#ben pownall: one
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Supernatural fandom, I summon you. Siren (TV 2018) fandom, I summon you.
I offer you in sacrifice an idea for a fic crossover Supernatural X Siren (TV 2018).
Dean and Castiel visit the town of Bristol Cove because they think there is a hunt, think there's something to kill out there and the town is experiencing a series of bad events.
Dumb accidents at sea, annoying problems with data and banks. Small things that pile up and pile up to make it dangerous. (Dean and Castiel get locked out their véhicule during a storm while coming into town)
You couple that with the various deaths and the Pownall history and it's "little American town, monster on the loose snacking on inhabitants" scenario, and Castiel thinks the town is cursed.
Dean goes undercover because they know jack shit about boats and how to manoeuvre one, and the fisherman are hella cagy. Makes friend with Xander, works with him on the boat for a while, and sees Maddie, Ryn and Ben out on the shore several times, the last two going under for super long periods of time.
He meets Maddie in person while helping bring something hurt by the nets in the medical center, where Castiel got hired too.
Ben actually likes Castiel because it reminds him how Ryn is and Maddie is wary as hell, because she got the full frontal "I can gaze into your soul, you're a good woman, Madison Bishop" the first day he started here.
-> they come after Ryn gave birth to her baby and the baby is living with them.
-> Ben became a merman, but lives most of his time out of the water
-> Throuple is strong but there are still some issues because Maddie can feel the distance between her and RynxBen, they are working their issues and Dean/Castiel is a healthy snack.
-> Ben and Ryn have no idea that the supernatural exists, Maddie has an inkling because she feels feathers all over her when Castiel is in the room. And Haida legends are true.
I realize that Siren fandom is pretty small, but the design,brutality and awesomeness of that show is perfectly on brand with supernatural. It just lacks the sass. If you haven't watched it yet, I'm begging you, please do. I'm rewatching it and it's still beautiful.
So yeah that's what I'm currently working on. but if you have any ideas, or specific scenes that you want to see in there, I'm open to suggestions and influence.
#siren 2018#supernatural#dean winchester#castiel#maddie bishop#ben pownall#ryn#fic crossover#fic idea#prompt#im open to suggestions#if you want to run with this and write your own#do it#it dont bite
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My Birthday!!!
Today is the greatest day. It's my BIRTHDAY! I am 29 today. Originally I had planed a season review on my birthday but as I am nowhere close, here's some important characters that I love.
Strong female characters: Violet Baudelaire, Catherine Willows(CSI), Calleigh Duquesne(CSI Miami), Aelin Galathynius(TOG), Lysandra(TOG), Emory Scott(Devil's Night), Bryce Quinlan(Crescent City), Aphrodite Lafont(House Of Night), Mary Dinunzio(Lisa Scottoline) Marimar(Orquidea), Faith Mitchell(Will Trent), Helene(Ember Quartet), Emma Carstairs(TDA), Drusilla Blackthorn(TDA), Maddie Kendall(911), Sharon Leone(Fire Country), Buffy Summers(BTVS), Dawn Summers(BVTS), Cordelia Chase(Angel), Winifred Burkle(Angel), Faith Lehane(BTVS), Willow Rosenberg(BTVS), Audrey Hope(Gossip Girl Reboot, HBO), Mulan, Althea Shen(Kung Fu), Maggie Vera(Charmed, CW Reboot), Cordelia Goode(AHS), Toph(ATLA), Polly Marks(Claws), Maize(Lucifer)
Honorable mentions: Stella(Winx), Maryse Lightwood(TMI), Ryan Wilder(Batwoman), Tecna(Winx), May Grant(911), Chelsea Arrington(Night Agent), Diane Faar(Night Agent), Christina Rosales(TDA), Duela Doe(Gotham Knights), Kiki Hope(Gossip Girl Reboot, HBO), Elyon(WITCH), Nancy Wheeler(Stranger Things), Violet Par(The Incredibles), Eve(Lucifer), Maureen Jonson(Rent)
Characters that give off Alpha female energy: This one, I haven't talked about. These characters aren't necessarily strong fighters. But they know how to command a room and do it stylishly. That is a skill all by itself. They are: Chanel Oberlin(Scream Queens), Madison Montgomery(AHS), Massie Block(The Clique), Clay Collins(Tryst Six), Stephanie Brown(Gotham Knights), Blair Waldorf(Gossip Girl), Nadia Morales(The Cleaning Lady), Shiv Roy(Succession) , Mimi Marquez(Rent)
Excellent male Characters: Klaus Baudelaire, Jude(The Darkest Minds), Cole Stewart,(The Darkest Minds), Musa(Ember Quartet), Matthew Fairchild(TLH), Alistair Carstairs(TLH), Julian Blackthorn(TDA), Ty Blackthorn(TDA), Spencer Reid(Criminal Minds), Deacon Kay(SWAT), Evan Buckley(911), Wesley Wyndam-Pryce(Angel), Dono(Big Sky), Tharion Ketos(Crescent City, Ithan Holstrom(Crescent City), Sylvain Gautier(FETH), Rosado(FEE), Jimmy Darling(AHS), Steve Harrington(Stranger Things), Yuri Leclerc(Fire Emblem), Zuko(ATLA), Roman Roy(Succession), Darren Cody(Animal Kingdom), Joshua Cody(Animal Kingdom)
Honorable mentions: Ben Pownall(Siren), Xander Harris(BTVS), Stone Barrington, Jesse Mcdermitt, Brandon(Winx), Walter(Big Sky), Max Wolfe(Gossip Girl Reboot, HBO), Will Grayson III(Devil's Night), Iden Kadir(Devil's Night), Aaron Hotchner(Criminal Minds), Bobby Nash(911), Mike Wheeler(Stranger Things), Lucas Sinclair(Stranger Things), Connor(Angel)
The villains need love too: Sebastian Morgenstern(TMI), The Seelie Queen(TMI and TDA), Randall(Monsters Inc.), Pollux(Crescent City), Pippa Spetsos(Crescent City), Zira(Lion King 2), Morgana(The Little Mermaid 2), Yzma(Emperor's New Groove), Conrad(Seneca Rain), Hubert Vestra(Fire Emblem), Gris(Fire Emblem), Azula(ATLA), Clancy Gray(The Darkest Minds)
