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Dan Da Dan
Dan Da Dan may be a comedy, but the sensuality, violence and spiritual elements within it make it a tragedy for viewers.
No one knows you like a sister, and no one loves you better.
So says Devon. Truth be told, she hasn’t seen her little sister, Simone, in almost a year—ever since Simone went to work for the rich and powerful Michaela Kell. And she’s reasonably sure that Michaela is the reason her sister isn’t responding.
Sirens.
That’s the sisters’ code word. It’s the word Devon has been texting over and over to Simone. It’s the word that means, “Hey, I’m not alright, and someone doesn’t intervene, I’m going to fall off the wagon again.” And it’s the word that Simone has been ignoring.
Devon has indeed fallen off the wagon. And that’s just one of her problems. The sisters’ dad had been diagnosed with early onset dementia. She practically begged for Simone to leave Michaela to come help.
Instead, Simone sent a fruit basket.
To say that Devon is upset would be an understatement. But now, she’s convinced that something else must be wrong. Simone not showing up for their dad is one thing: After all, she hasn’t seen him in about a decade, ever since he lost custody due to neglect.
But to not show up for Devon? Devon, who saved Simone’s life. Devon, who practically raised Simone after their dad was removed from the picture. Devon, who gave up her own college education to help Simone get into Yale.
Yeah, something’s up. And Devon sure isn’t going to let Michaela Kell keep her away from her sister.
Graphic sex scenes, infidelity, partial nudity, foul language, substance abuse … heard enough about Netflix’s Sirens yet? Let me keep going: a depiction of an attempted murder/suicide of a mother and her 7-year-old daughter; alcoholism; increasingly neurotic behavior; and, if you know what to look for, just a hint of coercion and emotional abuse.
This isn’t a triumphant story, it’s a disturbing one. Women are pitted against women. Half of the characters we meet seem borderline delusional, telling themselves lies to make themselves feel better about their circumstances. We hear about a young woman’s traumatizing childhood. And we witness how another uses sex to curb her alcoholism. And in the end, it feels like nobody wins.
Sirens is stylish and full of strong acting performances. It has the sort of drama that hooks you and just keeps reeling you in. But with so many content concerns, it’s not something most viewers would want to consume—not unless you really just want to watch a feel-crummy miniseries.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at [email protected], or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
Believing that Simone is being manipulated by her boss, Devon travels to the remote island where Simone is staying to bring her home.
Devon has sex with two different guys on the same day, and we hear she has had an ongoing extramarital affair with a third guy. Simone is dating a guy nearly twice her age, and they have sex too. All of these scenes show partial nudity. Michaela asks Simone to “sext” her husband on her behalf, and Simone helps her take a boudoir photo. We see couples kissing elsewhere. Several women wear lingerie and other revealing outfits. The series’ opening graphic features several nude statues of women. Devon hugs a man in gratitude for his kindness. He reluctantly hugs her back, but shoves her away after she licks his neck, informing her that he has a wife and son. And Devon apologizes for her behavior.
A bird crashes through a glass window, seemingly killing itself. Michaela is distraught, cradling the bleeding animal in her arms. Elsewhere, Michaela gives a graphic description of how sailors used to crash their boats on the island cliffs. Devon is forcibly escorted off the Kells’ property.
Devon tells Simone that she has been sober for six months. However, she fails to mention that the night before she came to see Simone, she was arrested for drinking and driving. People drink throughout the episode. Devon is repeatedly scolded for trying to smoke on the Kell’s property until their staff shows her a hidden location where she can light up. Devon’s dad takes many medications to treat his dementia.
Devon and Simone’s dad suffers from dementia. It becomes clear that Devon is overwhelmed trying to take care of him on her own. Simone flat-out refuses to help their dad (though she does offer financial assistance), and it’s hinted that he was absent during her childhood since she was placed in foster care until Devon was able to get custody. (It seems he has some remorse though.) We learn that instead of responding to Devon’s pleas for help, Simone sent her a fruit basket. And overall, it’s just a very dysfunctional family.
Simone seems to be unhealthily subservient to Michaela. She has changed her entire personality and even had plastic surgery to better suit Michaela’s preferences. (When Simone has bad breath, she willingly takes Michaela’s chewed gum to freshen it.)
Simone is rude to Michaela’s staff, ordering them around. So they mock her in a group text, sometimes right in front of her. People are rude elsewhere. Devon is practically belligerent toward Michaela and Simone. Devon makes a crude joke about Tourette’s syndrome. Devon blackmails her boss into helping out with her dad. Devon accuses Simone of dating a much older guy for his money, but it seems they genuinely care about each other. People lie.
Michaela runs a rescue organization that rehabilitates birds of prey. During a charity event for the program, she holds a scepter while members read a poem almost like a chant. Devon accuses them of being a cult. Admittedly, Michaela has a siren-like effect on many of the members, including Simone.
We hear the f-word about 20 times. It’s also printed on a sticker on the back of Devon’s phone. Additionally, we hear the s-word, “a–,” “b–ch,” “douchebag,” “h—,” “t-tty” and “whore.” God’s name is misused 10 times, and Jesus’ name is abused five times.
Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.
Dan Da Dan may be a comedy, but the sensuality, violence and spiritual elements within it make it a tragedy for viewers.
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