Sirens: What the code word really meant to Devon and Simone in the Netflix show

Sirens initially draws you in with its enigmatic plot. There's this cult vibe that is soon confirmed by one of the leads, Devon, in the show. But as you keep watching, you realize it was but a clever misdirection.

The show slowly sheds its layers to reveal something so human. In the beginning, it feels like an almost mythical story, especially with the music in the background. You might feel like you're in for an otherworldly experience.

But as you follow Devon and Simone through the story, you quickly realize that it is, in fact, an exploration of raw and real pain. The characters, previously considered monsters, are but people haunted by past trauma. They are all just struggling to coexist with their inner demons.

Sirens is intriguing because it manages to subvert expectations. It shows us that pain attracts more pain. Merging ourselves with another’s trauma can lead us to an endless cycle of destruction.

Devon and Simone, along with the rest of the cast, are real and flawed individuals dealing with life. The show’s code, Sirens, then becomes a metaphor for the bonds that form when people cling to their past hurts, which is ultimately destructive.

Let's get into it a bit more.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinions. Reader discretion is advised.

Sirens: What the code word really meant to Devon and Simone

Sirens opens with Devon texting Simone the word “Siren”. It seems like a secret code in the beginning. Perhaps an SOS of sorts between sisters. Devon’s recent release from prison and Simone’s seemingly perfect and happy life give us the feels that danger is near.

Siren seems like a panic button. It seems like a one-word alert they’ve used since childhood. It was probably triggered when things felt like they were going downhill. But then we learn that the world is so much messier. It is so much more emotional, and it is rooted in grief and abandonment.

A siren is a warning sound. It’s what you hear when something’s wrong and when help is needed. That makes perfect sense in the context of Simone and Devon’s relationship. Their mother’s suicide left them clinging to each other. Simone was literally in the car when it happened, and it was Devon who saved her. That kind of trauma doesn’t dissolve with time.

After Devon went off to college, Simone was left alone in a house where her father couldn't even remember to feed her. So when Devon chose to come back, perhaps after another life-threatening moment for Simone, it became like a vow. “Siren” became more than a cry for help. It became a signal that one of them was mentally underwater and needed the other to pull them back to shore.

Sirens in Greek mythology take on an even deeper layer. In myth, sirens are beautiful, tragic creatures who lure sailors to their doom with haunting songs. They’re not evil. They’re stuck in their pain and repeating the same tune forever. That fits these sisters to a T.

Simone, especially, is caught in a loop of needing and of yearning for love, for safety, for someone to stay. And Devon, just like a sailor drawn to the song, keeps coming back, no matter how much it destroys her in the process. Their code word, then, is a song of desperation. A reminder that pain has a pull, and when it’s shared, it can feel like destiny. But that pull doesn't always lead to healing. Sometimes it leads to ruin.

In the end, Sirens is about emotional codependency. It’s about what happens when trauma becomes the bond and the language you build your life around.

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