Freeform’s Siren
3×09: “A Voice in the Dark”
Directed by Steven A. Adelson
Written by Zoë Green

* For a recap & review of 3×08, “‘Til Death Do Us Part” – click here
* For a recap & review of the Season 3 finale, “The Toll of the Sea” – click here
Xander’s rushed to the hospital after he fell over at the reception, following that phone call with the siren’s song on the other end. He’s not in good condition, possibly bleeding from the brain. Maddie, Ben, and Ryn get him into the hands of doctors, but they’re left helpless watching blood come out of their friend’s ears. Once the doctors get a look at Xander they scan his brain. Maddie and Ben recognise the damage inside his head from what happened to Decker. Soon they start to figure out Tia was using the phone to try taking everyone out in a single shot via the siren’s song. Meanwhile, below the ocean the male mermaids from Ryn’s tribe have decided that her child, Hope (Alix West Lefler), is now ready to return to the others, looking very comfortable fighting any threats that comes her way. They’ll have to be careful because unfriendly mermaids are always lurking in the water.

How do Maddie, Ben, and Ryn fight something with “no antidote“? Maddie wants to contact Helen and Eliza, both of whom are always good to have on your side. Ben thinks it might be smart to get the military involved. Xander’s mother turns up, obviously worried about her son, along with Calvin. Suddenly, Ryn almost chokes and rushes into the hall. She says she felt Hope’s heartbeat stop, then it returns. She knows her daughter has come back to land, so she and Ben rush off leaving Maddie to watch over Xan. There’s no good news from the doc, either. So Maddie thinks maybe Ben was right about the military after all. At the shore, Ben and Ryn meet a fast-growing Hope. Mother and daughter come together after their time apart, sniffing one another, circling. Then the little mermaid girl and her mother touch foreheads, reintroducing themselves. Ryn talks to the mermen about the “voices of our ancestors,” hearing how Tia’s destroyed them in an explosion in an effort to get rid of any chance for a cure to the siren’s song.

“All our history’s destroyed”

The deviousness of Tia’s ever-expansive plan reaches a call centre.
Not hard to see what she’s doing here. Just shows the terrifying scope of her aims.

At the hospital, Helen and Eliza come to offer what help they can manage. The full-blooded mermaid attempts to use her healing powers with Xander, which his mother gladly allows— anything that can help at this point is worth trying. Eliza goes to work over the unconscious man, and Xan’s heart monitor shows signs of improvement. Even if she can’t quite cure him she can at least help somewhat. Ted isn’t doing anybody any favours by showing up and getting on like a dick. Nevertheless, Xander comes to, and Maddie has to improvise to knock him out again before he talks too much.
Across town, Hope’s interacting with the human world and showing off a few of her skills at Helen’s shop. The little mermaid girl is as adorable as she is curious and destructive. She makes a fine mess of the place before Ben tells Ryn to step in. They hear a noise in back of the shop, suspecting somebody’s hiding. They come upon Hunter, claiming to have come back to them. Nobody’s overly suspicious aside from Hope, who’s unwilling to trust anyone new to her right away. Ben also gets in touch with Maddie. She’s going to contact Robb to see if his tribe have an “echo chamber” similar to the one Ryn’s tribe had before Tia destroyed it. Some potential hope.

When Aunt Helen comes back to the shop she gives little Hope freedom to what she wants. It backfires after the tiny mermaid puts on a record and it upsets her. She screams so loud it shatters all the glass inside, as well as the windows, alerting the entire main street of Bristol Cove. They’ve got to get Hope out of there quick. At the ranch, Ryn and her daughter have alone time together. Mom starts to teach her child how to sing their song, which Hope learns fast.
Tia’s nasty plan is underway. People all across Bristol Cove are getting calls— uh oh! Ben knows enough not to answer his phone, urging everybody else to do the same. Obviously Rick, Helen, and the other half-breed mermaids aren’t affected like humans. Could there be some use in that? What about in Hope’s new voice? Hmm. Whatever the gang are going to do they have to do it fast. The hospital’s filling up with people of all ages bleeding from their ears. Ben figures he has to reach out to his father as a last resort, in hopes of shutting down cell service in the area. Ryn goes with him, leaving Hope with everyone there to protect her. Except I’m extremely worried about Hunter. Not to mention Ted’s not jumping to help, particularly when he susses out that a mermaid is behind the “terrorist attack.” He sounds a lot like his Pownall ancestor. Perfect time for Ben to get his hand wet, showing off his webbed hands for dad. Good lord.
Maddie goes to look for her dad, who hasn’t been heard of since the attack.
She finds his abandoned vehicle with blood on the door, and one of those calls recorded on his phone. Is this the end of Sheriff Dale? Has he succumbed to the siren’s song?

If Ben won’t get some help from dear ole dad, he and Ryn will take down cell service themselves. He does a real action-thriller stunt and sends his car flying into the a generator tower, taking down cell service along with a ton of power in the whole of Bristol Cove. Only emergency backup generators are running. This sends the entire town into a wilder frenzy. Sadly, Xander falls into a coma at the hospital, too.
Back at the ranch, Helen and Beth realise the perimeter’s security system is down. They’ve got to prepare for any possible attacks on their location. They haven’t quite considered that a threat might come from within, though. Helen sees that Hope’s missing and she goes looking, confronting Hunter. She tries to fight the mermaid. It’s no use. Hunter disappears into the woods with Ryn’s daughter in tow.

A super intense episode. Only one left.
Will Tia’s attack continue? Or can the group in Bristol Cove fend her off for good?
“The Toll of the Sea” is next.