Honorable mentions: Odran(Dragonheart series)
This is an ongoing list, it gets added to all the time. And I probably forgot some. But I'm 29 today, YAY
#read goddamit!#strong female character#csi cbs#criminal minds#kung fu#siren freeform#gotham knights#lisa scottoline#sarah j maas#charmed cw#swat cbs#fire country#fire emblem#shadowhunters#911 fox#devil's night#the clique#the cleaning lady#scream queens#american horror story#disney#gossip girl hbo
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closed starter for ben pownall & ryn || @metamxrphxsis @rynxlove
Moving to Beacon Hills had not been easy. Leaving behind Bristol Cove, the center, their home and friends, all the memories every corner of the town held for them. It'd been difficult to make the decision, even if Maddie had debated it through the years and had almost gone through with it after the siren song attack. She had never left though, for a long time she doubted she ever could. Then the news of the resurrected reached them, discussing the matter with Ryn, what exactly the dead returning could mean...
Relocating felt necessary. The why and how, how long it could take, whether their chances were low or even none existence; it didn’t matter. If there was a possibility, if there was even the slightest chance that those they had lost could come back, that they would be waiting in that small California town; they had to go. They had to try.
Maddie exited the examination room and found the secretary of the research department waiting for her. She was told her girlfriend and their child had arrived asking to see her, that a man was also accompanying them but Ryn had not introduced him. Maddie didn't ask any other questions, knowing that Ryn wouldn't have shared any information with the staff she didn't believe they needed to know, thanking her coworker and hurrying off to the office.
She felt nervous, tension rising in her body as she walked through the hallways of the aquarium, wondering what exactly was going on and why Ryn was bringing this man with her. A part of her, the emotional and wishful part of her, wondered if their months of searching had finally paid off, if their reason for moving to Beacon Hills had finally been proven to be the right decision. Maddie didn't want to assume though, she didn't want to get her hopes up and then haven them crushed once again. She had to remain calm, to stop her thoughts from racing, to focus and not speculate before she had all the information.
Maddie opened the door to her office and met the mermaid's gaze, a smile curling her lips as she greeted both Ryn and Hope. Brown eyes then lifted to the figure behind them, to the man the shorter brunette had brought with her, Maddie's eyes growing wide. She looked at Ryn, silently begging her for confirmation, begging to be reassured it was actually real.
Maddie looked at the man again. “Ben..” She hurried to him, holding back a sob as she wrapped her arms around him.
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Ben partially transforms in Season 3 Episode 8 of Siren.
#alex roe#ben pownall#eline powell#ryn#fola evans akingbola#maddie bishop#siren#freeform siren#siren gifs#merman#actor#talented#the 5th wave#hot summer nights#hot guy#gorgeous guy#one of my faves
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maddie was having a whole music video moment on the plane and neither one of them noticed how sad she was.
#siren freeform#siren#that scene pissed me off like yall dont see her sitting there upset#ryn really trying to stay on land for ben#ben the one who is doing mermaid heroin that ben#siren done lost they damn mind#polymarine#maddie bishop#ryn fisher#ben pownall#ben got a dead mermaid that dug up in his freezer#i just cant
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Ok I really hope they renew this show for a fourth season because what the fuck. What happened to polymarine??? Did they just???? I mean???? And I also felt that the battle lasted too quick I don’t know but that’s just me.
#there are so MANY THINGS that me saying what the fuck to my tv#siren freeform#siren spoilers#ryn fisher#maddie bishop#ben pownall#and they��re just gonna yeet maddie out of the equation as if she was the only one with common sense#what the FUCK#i’m gonna keep watching though if they get another season hoping they address this#this is the ONLY show i kept up with on tv because i lose intrest easily#lets keep it that way#oof too many tags sorry
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Repeating the past - Ben and Ryn as modern parallels to Charles Pownall and his mermaid?
When I wrote my previous post about the Pownall Massacre I noticed just how many parallels between the massacre and our trio exist, especially for the characters of Ben and Ryn. In fact, I saw so many parallels that I started writing the following as the last part of my analysis. But I soon realized that this was too large and merited an article of its own.
If you are unfamiliar with the story of the Pownall Massacre feel free to read my previous article on it (or alternatively you can just accept my conclusions at face value).
Gifs in this post are either taken from the official freeform site, Crayonboxhearts, koortega or sirensource.
Due to the characters involved in the Charles Pownall story this analysis has to mainly focus on Ben and Ryn. I apologize beforehand if it seems as if I am ignoring Maddie. You will understand why once you get to the last part of this article.
