'Siren (Mysterious Mermaid)" Shows Us A Different Angle On The Mythical Mermaid

The Freeform TV show, "Siren (Mysterious Mermaid)" was created by Dean White and Eric Wald and tells the story of the mermaid, Ryn. The show was initially commissioned for the first season of ten episodes before being greenlit for second and third seasons of 16 episodes.

"Siren," tells the story of Ben, a young marine researcher who is struggling to break free from the clutches of his family in the small town of Bristol Cove. At the opening of the show, a fishing boat is going about its business in the stormy seas of the Bering Strait when something large becomes caught in its net. After cutting the large animal free of the net, one of the crew is injured as the animal lashes out at him before being trapped in the hold of the boat. The crew includes Xander, a fisherman who is interested in uncovering the mystery of what is trapped in the hold but his captain argues the injuries to his crew member should be treated before any other actions take place.

Xander and the other members of the crew treat their injured crew member before beginning to explore the creature trapped in the hold with the fish already captured. As the crew arm themselves and prepare to attack whatever is cornered in the hold, a helicopter appears and armed military members descend onto the boat. The injured crew member is airlifted off the boat before the animal trapped in the hold is pushed into a metal container and removed from the boat. From the water, another creature is watching the events unfold before diving back into the water.

Back in Bristol Cover, the townspeople are celebrating their annual mermaid festival featuring the ancestors of town founder, Charles H. Pownall. The myth of the founding of the town explains the former sea captain wished to settle down after falling in love with a mermaid during his time traveling the world by ship. The Pownall family are still residents of Bristol Cove and unveil a statue of the town founder but the eldest son, Ben is nowhere to be found. Ben is a marine biologist and is in the process of rescuing a sea lion when his family is attending the annual mermaid events.

The return of Xander to Bristol Cove of Xander brings Ben news of the events on the boat which the fisherman believes were caused by a mermaid and brings grainy surveillance footage to back his claims. While Ben remains skeptical of the story of Xander, the U.S. Military are intent on finding the truth behind the long-heard stories of mermaids in the waters of the world. The military has captured what appears to be a mermaid and spend their time looking for more to suit their own mysterious reasons.

A severed shark head is later washed up on the shore and brings Ben and his fellow marine biologist, Maddie to the beach. After a late night trying to find the reasons why the sharks head has washed ashore, Ben is shocked when a naked girl stands in front of his car. The girl is acting strangely and does not seem to know where she is or how she should act in public. As Ben waits for the doctor to arrive to examine the girl, Ryn, she escapes from his house and steals some clothes. Walking through the town of Bristol Cove, Ryn begins to sing the soothing mermaid song and is spotted by the storekeeper, Helen who appears to recognize her as a mermaid.

Eline Powell takes the central role of Ryn in "Siren (Mysterious Mermaid)" which is her first starring role in a TV show. Powell is best known for her short role in "Game of Thrones" as a jealous actor plotting to kill her rival and for her starring role in the Italian drama, "Anita B." The Belgian-born actress graduated from the Royal Academy for the Dramatic Arts in London in 2011 and won international acclaim for her roles in various student fils entered into festivals.

The pivotal role of Ben Pownall is played by English actor Alex Roe who has appeared in various U.K.-based soap operas and TV shows. The former professional soccer player made his first mark on TV audiences in the role of Jay Keaton in the children's TV show, "The Fugitives." After moving to the U.S. following roles in the soap operas, "Holby City" and "Doctor's," Roe appeared in the movie "Hot Summer Nights" as Hunter Strawberry.

"Siren (Mysterious Mermaid)" was created by writing and directing team, Dean White and Eric Wald. Director and showrunner, Eric Wald began his career as an actor in the TV movie, "Without Consent" alongside actress Jennie Garth. Since moving behind the camera, Wald has become a respected figure in Hollywood with credits on shows such as "The Shield," "Prison Break," and "The Unit."

The show is a co-production between Freeform Original Productions and Stockton Drive Inc. with the majority of the filming of "Siren" taking place in Vancouver, British Columbia. Freeform has moved the filming of the majority of its original productions to Canada where tax breaks and lower production costs are taken advantage of by the network. "Siren (Mysterious Mermaid)" began life as a two-hour event on Freeform to introduce the characters with the pilot episode directed by Scott Stewart.

"Siren (Mysterious Mermaid)" has been a critical and commercial success with the show regularly topping the one million viewers mark which is seen as a high level for shows broadcast by Freeform. The majority of critics have given the show excellent reviews based on the performances of Eline Powell, which most reviewers have praised for her mostly physical performance. Other aspects of the show which have been praised include the reworking of the traditional mermaid narrative as solely as love story into a more action-packed story. The show has also proven a success among fans with the first season given a rating of 94 percent. A second season has already been produced with the third season commissioned by Freeform.

The lead actress, Eline Powell is the daughter of two well-known Belgian pharmaceutical scientists who established their own company, Tibotec. Starting his career as a soccer player, Alex Roe has not forgotten his earliest sporting career since his move to Los Angeles. The actor still plays soccer as a striker for the L.A.-based team, Atletico Silverlake.