets and no past, only Kiki. Incongruously, the much younger Simone is the one person Kiki seems to regard as her best friend, a sister of sorts. 

But Simone does have secrets, a past, and an older sister back in Buffalo. Devon, our tale's debauched heroine, is a bed-hopping hellion who cares for the pair's not-so-great father when she's not working the counter at a local fast-food joint (and sleeping with the married manager). Devon also has a knack for driving under the influence and spending the night in jail. For over a year, Devon has tried texting and calling Simone because she's really desperate for someone to help take care of the old man. As sometimes happens, he had been a particularly bad father who drank and ignored his daughters to the point that the younger Simone was placed in foster care. Which is why Simone hates her dad and refuses to respond to Devon's messages. When Simone finally does acknowledge the seemingly hopeless situation at home, she sends Devon an edible bouquet, infuriating Devon, who embarks on a mission to confront her errant sister. 

Meanwhile, back on the island, preparations are underway at the mansion for a festive fundraising gala and a glossy magazine photoshoot of uptown sophisticates. Kiki directs Simone to order the staff do the backbreaking work of setting things up only to change her mind and choose a completely different site for her soirees. Simone doesn't mind. In fact, she adores her boss, her job, and the prestige and power she feels. Like Kiki, Simone smiles inanely and speaks with soft charm, except when she's berating or bossing around the domestics. Simone's life is perfect.

Until her past collides with the present, that is. After her usual misadventures, Devon shows up in her inappropriate party-girl splendor, sending Simone into a tailspin. Always the perfect hostess, Kiki won't dream of sending away Simone's sister, even though she was unaware of her existence. What else are you keeping from me? Kiki wants to know. Turns out that everyone on the island has their little secrets and surprises, possibly including a murder or two. 

In a role tailor-made for Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore is cast as high society gargoyle, Kiki, who seemingly has the ability to mesmerize all who come into contact with her. Is she truly a cult leader? A murderess? A woman who will stop at nothing to ensure her rightful place in society? Maybe. Swooning around the house with her flame-red hair and flowing gowns, Julianne Moore has a great time serving generous gentility and trance-inducing entitlement. As Peter, Kevin Bacon is, perhaps necessarily, relegated to the background. Even though his presence is crucial to the story, Peter is, largely, a non-entity who pops up when the script requires him to interact with the leading ladies. Until the series finale, Peter is basically a thankless role but Bacon seems game and takes it in stride. 

The sisters, however, are the real stars here. The vacant Barbie Doll Simone, as played by Milly Alcock, is both creepy and sincere, oscillating between fake smiles and genuine tears as her PTSD rears its ugly head and threatens to derail her aspirations. Alcock has exactly the right look and mannerisms for Kiki's torn--and maybe conniving--wounded bird. It's a good, often funny performance even though the character's intentions are somewhat nebulous. Meghann Fahy makes for a superb Devon, the rude, crude and rowdy sister from Buffalo who wears her emotions on her sleeve and is incapable of subtlety. Fahy, previously known for her turns in The White Lotus and The Perfect Couple, is hilarious, maddening and heartbreaking as a young woman with no shits left to give. And not much hope, either. Fahy shines in this series and doesn't have a problem being unlikeable and common, even when she's prettied up by Kiki's erstwhile designers. 

In a supporting role, Felix Solis is excellent as Jose, the house manager and all-around fixer for Kiki and Peter. Bill Camp is also very good as the sister's formerly wayward and gregariously uncouth dad, Bruce. Josh Segarra, as Devon's adulterous boss from Buffalo, has a couple of amusing and moving moments, and Glenn Howerton's Ethan--Peter's best friend and Simone's secret lover--is broadly played by Glenn Howerton, the stock playboy character who continually gets the short end of the stick (did someone really push him off that cliff?). 

Sirens seems both improbable and yet highly likely to be right on target. It has more than its share of soapy moments--think a hybrid of Dynasty, The Real Housewives, Upstairs/Downstairs and Revenge (remember that ABC show from the 20teens with Madeline Stowe and Emily Van Camp?). Oh, and throw in some Stepford Wives and Below Deck for good measure. There is much I liked about Sirens yet, for some reason, I didn't really love it. The comedy and melodrama aren't well-paired so it's a little much to work as a satire, at least for me. Sure, it succeeds in making fun of the 1% but, like Devon, most of it is unsubtle. To the writers' credit, the ending is a bit unexpected and leaves a lot of loose ends to be savored. Does that mean that there will be a season 2? I hope not. The ironic ending is perfect, and any further developments should be best left to viewers' imaginations, rather than a repetition of what we've already seen.