Hypothesis: The story of Charles H. Pownall and his mermaid might be repeating itself in the form of Ben and Ryn (and to a certain extent Maddie).
(Polymarine fans upon reading the previous sentence)
The looming threat of Ben turning into his ancestor and Ryn into the original mermaid is always present in the show and adds drama and spice to their relationship. A huge part of what makes their relationship worth watching is experiencing how they overcome the past - or not - and how they make different choices than their respective families / societies. This piece will examine how the show creates parallels and in which way they differ from the original characters.
Part I: The Parallels
There are multiple obvious parallels between the story of Charles and his mermaid and our trio, so many in fact that this is very unlikely to be coincidental.
1. Charles Pownall was the first of the Bristol Cove community to meet a mermaid and became entranced with her and her song
(ELAINE: “I*m curious, how did you and Ben become friends? RYN: Ben almost hit me with car.”)
Likewise, Ben is the first person in close to 150 years to meet a mermaid and he too becomes entranced with her song in Episode 101: “The Mermaid Discovery”.
2. Both Charles and Ben were already in a committed relationship when they met the mermaid.
Charles was married to an unnamed woman (presumably Bens great-great-great-grandmother), Ben was dating Maddie for several months until Ryn arrived on the scene.
(Player 3 has entered the game)
As with Charles, the new presence complicates the existing relationship, to the point that Ben and Maddie break up for a short while in Episode 110 when he (under the influence of the song) consistently put his need to protect Ryn over communicating with Maddie.
3. Charles and the mermaid lived together on land.
(”Ryn choose[...] I stay on land with Ben and Maddie”)
Ryn too lives with Ben and Maddie on land, As of 209, she wants to stay on land permanently even though it might put her in danger.
4. Charles Pownall suffered from alleged mental illness due to the song.
Likewise, Ben and Maddie experience visions and exhibit poor impulse control after being exposed to it. This ranges from visions of Ryn being in danger to a unique way of telling your prospective inlaws about the nature of your relationship with their son and the “friend from Finland”.
5. Charles tried alcohol to cope with the effects of the song.
(Episode 209 “No North Star” and Episode 211 “Mixed Signals”)
Maddie and Ben start drinking alcohol whenever missing Ryn or daydrinking when under the effect of the song.
6. Charles started to act abnormally when his mermaid was gone.
Ben and Maddie also act abnormally whenever Ryn might have left them for good. Ben takes risky trips to sea at night in Episode 105 "Curse of the Starving Class" , both Maddie and Ben self-medicate with the song in Episode 209 "No North Star".
7. As with Charles the song causes brain damage in Ben and Maddie.
(“My song do this? Make Heads go dark?” - from Episode 211: “Mixed Signals” )
8. It is likely that Charles’ mermaid was the one initiating the sexual part of the relationship.
"I have a dream. About Ben.[...]Maddie says it is because I want you."
While Ben and Ryn discussed having feelings for each other before, it is Ryn who pursues him in 204 “Oil and Water”.
Ryn is the first to kiss both Maddie and Ben (mimicking human behaviour in episodes 105 and 106 with first true kisses happening in episode 204). It is Ryn who first states the wish to have sexual relations with the other two.
All subsequent sexual encounters we see depicted on the show happen with Ryn being the one initiating them.
(Episode 208)
(Episode 209)
(Episode 210)
(Episode 213)
9. According to other humans the mermaid was a woman of ill repute, even slandered as a tavern prostitute after her disappearance.
Likewise, Ryn is seen as a drug addict, murder suspect and person-who-holds-wild-orgies-at-the-cabin-with-Ben by elements of the police force. The look on Deputy Marissa Staub's face when Ryn appears besides Ben at the Cabin in Episode 203 “Natural Order” speaks volumes.
(Tfw you discover the local prince is way too intimate with the local druggie, offending conservative sensibilities everywhere. Oh the humanity.)
Marissa also likely views Ryn as a home-wrecker (considering she knows Maddie is dating Ben and is close to Dale), much the same way other humans would have viewed Charles mermaid.
10. Charles and the Mermaid had a baby
One thing missing at this point in the show is the presence of a hybrid baby but that might (and I think eventually will) change in the following seasons. There were multiple scenes in Episode 213 where both Ben and Ryn clearly exhibited signs of wanting to have children with each other and one scene in particular where they both had to force themselves not to do so within that episode.
[Sidenote: The acting in Episodes 213-216 was on point.]
Wwhether there will be a baby in the relationship due to Ryn getting her full-blood baby back (although I think it more likely that one - if it survives - will end up with the other sirens in the sea) or a hypothetical future hybrid baby she might have with Ben (something I personally thnk will be the direction the show will eventually take in the penultimate, maybe ultimate season) the massive anvil sized hints the writers dropped in 213 are too huge to ignore.
[Sidenote: Would Ben and Ryn need IVF to conceive? Probably not. As the tests showed in Episode 213 "The Outpost" there was nothing wrong with Ryn. I believe the problem with getting pregnant was firmly on the male side as infertility in apex predators (and humans) is most often a male problem and the procedure they used is typically used to fix low sperm count in male humans. More on that maybe in a later article.]
11. There is persistent symbolism associated with Charles Pownall, Ben and Ryn in Season 1
In Episode 109 “Street Fight” the most tragic event of Season 1 (Donna getting fatally wounded) happens right near the statue of Ben's Ancestor, with the camera panning over to the statue multiple times to make sure the audience gets the hint.
