6 behind-the-scenes details that will change the way you watch Sirens.

Let's be real — in the luxurious (and slightly bonkers) world of Sirens, nothing is quite as it appears.

Beneath the designer wardrobes and those pretentious "hey hey" greetings that course through Netflix's psychological thriller lies a handful of visual metaphors, character nuance, and symbolic mythology that make the show just that little bit more interesting.

Sure, we've all been captivated by the powerhouse performances from Julianne Moore, Meghan Fahey and Milly Allcock (who wouldn't be?), but the true intrigue of Sirens comes from all those little details you definitely missed the first time round.

Think you've seen everything Sirens has to offer? Think again! These six behind-the-scenes revelations will absolutely change the way you watch the show. Trust me.

Watch the trailer for Sirens. Article continues below.

The wardrobe choices.

While the luxuriously chic wardrobes of the three women in Sirens feel perfectly suited to the rich-woman-on-vacation vibes of the show, each character's costumes are actually distinctly designed for their individual story arc.

The costume design team created an array of outfits that aren't just beautiful to look at, but tell their own stories about the characters' psychological journeys. The bright, bold patterns and pastel colours serve as visual metaphors for the seductive, yet dangerous, world of wealth that ensnares the sisters.

"[Costumer designer Caroline] was so thoughtful about the three women and the arc that their costumes go on over the course of the show," showrunner Molly Smith Metzler said.

Image: Netflix

For example, Simone transforms from "little girl to woman" by the end of the show, and her wardrobe subtly tracks this evolution. Pay attention to how her clothing becomes more sophisticated and less innocent as the series progresses, mirroring her loss of naivety.

Starting out the show in a short bright pink dress and a girly headband, Simone exudes youthful, innocent energy. By the end, she's wearing a light blue silk gown that feels very ethereal and grown-up.

The goddess-like quality of this final look suggests she has moved beyond simply growing up — she has become something more powerful, more dangerous, and more knowing than anyone anticipated.

The costume designers didn't just create beautiful outfits — they crafted visual storytelling that hints at each character's journey before they even speak.

Kevin Bacon's nuanced approach to Peter.

Kevin Bacon was determined not to play Peter as a straightforward villain, instead bringing nuance to a character that could have easily been one-dimensional.

"This is the only thing I know. I said to Molly and to [director/executive producer Nicole Kassell] all throughout the thing, 'It's going to be too easy for him just to be a bad guy,'" Bacon said.

"I can do that — I've [played the bad guy] so many times, and I just feel like it needed to be a little bit more nuanced here, and I can just play him true to who he is and people can make their own judgments."

Image: Netflix

Bacon brings a surprising vulnerability to Peter, suggesting that beneath his powerful billionaire exterior lies a man... not a monster or a villain, but a flawed man. It's this approach that transforms what could have been a stereotypical rich-guy antagonist into someone much more unsettling — because we occasionally see glimpses of humanity in him.

And it is this complexity which makes the power dynamics in the show far more realistic and disturbing — Peter isn't evil because he's a cartoon villain. He's problematic because he represents a type of entitled masculinity that very much exists in the real world.

"I don't love all the characters that I've played, but I have to understand their point of view on some level. A couple of times I played actual monsters, but I think of them as human beings," Bacon added.

"If they're actual monsters, they're actual monsters, but when I'm playing a man, regardless of what it is that he does, I have to just figure out a way that he is, in some way, justified — or maybe not justified, but in some ways it's human, just human."

The subtle mermaid imagery on the set.

The show's title isn't the only reference to mythological sea creatures. If you keep an eye out, you'll find that the production design team strategically placed mermaid imagery throughout the series.

"If you watch carefully, mermaid imagery shows up," said showrunner Molly Smith Metzler.

Next time you're watching, look for mermaid illustrations on the walls of the bathroom and the tiles around the fireplace in Simone's room.

It's not just decorative — it's a deliberate choice that enriches the show's underlying mythology.

Image: YouTube/Netflix

Michaela is not the villain.

While Michaela might initially seem calculating and manipulative, Julianne Moore's personal interpretation reveals a much more complex character — a woman trapped in her own gilded cage.

"What you learn about Michaela is that she has made some choices that have really affected her autonomy. She is someone who you perceive as powerful, but really she's not," Moore explained.

"She's right under a very powerful man. She's given up everything for him. So she doesn't have any agency of her own."

In fact, Moore's portrayal deliberately subverts the "evil rich woman" trope by showing Michaela's genuine concern and care for Simone and her future, even though her methods may seem questionable.

Image: Netflix

Beneath her polished exterior, Michaela recognises the dangerous path Simone is on because she's walked it herself. She sees in the younger woman a reflection of her own past — beautiful, talented, and on the verge of surrendering her autonomy to a powerful man. What initially appears as manipulation reveals itself as a desperate attempt at protection, albeit through means shaped by her own trauma and limitations.

"She's so close to Simone and that's the last thing in the world that she wants to have happen to her," she said.

"She's saying to her, 'Don't make the choices that I made. I have an opportunity for you. I have an opportunity for work and for your own world to flourish'. And what ends up happening is that Simone goes the same way Michaela did."

Moore brings a profound sadness to Michaela that suggests her sharp edges come from years of compromise and disillusionment. Her warnings to Simone aren't merely the jealous cautions of an older woman, but the hard-earned wisdom of someone who knows precisely how golden handcuffs feel.

The mythology behind Sirens.

Sirens is not just the title of the show… it's the mythology that is intertwined throughout the entirety of the story. The three women at the heart of the narrative — Michaela, Simone, and Devon — each embody different aspects of these legendary creatures. Like their mythological counterparts, they possess an alluring power that both attracts and threatens the men around them, while remaining misunderstood and often vilified.

The show deliberately chose this ancient framework to explore contemporary power dynamics between genders.

Image: Netflix

"Even when you think of the reason for the mythology… this idea that these men were blaming shipwrecks on these mythological figures… these women that were singing. I think it's interesting. 'Wait, you crashed the boat, but you said a minor goddess made you do it?'" Julianne Moore said.

Like sirens in the ancient myths, who became the scapegoats for male failures, the women in this show find themselves bearing responsibility for the destructive actions of the men around them. The series cleverly inverts the mythology — showing that what appears to be female seduction is actually male projection, a convenient narrative that absolves men of their own poor choices while casting women as either villains or victims.

"We only ever hear the sirens described by the men. We never hear their point of view," Metzler explained.

"That maybe their song is maybe a song of pain. That maybe they're incredibly lonely and misunderstood. That maybe there's a whole other side to this story of why these three women are doing what they're doing."

The inherent similarities between the three sirens.

Though Simone, Devon and Michaela appear drastically different on the surface, the show carefully establishes profound parallels between them… something you may not notice upon first viewing.

In an interview, Moore revealed the strong ties Michaela, Simone and Devon share when it comes to their history and their struggles.

"All three of these women are incredibly powerful but also incredibly wounded. All have experienced profound mother loss, all seem to be in somewhat complicated relationships with men, all of whom have to take responsibility for things that maybe the men are responsible for," said Moore.

Image: Netflix

These shared experiences create a solidarity that transcends their apparent differences, suggesting that women's experiences — regardless of age or status — often follow disturbingly similar patterns in a patriarchal world.

The show cleverly positions all three women as different versions of the same archetype at different life stages, asking viewers to consider how wealth, age, and circumstances shape women's choices but don't fundamentally change their struggles.

Once you notice these connections, the entire series transforms from a thriller into a powerful commentary on the collective female experience.

Feature Image: Netflix.