‘Siren’ Season 2, Episode 5 ‘Primal Instincts’ Recap: Family & Love

As the Siren and her companions continue to adapt to living on land, problems in the ocean complicate. With the oil company striking finding oil, the mermaids’ chance of returning home turn slim. Also, a threat to the order of their small clan begins an uprising. Amid this, the humans who help them deal with their problems, too.

In this week’s episode of Siren, Ben Pownall (Alex Roe) and Xander McClure (Ian Verdun) push their differences aside as they help each other save the town’s oceans. Elsewhere, Katrina (Aylya Marzolf) starts an uprising between the other sirens. Meanwhile, Ryn (Eline Powell) meets Maddie Bishop’s (Fola Evans-Akingbola) mom, Susan Bishop (Garcelle Beauvais).

Extended Family Problems

Since Helen Hawkins (Rena Owen) gained Rick Marsden’s (Brendan Fletcher) trust, he is now comfortable and open to her. His visit to Helen’s shop helps him become acquainted with the other mermaids under Helen’s care. Also, he brought Helen photos of him and his sister during their childhood. However, the siblings had a falling out as they reached adulthood. Because of Rick’s strange condition, his sister saw him as a threat to her and her family, severing ties with him completely. Despite this, Helen advises him to reach out to her, thinking that perhaps she has the same struggle as they do, too.

Mermaid Uprising

David Bukach/Freeform

Seeing Ryn sleeping beside Ben and Maddie, Cami (Millan Tezfagi) takes the opportunity to escape. Consumed by her longing for her mother, Cami takes everyone with her back to the Marine Observatory’s stockroom, wishing to take mermaid form once again. Ryn, Ben, and Maddie eventually catch up to them, then Ryn alleviates the tension. Later, she decides to take Cami to her mother’s grave, thinking that lying to her only made things worse. However, when Cami learns that a human killed her mother, she develops a hatred for all of them; even going as far as labeling Ryn herself a human.

With Helen, Viv (Alvina August), and Eliza (Georgia Waters) preoccupied with Rick’s visit and Levi (Sedale Threatt Jr.) out with Ben; Cami sat at the kitchen, alone. The news about her mother’s death made her grief worse as she carved on the table. Suddenly, Katrina returns, convincing Cami to join her as she went back to the ocean. Just like any typical teenager, Cami agrees. Before they leave, they find Levi at Ben’s house and threaten him to either join them or die.

Brothers Once More

David Bukach/Freeform

After the sirens’ escape incident, Levi joins Ben once more, helping him at the Marine Observatory. Unexpectedly, Reporter Ian Sutton (Luc Roderique) visits Ben at the observatory, giving him a tip: the oil company found oil in their waters and will start drilling quite soon. If that happens, the sirens will be forced to live on land, losing their homes for good.

Ben goes to his house to devise a plan when Xander suddenly knocks at his door, asking to sort things out. Thankfully, Ben instructs Levi to stay put in the house. While Ben and Xander have a meal, Xander tells him about how he found and nursed Katrina before she went full crazy. On the other hand, Ben spills the tip Ian gave him. Realizing how harmful it is to the ecosystem, the town’s livelihood, and the sirens, Xander agrees to help Ben get a closer look on their enemy; who turns out to be using powerful Sonic blasts that pushed Ben meters away.

As the duo docked the ship, Xander sees the Pownall private airplane land near the docks. They could not believe their eyes. Ben’s father, Doug Pownall (Andrew Jenkins) was working with the enemy all along.

A Weird Ladies’ Night Out

After gathering and returning the sirens to the shelter, Maddie checks in on Susan. Unfortunately, Susan relapsed, calling Glen (Christopher Rosamond), her dealer, for a fix. Susan may have had her drugs, but it came at a price: she had a big bruise on her face. Regardless, Maddie chose to hear her out and accept her apology. When someone suddenly knocks at the door, the Bishops look in surprise. To Maddie’s surprise, it was Ryn, telling her about what happened with Cami.

Susan invites the two ladies to join her inside. While Maddie reluctantly led Ryn in, Susan eagerly offered her some tea. The ladies have a decent, getting-to-know type of conversation until Susan realizes something: her wedding ring is missing, and she probably left it at Glen’s motel room. With that, Maddie, Ryn, and Susan head to the motel. When Maddie manages to sneak in, Glen enters just as Maddie finds the ring. It took a while, but Maddie escapes Glen’s attack. Ryn had to snap Glen’s neck, though.

‘Siren’ Season 2, Episode 5 ‘Primal Instincts’ Final Verdict

This episode of Siren further invested in the mermaid’s perceived way of life. Seeing them transition as they try to behave like humans mirrors realities in our society today. Although the show’s weird underlying sexual tension between the main characters are now clearly stated, it does feel quite forced. Nevertheless, this episode felt necessary in building the overall dilemma of this season.

Siren continues Thursday, February 28th with ‘Distress Call’ at 8/9c on Freeform.