It also featured a storyline of Ben acting increasingly irrationally (albeit in a very mild manner compared to Charles) while trying to protect Ryn from Katrina.
Conclusion:
So there you have it. The Siren trio is just a retelling of the Charles Pownall story adapted for modern times, destined for the same tragic ending. After all, the parallels are there. Charles = Ben, his mermaid = Ryn.
(Polymarine representatives gather near the author’s house to register their difference of opinion, 2019, decolorized)
Maybe not.
Or rather, this is not the same story and the show tells us that they are not reliving the past.
B) Differences
Whereas the story of Charles Pownall was that of a tragedy and eventual separation, the story of our trio is not. In fact, what the writers are going for seems to be the kind of story that shows that people in similar situations might act in a different manner than their ancestors and thus that similar situations might have different, better outcomes.
Let us take a look at the ways the show differentiates the trio from the Pownall story and also the ways the show outright tells us that this is not the same story.
1. Ryn and Ben’s motivations are different than those of their ancestors
Unlike the mermaid which helped Charles find material wealth, Ryn's initial motive is to find her sister, then stop the overfishing, then safeguard her pack, then save her species from extinction. This of course is accompanied by the motive of Ryn to stay with Ben and Maddie, a motive which might even have taken priority if Ryn leaving her pack to stay on land permanently in Episode 209 is any indication.
The initial motive on the actions of Charles were profit (and maybe fame), which is definitely not the case with Ben who seems to not care much about material wealth as evidenced by Episode 108 where he declines a new car.
ELAINE: "Your car is disgusting." BEN: "I like my car" ELAINE: "We could buy you a new one, you know. One of those electrics....good for the environment."
Ben could easily become famous and have a huge career boost by "discovering" Ryn and publishing his findings but he does not. Instead his main motive seems to protect both humans and Sirens from harming each other - something that Ryn comes to eventually share as well.
2. The characters act as a bridge between the cultures, not as dividers
The show sometimes attaches imaginery to fit that purpose, as in Episode 203 “Oil and Water”.
(Let's just look each other in the eyes for 30 seconds while the merpack safely sleeps between us and hope that the viewers are not too distracted by the sexual tension to not notice the symbolism)
The writers further bring up the idea of characters (specifically Ryn) acting as a bridge between the cultures in Epsiode 206.
RYN: “Shapeshifter like me” DALE: Yes. And in those stories, the ones like you often represent the idea of two worlds coming together. [...] But maybe that is your calling, to lead my kind and your kind to a peaceful existence in this new world.”
In 208 Ben reveals his hope that eventually the two species can live together (again) in harmony (something that Ryn, Maddie and Ben already practice on a smaller scale).
3. When facing a choice between their respective societies/families and their relationship the trio consistently chooses the relationship
After becoming Alpha in Episode 109 "Street fight" Ryn still choses to leave her pack behind to stay on land.
In 207 Ryn decides to volunteer as a military test subject in order to get Ben out of jail.
This was a very risky choice - she had no reason to trust the military, no reason to believe they would ever let her go and she also risked her entire pack's welfare by placing herself in the hands of the military. Yet she still did it for Ben.
In episode 208 Ryn leaves her pack to spend the night with Ben and Maddie and in episode 209 she reveals she permanently wants to stay with them no matter the costs or risks attached, even though it might expose her to capture by the military and thus risk her colony. The vehemence with which she defends her choice is telling.
RYN:"Ryn hurt inside. Need Ben and Maddie" BEN: "We need you too. There is a woman looking for you". MADDIE: "She's with the military. RYN: "Yes. I help her." BEN: "Why?" RYN: "She get Ben out of cage." MADDIE: "You agreed to work with her to get Ben out of jail?" RYN: "Yes." BEN: You shouldn't have done that" RYN: "Ben is love" BEN: "Look you shouldn't have put yourself in danger for me." MADDIE: "We think it's better for you to go back to the water. Just for a while."
At this suggestion, Ryn gets visibly angry.
RYN: "Ryn choose...Military was bad to sister, but good to Ryn." MADDIE: "For now. But we don't know what they want to do to you." RYN: "I stay with Ben and Maddie."
Ben likewise rejects his family business and refuses to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors. When presented with a "dark" vision of himself in Episode 214 he rejects it with horror. He consistently lies to his family to keep Ryn safe and to help her. Most importantly at the end of Episode 215 “Sacrifice” he puts Ryn’s safety above the health of his own mother, who might very well die because of this choice.
Kyle, slimeball extraordinaire and commander of the military facility had previously told Ben that his mother would need another injection of Ryn's stem cells soon in order to continue healing, leading to the following conversation:
MADDIE: “As soon as he finds out what we did, that'll be the end of our relationship with him.” BEN: “Yeah. This is what matters right now. For Ryn and her species. All the rest we'll just have to figure out.”
Maddie likewise choses to protect Ryn and breaks a solemn vow to her father to do so in Episode 107 “Dead in the water” . While maybe not on the same level of the above-mentioned sacrifices made by Ryn and Ben there is not a single reason to doubt that she too would choose her two mates over anybody else.
4. The human families of the trio are not openly hostile to them being together with Ryn
Charles Pownall's family was hostile to the mermaid with the Hawkins being permanently ostracized by the Pownells.
