Sirens creator Molly Smith Metzler on crafting the Netflix series and discovering America’s ultra-wealthy elite.

Molly Smith Metzler has returned with her new limited series, Sirens, a dark comedy featuring a star-studded cast.
The series is based on Metzler’s play Elemeno Pea, which she wrote after her experience working at an exclusive yacht club.
She recalled being both amused and alienated by the ultra-rich lifestyle she witnessed while working in Martha’s Vineyard.

Known for her work on the Netflix drama, Maid, Molly Smith Metzler has returned with her new limited series, Sirens, a dark comedy featuring a star-studded cast including Meghann Fahy, Milly Alcock, and Oscar-winning actress Julianne Moore.

The series is based on Metzler’s play Elemeno Pea, which she wrote after her experiences working at an exclusive yacht club, an environment she found both astonishing and intriguing. Those experiences inspired the play, which she has now adapted into the Netflix series.

Molly Smith Metzler’s Sirens draws from real-life encounters with America’s ultra-wealthy

Molly Smith Metzler has gained recognition for her work in acclaimed shows like Orange Is the New Black, Shameless, Maid, and most recently, Netflix’s Sirens.

A still from Sirens | Credit: Netflix

The series follows two sisters, Devon and Simone, as Devon becomes increasingly concerned about her sister’s unhealthy relationship with her new boss, Michaela, played by Julianne Moore, during an explosive weekend at a lavish beach estate.

And the series creator revealed in a recent interview that the show is rooted in her own past. As a 22-year-old college graduate, Metzler took a summer job at an elite yacht club in Martha’s Vineyard, a world of staggering wealth she never knew existed.

“I didn’t really know that level of wealth even existed in America,” she told The Wrap. Metzler recalled being amused and alienated by the ultra-rich lifestyle that she witnessed.

Molly Smith Metzler in a still | Credit: GoldDerby via YouTube

“I just remember that feeling of, ‘they are something that I’m not welcome in and I want to be welcome,” she said, before adding,

Their life looks way more fun than ours — They’re having gimlets. They’re on their super yachts — the wealth in this country is a cult.

Metzler found herself both amused and fascinated by this world, something she believes fueled her “obsessive interest in writing about class in America.” That same obsession led her to write Elemeno Pea, a play based on her experiences working in Martha’s Vineyard, which would later evolve into the Netflix series.

Sirens Creator Molly Smith Metzler turned personal experience into gripping drama

Sirens centers on Devon’s (Meghann Fahy) desperate attempt to pull her sister Simone (Milly Alcock) away from Michaela, whom she quickly suspects of being a cult-like figure trying to enthrall her sister, along with her billionaire husband, Peter.

Reflecting on her experience working at Martha’s Vineyard, Metzler shared that she once found herself in a position much like the DeWitt sisters in the series, simultaneously fascinated by and excluded from the luxurious world around her.

Devon DeWitt and Simone DeWitt from the series | Credit: Netflix

She channeled those experiences into her play Elemeno Pea, which helped launch her screenwriting career. However, the play’s TV adaptation was put on hold as she took on other projects. It wasn’t until Netflix’s VP of Drama, Jinny Howe, revived the idea that it finally made its way to the screen.

The show has generally received positive reviews, with critics praising its striking visuals, sharp performances, especially from Meghann Fahy, and its compelling exploration of class and female dynamics.

Sirens is currently available to watch on Netflix in the USA.