Ryn is feeling the loss of Xander’s father along with the rest of the town as Donna makes her way back to shore!

Siren 1×08 “Being Human” on Freeform showed us Bristol Cove mourning the loss of Xander’s (Ian Verdun)  father. While this was a sad event, it did give us the opportunity to see Ryn (Eline Powell)  experience some more human emotion. The more time she spends on land, the more human she seems to be becoming. There also seems to be some sort of history between Xander and Maddie (Fola Evans-Akingbola). Ben (Alex Roe) seems to be getting closer to Ryn as well and is even craving her siren song. The connections between the residents of Bristol Cove are getting deeper and it’s becoming clear that Ben’s family isn’t the only one around with secrets, but they may be the ones with the deepest and darkest. Helen (Rena Owen) seems to have some relation to Ben’s family and is being given money by them.  

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Another appearance by Donna (Sibongile Mlambo) has been made as well. But she certainly hasn’t come back to land alone. She’s standing side by side with Levi (Sedale Threatt Jr.), but there are other mermaids with them as well. They haven’t made any clear moves yet to show their intentions, but they have been sure to let Ryn know they aren’t going anywhere. So what do the mermaids want, and why is Donna standing with Levi against her own sister?  Is Levi going to cause more problems, or is he just one more mermaid joining the crusade that Donna seems to be starting? What about Helen and her strange relation to Ben and his family?

Let’s meet our roundtable guests and break it down!

Athena (@tinygymshoes) – Mother of a sweet one-year-old and gym junkie on the side!

Pamela (@CharlesonPamela) – Teacher, aunt, and sister who also loves watching good television!

LaShonda (@HQ_Klaroline) – Life flight pilot nurse, Klaroline enthusiast, and lover of mermaids!

Marilyn (@Marilyn72568293) – Cosmetologist and lover of fun! Enjoy watching the best shows I can find!

Lauren (@Young_Dryas) – Seeker of wisdom and lover of mermaids!

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1. What do you think happened with Xander and Maddie in the past?

Athena (@tinygymshoes): I think they dated and perhaps Xander did something to hurt Maddie.

Pamela (@CharlesonPamela): They either dated, or one of them expressed wanting to date the other. I can’t wait to find out more!

LaShonda (@HQ_Klaroline): My bet is that they dated when they were younger.

Marilyn (@Marilyn72568293): There is a serious connection there, and an obvious past. The two of them haven’t ever crossed my mind as being together before now. But I would be all for it.

Lauren (@Young_Dryas): I definitely think they have a past. I would definitely be okay if the two of them had a thing once again. It would certainly help pave the way for Ben and Ryn to get together.

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2. Why do you think the sea lions didn’t react to Ryn in the same way they did the first time they saw her?

Athena: I think the longer she stays on land, the more human-like she becomes and that’s why the sea lions trust her.

Pamela: I think that the sea lions can sense that Ryn is not a danger to them. Maybe they are feeling that she is more human now.

LaShonda: It could be the sea lion wasn’t fully aware of Ryn and could sense she wasn’t normal?

Marilyn: Ryn is definitely becoming more human as time goes on. Maybe the sea lions are sensing that.

Lauren: Well, like she told Ben, Ryn is half human. So it makes sense that the longer she is around humans, the more like them she will act and the more comfortable animals will become around her.  

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3. Will Ryn and Donna continue to be on opposite sides when it comes to human?

Athena: I believe eventually, Donna will realize the humans are trying to help their situation.

Pamela: It certainly seems like it. Donna does not put out the attitude that she is planning on ever siding with the humans on anything.

LaShonda: I believe Donna will continue to persuade Ryn to come back with her, and make her see humans have never been good in the past. But Ryn is trying to prove to her kind that not all humans are bad!

Marilyn: Only time will tell, but I really don’t see Ryn and Donna agreeing on anything. Donna doesn’t want to understand humans. Ever.

Lauren: I think they will. Donna and Ryn seem to be on the opposite side of more than one issue. Donna just seems quick to fight and slow to listen. Especially to her own sister.

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4. Donna is still with Levi. Do you think he is just another mermaid, or does he have some kind of sinister plan in mind?

Athena: Levi is still a mystery. I don’t think he has a hidden agenda but is willing to do whatever it takes to help merfolk.

Pamela: Levi likes Donna I think. So maybe he is just willing to go along with whatever Donna’s plan may be.