The human families reaction to the relationship between Ben, Ryn and Maddie are different from that. Maddie's mother, Susan, is concerned - but not about the nature of the relationship, instead she is concerned about Maddie getting hurt. We do not know what Dale thinks about the relationship or if he even knows about it though I find it hard to believe Maddie would keep it from him. Thus I would argue he at least tolerates it).
Ben's father seems completely unfazed by his son being in a polyamorous relationship. If anything he seems more amused by the display Maddie made when she announced that she, Ryn and Ben were in such a relationship instead of the fact itself.
HELEN: "That was quite the show" TED *laughs* : "That's one way to put it. I just hope those three figure it out, whatever it is."
Elaine was shocked but that might have been more due to the nature of the announcement - she certainly did not have any problems with Ryn kissing Ben in Episode 209 despite knowing that Ben was with Maddie.
There are a few caveats to the above. Nobody except Dale knows Ryn’s true nature. Ted's reaction might very well be different and even hostile in the future considering he is on the verge of finding out about Ryn. Of course the Sirens having something to do with the boat accident that crippled Elaine or that Elaine might suffer more in the future due to Ryn having to withhold stem cells from her might also cause Ted and Elaine to react negatively in the future.
5. (Human) society has evolved a bit since the 19th century
Humans in the 19th century would not have reacted kindly to an unmarried woman (the siren) spending time with a married man (Charles) , even if they did not know her true origin,
[Sidenote: If you want to have a “fun” time read up what people did in the 19th and early 20th centuries to sabotage relationships that were considered abnormal. In the infamous example of Virginia Woolf this even involved a plane chase across two countries.]
When the trio's human friend Xander learns about the relationship, his reaction is one of surprise and shock. (You can watch the scene here). However a discussion between him and Maddie in Episode 212 confirms that this is not due to a rejection of the nature of the relationship but more about Xander's worry that the Siren song is controlling Maddie. After being told this is not the case, he drops that objection and while he certainly does not like the relationship he is not taking active steps to sabotage it unlike 19th century people might have
In fact it seems as if nobody in Bristol Cove much cares about the relationship the three have. There must by now be a considerable amount of people seeing the trio interact in public like this:
(Yes officer, this scene right here)
And multiple people in the anchor saw Ryn and Ben dancing together in 204 in a manner that was way too intimate to just be friends.
(Taking bets on the number of gaskets Deputy Marissa will blow when she hears about this happening.)
Especially in a small town like Bristol Cove where everybody knows each other the gossip mill must already run wild about the trio. However nobody seems to mind.
This of course is a major difference of today's society to the 19th century society of Charles and his mermaid. Today's society cares much less about things like adhering to strict heterosexual norms and two-person relationships. Unlike in the 19th century where even marrying below your station would be considered a betrayal and seriously threaten your standing in society, the acceptance of sexuality and relationships as fluid concepts is at an all-time high.
There is only one person who openly is hostile against Ryn spending time with Ben and Maddie in the show and that is Deputy Marissa. However Marissa also believes that Ryn is a drug addict, possible dealer, possible murder suspect and person-who-holds-wild-drug-orgies-at-the-cabin-with-Ben. No wonder she is hostile to Ryn given that it is her duty to protect Bristol Cove from bad influences - which her inaccurate version of Ryn definitely is.
If anything it seems that the Siren society is less accepting of the relationship than humans are (at least Cami and Katrina are appalled by it). But as long as Ryn is Alpha then what are they going to do about it without risking an immediate beatdown by an enraged Ryn?
[Sidenote: At this time I feel it is my solemn duty to link you this great video of humans reacting to the trio, edited by Koortega.]
6. The reactions to the Siren Song might be different from those of Charles
This is more speculative than the other parts of this post because we do not know the specific reactions of Charles Pownall to the song. Yet so far - and speaking strictly about the effect of the song on the relationship - whenever the song is used it does not have negative effects with regards to threatening the relationship.
Ben's visions are not about domineering or being possessive about Ryn, but ultimately about protecting her (Episode 110 “Aftermath” and to a lesser extent Episode 203 “Natural Selection”), realizing he might hurt her through his behaviour and reaffirming how much he loves her (Episode 214 “The last mermaid”).
Likewise Maddie, despite being exposed to the more harmful defensive variant of the song only wants to tell the world about how much she loves Ryn and Ben.
[Sidenote: There is also the unlikely possibility that the relationship between Charles and his mermaid was solely based on the song, which in any case is not true for our trio.]
A cure for the brain damage due to the song also exists and the experience of obtaining that cure together brings the throuple closer together.
(From Episode 212: “Serenity”)
So there you have it. There are enough differences between the trio and Charles Pownall and his mermaid to not have them go down the same dark path. But in this case the show goes even further.
C) The events of the last episodes of Season 2
The writers themselves tell us in no uncertain terms in the last four episodes of Season 2 that this is not the same story because Ben and Ryn are not their respective ancestors.
In Episode 213 and 214 as the Pownall massacre as well as Ryn’s mating drive and her unilateral actions based on that drive put the relationship to its hardest test.
It is important to note that the writers used multiple contrivances to arrive at this point. For the biggest example, Ryn seems to have suddenly developed complete memory loss with regards to her knowledge about Ben being a Pownall. Which is more than a bit contrived considering Ben and Maddie discuss his father owning Pownall’s two meters away from her while she is clearly listening in Episode 106 “Showdown”.
This was not something Ryn overheard considering later in the same episode:
DONNA: I see his face. In that place take our food. RYN: That was not him. That was his father. Writers of Episode 213: FAKE NEWS.
