Netflix’ new miniseries, Sirens, has Devon DeWitt (Meghann Fahy) feeling like an outcast on an island with rich people. Devon finally finds a like mind in Jose (Felix Solis), bonding because they both hate the Kansas City Chiefs. She can’t stray from the reason she came to the island – to ‘rescue’ her sister Simone. Milly Alcock plays Simone, a girl boss in pastel, not the working class fighter whom Devon remembers. Devon comes to the island after Simone ignores her titular code for help through text. The longer Devon stays on the island, she understands the temptation of nice dresses and a lifestyle that feels aspirational. But as both get too close to Simone’s boss Michaela ‘Kiki’ Kell (Julianne Moore), they realize how dangerous the latter is.

This comes from Molly Smith Metzler, who first conceived of it as a regional stage play back in 2011. In between, she worked on projects like Maid and Orange is the New Black, all having women in the forefront. It’s been a while since I watched Orange is the New Black but this miniseries has a sadism to it. This quality in the miniseries isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it channels that into something that feels Faulknerian. After Jose and his crew finish setting up chairs, Simone tells them that an event now takes place somewhere else. This scene in Sirens somehow doesn’t feel like it’s making the crew suffer, nor does it make Simone as a villain without any sense of nuance.

Straight adaptations of stage plays can feel claustrophobic but Sirens knows how to make itself feel more dynamic. It does this by peppering itself with supporting characters to give Kiki’s island of rich cult members a sense of grounded realism. Some of these characters include Astrid (Emily Borromeo), Cloe (Jenn Lyon), and Lisa (Erin Neufer). Imagine Stepford Wives but they can sometimes get down with Cardi B and can take off their masks in front of whomever. Yes, even if this feels like Netflix’ whitest show ever, at least it doesn’t neglect its protagonists. It lets Devon change a bit without losing the fight in her that she feels Simone loses because of Kiki’s influence. It’s also a no-brainer that Julianne Moore is great at showing her character’s layers as well.

There are moments, though, in Sirens, that feel digressive, even if I like the actors I see on the screen. For example, I like Josh Segarra (he looks like the guy who should have texted me yesterday but still hasn’t) both delivering some good punch lines and being the object of others. As I write that though, let’s get back to the task at hand of bringing down the show’s real villain. Speaking of villains, and without giving anything away, there are two possible villains here and they’re both kinda wrong. I also feel a slight sense of ambivalence with its message that not all rich people are villains at heart. But I guess it’s kind of right in seeing its characters, as people who have their own journeys, with moments of tears and laughter, deserving of empathy.

Stream Sirens on Netflix.