LaShonda: I’m guessing Levi is some sort of leader of the mermaids and that’s why he had that staff. So I’m saying he wants revenge for what the humans did, and will try to manipulate anyone who is against him.

Marilyn: Honestly, I think it’s Donna that has come up with some ultimate plan and she has brought Levi into it.

Lauren: I just have this feeling that Levi has some type of sinister plan. Like an ultimate goal that he and Donna may have even come up with together. Either way, he’s bad news.

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5. Ben and Ryn seem to be getting closer now that they are beginning to understand each other. Will their relationship turn romantic?

Athena: Yes. In fact, it already seems like Ben and Maddie are slowly drifting apart

Pamela: I sure hope it will. These two have had a strong bond since the moment they saw each other. I can’t wait to see what develops between them.

LaShonda: As close as Ben and Ryn seem to be getting, I’m saying no. Only because he’s in a relationship with Maddie. But the song might prove an alternate choice.

Marilyn: I think it already is. Especially with something else going on with Maddie and Xander. They clearly have some issues to sort out and Ben and Ryn are just getting closer the entire time.

Lauren: I certainly hope so! Every time these two interact it is pure magic. Even when Ben is yelling at Ryn!

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6. Helen is clearly hiding at least a few things. What do you think her deep dark secret is?

Athena: I’m convinced she knows what’s going on with the other merfolk. Perhaps she sneaks into the ocean every now and then.

Pamela: At first, I thought the only secret she had would be the fact that she used to be a mermaid. Now, it’s clear that Helen has nothing but secrets!

LaShonda: The million dollar question! Since we learned that Helen is obviously a mermaid, or so we think, I’m guessing she knows the status of everyone. Helen probably knows what each resident of Bristol Cove is!

Marilyn: Part of me is kind of convinced that Helen may be the evil one of the series. At first, she acted like she wanted to help the mermaids, but now I’m not so sure. But I need to know her secrets!

Lauren: I’m not entirely sure, but I feel like it has something to do with Ben and his family. There are some major connections between those two.

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7. Now that Xander knows the truth about Ryn and it didn’t come from Ben or Maddie, will things take a turn for the worse? Or could it make things better?

Athena: Originally, I thought he would side with the mermaids. But since his father’s death, maybe his anger will fuel some sort of revenge plot.

Ashley: I certainly think that things are going to get worse. Xander already resented mermaids and everything about them. Now, he is going to blame them for his father’s death.

LaShonda: I have a bad feeling about this outcome! Xander will want revenge for his father’s death, and will be the undoing of the mermaids! Or at least some of them!

Marilyn: That’s a hard one. Part of me feels like Xander’s attitude towards mermaids will get worse. But the other part of me feels that if he is going to end up with Maddie, then he is going to have to get on board with the mermaids.

Lauren: I just have this feeling that Ryn is going to be able to convince Xander that there are good mermaids and bad. Just like people. So, even though he doesn’t seem to be on the side of the mermaids right now, I think he will be eventually.

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Final Verdict: The secrets are getting deeper as the first season begins coming to an end!

Seeing Ryn experiencing more human emotion was great! Each week we get to see her becoming a little more human, and we’re loving it. Watching the character of Ryn developing has been an incredible journey. She was so clueless when she first came to land and has learned so much in such a short amount of time. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of trust happening between the other mermaids and humans. So, seeing that Ryn is learning how to slowly trust them has been magical. This is one character we can stand behind! The writers have done an incredible job making us fall for Ryn!

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We can get behind the conflict between humans and mermaids. That’s not the problem. Our problem is understanding why the mermaids want to go after the humans. Yes, the humans have gone after the mermaids, but that’s only after the mermaids have gone after them first. Which gives us the other question of why they went after the humans in the first place. Then there is the issue of all the secrets this town and those who inhabit it that keep popping up. We’re fine with plot twists and secrets, but there just seems to be a bit too many. Now it’s just beginning to get a little too chaotic for our tastes. That, and we just want the focus to be on Ryn and the people closely connected to her.

If we thought Donna and her group of misfit mermaids were a nuisance this week, then next week is looking even worse. Donna, Levi, and the other mermaids are going to on land a bit more and causing havoc all over Bristol Cove. But Dale isn’t going to let their actions just go. He’s going to put an end to their troublesome ways in his town no matter what it takes!

Siren returns Thursday, May 17th, 2018 on Freeform