Oh and if there was any doubt left there is also that time Bens father was called Mr. Pownall in front of Ryn in Episode 108.
(WRITERS: “You saw nothing.”)
In Episode 110 Helen explicitly names the father of the hybrid baby as “Charles Pownall” and also confirms that Ben and her are related through Charles. This is done while Ryn is listening and participating in that conversation (I have transcribed the whole conversation in my previous post about the massacre)
Ryn also seems to have paid no attention at all to her surroundings while living with Ben and Maddie for months (c’mon, does that sound anything like the hyperobservant, inquisitive and highly intelligent mermaid we know?). Anybody who walks around a modern human name would shortly know the name of the homeowner. Given all these factors, her not knowing before Episode 213 makes no sense at all.
So why the contrivance?
Of course one possibility is that the writers were too incompetent to remember what they wrote a year ago. But I do not believe this to be the case, especially with how few contradictions there are in the show otherwise and the great attention to detail the writers usually have. Maybe they wanted to score cheap drama? But there already was enough drama with Ryn trying to save her species from extinction (plus the effect this had on Ben and Maddie) and it seems odd to go to such great lengths just for that. Therefore I would argue that the Pownell revelation was (at least partly) included here to make a specific point.
What point would that be? Let us recap what happens in those episodes, especially 214.
After “suddenly discovering” (excuse me while I go grind my teeth in the corner) in Episode 213 that Ben’s last name is Pownell Ryn gets very upset and concerned, culminating in the following exchange in Episode 214:
BEN: "Charles." RYN: "He loved one like me and his love turned bad. It makes him angry. He killed my people. And it starts with love. Like *crying* Like Ben love Ryn."
Ryn is clearly concerned about a repeat of the original Pownall story. And in this episode Ryn (and the audience) is explicitly told by Maddie that Ben is not his ancestor - just as Ryn is not hers either.
MADDIE: "You know my mother, Susan?" RYN: "Yes" MADDIE: "Remember I told you how she was? The pain she caused me?" RYN: "Yes. She was weak and sad." Maddie: "Am I like her?" RYN: "No. You are strong." MADDIE: "Just because your family thinks or acts a certain way doesn't mean you have to repeat that. Ben's ashamed of what his family did. And many in your colony don't trust humans. They want to fight them. But you came on land, you trusted us, fell in love with us." RYN: "Love can be good or bad." MADDIE: "Yeah. But I trust Ben. I trust you. I trust that our love is good."
(Take ALL the Applause Maddie, you earned it.)
Ryn accepts Maddie's argument. The speed at which she does so as well as her obvious concern for Ben when he disappears during the episode seems to indicate that she was more conflicted about her own feelings than anything else - like Ben himself in that episode one might say. When Ben finally reappears, Ryn is visibly relieved at the sight of him and the following exchange happens:
RYN: "You are okay?" BEN: "No. Not okay." RYN: "Angry with me?" BEN: "Confused. About myself." RYN: "Ben. I know you would not hurt me. I know you are different from your family. Those who kill. BEN: "I want to believe that." RYN: "I believe. Our love is good." BEN: "You trust me?" RYN: "I don't want you to feel any more pain."
The relationship between her and Ben survives the stress test and trust seems to be fully restored through Ben’s following actions in Episode 215 (some of which have already been mentioned before).
The relationship seems to have been fully repaired by the end of 215 but if there was any lingering distrust I think Episode 216 would have dispelled that as Ryn is clearly willing to move forward with the relationsip at the end of Episode 216. Letting Ian drown might have been taken by Ryn as a display of trust, especially as she knows that it took a toll on Ben.
This of course is a parallel to another Season 1 episode. In Episode 106 “Showdown” Ben steps in to prevent Ryn from killing another antagonist that was a threat to her (Aldon Decker). Her reaction to Ben refusing to let a human die to keep her safe is one of anger and feeling betrayed.
RYN: "Why you help the bad man?” [Ben refuses to let Ryn kill Decker by placing himself between them] RYN: You choose him. You should choose me."
In Episode 216, Ben does so. He clearly chooses Ryn and her safety over the life of a fellow human.
Even without that choice it was in my opinion already clear from the looks they share at the end of Episode 215 that they will move forward with each other.
(Protip to a happy life: find yourself a relationship where the persons involved in said relationship can still look at each other like that even after they just finished putting each other through hell for several days).
Due to all the factors involved in Episodes 213-216 (Ryn unilaterally deciding for much of the storyline and expecting the others to go along without giving them a say, the whole fertility crisis amongst the Sirens and of course the Pownall “revelation”) this probably was the worst stress the relationship could ever be under at that point.
I therefore posit that if the relationship between Ben and Ryn would be “Charles Pownell 2.0″, this would have been a fracture point instead of a successful stress test.
And the relationship between Ben and Ryn surviving is of course in no small part due to the largest stabilizing element in the relationship, the one element that was missing from the story of Charles and his Siren.
D) The third element
Imagine how different the story of Charles and his mermaid might have happened had they lived with the Haida - people who knew how to deal with human-siren relationships, how to help hybrids and who were most likely used to that kind of relationship happening.
The present-day relationship the show is depicting has such a large stabilizing element to it. I am talking of course about the one person I have so far criminally neglected in favour of focusing on Ben and Ryn (because they are the parallels to charles and their mermaid and also because this allowed me to give this post a better structure).
Maddie might not be Haida biologically, but she is a Haida in the cultural sense of the word. She was raised by a Haida man and one of the first stories she tells Ryn to calm her down in Episode 102 “The Lure” is a Haida story. Now of course Maddie is not the solution to all the problems the trio faces. She does not have any Haida knowledge on how to deal with hybrids or Sirens.
However, she is by far the largest stabilizing element in the relationship as evidenced by episode 214 and the episodes before. Whenever Ryn and Ben are acting out of character or have communication issues (either between them, others or with Maddie), Maddie appears as the mediator that manages to get through to the other two and makes them see reason. Even when she initially fails (as with Ben in 110 and with her first discussion with Ryn in 214) she still manages to have enough of an impact on them to get them to reconsider their actions, change their behaviour and attempt to fix the situation.
Her second long dialogue between her and Ryn Episode 214 (which is quoted in the segment C of this post) is the best example of Maddie’s exceptional communication skills. It probably is one of my top 5 Maddie scenes of the show and highlights just how integral Maddie is for the story of the trio. The way Maddie (without recriminations) manages to make Ryn understand that she got the wrong impression of Ben, the way she focuses the communication on the love that is the basis of the trio relationship is unbelievably on point.
Or to put it more bluntly: The story of Siren is not the story of Ben and Ryn alone. It is the story of Ben, Ryn and Maddie. It is a story about the unique love and trust that develops between the three.
And this is why I firmly believe that we are not seeing a repeat o the CharlesPownell story here. Instead, what we are seeing is how the more enlghtened and more evolved characters of Ryn and Ben and Maddie make different choices than their ancestors. In short, just because History might look similar, it does not - and will not - repeat itself in this case.
Does that mean there will be no challenges to the relationship in the future? Of course not for otherwise there would be a lot less in the show. We already see the groundwork for multiple future stress tests of the relationship being laid (Ted having footage of Ryn underwater, the Sirens attacking Ted in the water when Elaine had the boating accident, the reaction by some sirens like Cami to the relationship, Ben letting Ian drown, him and Ryn keeping this from Maddie etc.)
But there is one certainty the show tells us over and over again, even chosing it as the end screen for season 2.
They are love.
And on that note, we shall end the analysis of the parallels between our throuple and the Pownall Massacre. Thank you for reading and for sticking with this rather long post until the end. I shall endeavour to make the next post a little shorter, I promise. Alternative interpretations, additional info or critique are always welcome.
[Final sidenote: Anybody wishing for the trio to become a duo (whether it be Ben/Ryn, Maddie/Ryn or Ben/Maddie) is asking for the show to be a lot poorer in terms of character interaction, to be less inclusive and to have fewer opportunities for future storylines.
Could the story work with just Ryn and Maddie or just Ryn and Ben? Yes, the love between each of them might be strong enough to survive without the third. But such a story would not be Siren, it would be another star-crossed-lovers story that has been done countless times before.
And this is why it was immediately clear that Episode 216 was a giant fake-out as soon as Maddie was fatally wounded in it.]
#siren freeform#Pownall Massacre#polymarine#analysis#long post#i swear the next one will be shorter#Ben#Ryn#Maddie#siren#freeform siren
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siren buddy icons
#aaaaaaaaive never made icons but like#here you go#siren#siren freeform#ben pownall#ryn fisher#maddie bishop#ryn x maddie#raddie#ben x maddie#madden#n ill probably make some bryn ones too#siren icons#icons#mywork
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“You don’t know what you’re dealing with.”
#sirenedit#siren#siren freeform#ben pownall#maddie bishop#ryn#donna#levi#*minesiren#for all the folks who act like donna and levi are the only ones#who been violent#a reminder#violence tw#assault tw#both of them..all of them have had valid reasons for their feelings#even when the audience sees no threat in some of these situations they do#and it's been BOTH of them#and the new mermaids also feel threatened#folks are trying to trap them for goodness sake
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#siren#sirenedit#siren freeform#ben pownall#ryn#ben x ryn#eline powell#alex roe#graphics: mine#requested by anon#such a nice moment#i honestly thought they were going to kiss even after the whole 'friend' bit#tbh any time ryn is this close to him or maddie i'm like 👀👀#i also kind of like that ben is frequently emotional/on the verge of tears while maddie is the strong stoic one?#idg how anyone can hate him bc he cares a lot and he means well and he's trying his best
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It’s 10 am. She should have been home by now.
#Xander McClure#Calvin#Ben Pownall#Maddie Bishop#Siren#siren freeform#I love how much Maddie and Ben throw looks at each other#Xander is my under appreciated fav#I need to show him more love#the first one doesn't even look like a gif they're so still
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Wait, if Maddie's mom called two days ago that means it's been two days since the end of season one and the beginning of season two. In that time Ben has been found passed out on the docks, broken his arm, and got into a bar fight. Also, Ben's hair must grow extraordinarily fast.
#sirens freeform#writers can't do math#ben pownall#whats maddie's last name?#two days actually works for just about everyone except for ben#he's the only one that it seems like its been closer to 2 weeks#not to mention that somehow their co-worker guy has picked up on the separate shifts thing in 2 days?
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siren: fuck love triangles, those suck, here’s a nice lil pure triad instead 🥰
siren: bury your gays who ??? i don’t know her
SIREN SAID SIKE GUYS SIREN ACTUALLY FUCKING SAID SIKE 😭😭😭😭😭💖💖💖💖💖 FINALLY A FUCKING GOOD SHOW TO WATCH
#i stan one (1) show#jk but you get the point#siren#siren ff#siren freeform#freeform siren#freeform#polymarine#bryndie#ben x maddie x ryn#ryn x maddie x ben#ryn fisher#maddie bishop#ben pownall
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Am I the only one having fun watching Siren lmao like idk if I’m just goofy asf or what but I loved last nights episode! Like that Mommy and Me class...Ryn said “y’all babies gon get eaten” like sis was gon get arrested lol. And then Ben think he Aquaman or some shit. Ben just fucking up and it’s so funny cause every time something bad happens, you just blame Ben cause...he’s Ben. You know what’s really funny??? The entire purpose of Ben leaving Ian underwater to die was so that he wouldn’t lose Ryn or Maddie, but at this point, all of his actions are what’s ultimately gonna push them both away. Maddie being able to you know distance herself in a healthy way, like it being her choice is great! Ben and Ryn however are trapped in Pownall history. Like they’re both trying so hard to stay in eachothers loop. Ben essentially giving himself ‘abilities’ to help Ryn like trying to survive for an insane amount of time underwater. Ryn wants to raise her baby on land and underwater. Like the way she was struggling to let the baby go with Levi and Mate, something that’s natural for them, was...unsettling to me. Like I get she’s been on land for so long she has human feelings and stuff, a maternal instinct, I get that! But for the well-being of her child, it should have come more natural for her. And like Ben making Levi promise to protect Hope, like it was cute, but it’s literally Levi’s job and Mate is her father, like why wouldn’t they?!?! That baby is literally everything to Ryn’s tribe!!! What I’m saying is, basically Ben and Ryn are conforming?? themselves to eachothers lifestyles, Ben trying to become a hybrid of sorts I guess...having mermaid abilities and Ryn wanting to stay on land majority of the time....its not good. This is getting long so let me wrap this up! Basically what I’m saying is, they need to let go of eachother and heal their own minds, like a reset. I have a crazy gut feeling that this might be the last season we get of Siren. It kinda sucks but I wouldn’t mind it if they ended it the way I think it’s gonna end, which is Ryn leaving to go back to the water permanently. If Ryn is able to leave her family, Ben, Maddie, Helen, people who she has grown to love and care about, it would break that cycle, it’d be a turning point for them. Like instead of it being obsession that lead to destruction, it would be love that lead to healing and balance. I feel like it would be the point where humans and mermaids, hell even hybrids, would be at peace you know. Humans working to help keep balance in the ocean and mermaids being able to hunt and survive. The whole reason all of this even happened was because in season one, Ryn and Donna were hunting for food! Their species was starving and went to land looking for food. They were basically at war with fisherman, then with the fucking oil company like there needs to be a point where humans work to keep balance. Protecting the ocean, while also benefiting from it. Protecting it resulting in saving hundreds of species including the mermaids in which, I would hope, would lead to balance within the tribes. I don’t know, I’ve rambled on long enough. I’m bored and sleep deprived. I hope y’all understand all of that mess lol I’m so excited to see whats gonna happen!
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[ alex roe, cis man, he/him ] BEN POWNALL has been spotted in beacon hills. the 28 year old CHIMERA is known for being STUBBORN and IMPULSIVE, but they can also be KNOWLEDGEABLE and CARING. it’s said they are currently UNEMPLOYED in BLACK SAND BEACH, and that they are AGAINST integration. [ tommy, 27, he/him, est ]
History
Ben grew up in Bristol Cove as a descendent of Charles Pownall, a fisherman and captain of Bristol Cove more than 150 years ago. He used to be extremely close with his father, but when his father stopped being a fisherman and instead focused on business, growing it and extending. He became more money driven and that’s when they began to drift apart, as he grew older he bonded more with Sean McClure, beginning to see him as the father figure he was desperately craving to replace the one he felt he’d lost.
It was only after he went away to college that Ben knew what he really wanted to do, he didn’t want to be a fisherman for the rest of his life, but he didn’t want to follow in his dads footsteps, become like his brother. A shadow in his fathers light.
Instead he chose Marine Biology, earning his degree and working at Bristol Cove's Marine Research Center.
After learning of the existence of mermaids Ben made it his life’s mission to make sure they were safe, that they could adapt to their new surroundings on land and dedicated all of his time and research to getting them back to their home in the ocean. Even if it cost him everything.
In the end, it cost him his life as he knew it before.
Personality
Kind and caring, he’s willing to go out of his way to help anyone even if he doesn’t know them, often going out of his way to make sure they’re okay.
He has the tendency to become obsessive, especially after hearing Ryn’s siren song for the first time.
Impulsive to the point of doing things without thinking ahead of time
Stubborn, doesn’t like to be told what to do and will often try to prove others wrong even if it ends up hurting him in the end.
Headcanons/Other Facts
Ben currently has amnesia, after rescuing Hope from Tia everything is a blur for him. All he can remember are flashes of memories that he can’t make sense of. He knows Hope exists, a daughter that he can’t find.
Sometimes at night he sees flashes of a dream? A memory? Piercing blue eyes, calling out to him. A siren song playing deep in his subconscious, drawing him in.
Other times he dreams of ravens and the moon, a feather. A smile so bright that it could power a small city. If he followed that smile it could lead him home.
Ben has spent the last couple of years roaming the ocean’s waters looking for Hope, for his true home. Never fitting in with mermaid colonies around him, always driven away by others, never settling.
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