Siren Song (S05E04) is the third Charmed episode to feature characters drawn from Greek mythology, a Siren, following Hell Hath No Fury, featuring the Furies (S04E03) and Muse to My Ears, featuring the Muses (S04E09). The Siren is central to the episode, and she shares some traits with the Sirens from Greek mythology (her song is irresistible to men, whom she kills), but like the Furies in Hell Hath No Fury she is a demon rather than a mythological Siren.
The episode begins with a woman with dark hair wearing a black leather bodice and trousers draped over a man called David. He says "don’t stop", but the woman tells him "but it’s time. Can’t you feel it, your wife is almost here. Didn’t I mention, I always like to let the wives watch their men die." We later learn that this woman is the Siren. As his wife, Melissa, comes into the apartment the Siren kisses David, and smoke comes from her mouth, killing him. The Siren then throws Melissa across the room and the apartment sets on fire. The Siren tells Melissa "I was burned for my sins. Only fair that you should burn too." Meanwhile, ex-demon Cole is trying to persuade his wife Phoebe (a good witch and one of the three Charmed Ones) that he is no longer evil and that she should not divorce him. Cole sees the fire on television and saves Melissa, rescuing her from the burning building.
The Siren has moved on to another victim in a bar. She asks him if he has had a rough day, and tells him "you know what might make you feel better? A little music." Magical music starts to play, brought on by the Siren, but she sees on television that Melissa has been saved, and leaves, telling the man "you don’t know how lucky you just got."
It transpires that Melissa is a future "white lighter", a guardian angel, and the three witch sisters, Piper, Phoebe and Paige, together with Piper’s husband Leo, also a white lighter, must help her, although Leo and Piper are having marital problems, with a pregnant Piper believing her husband is not listening to her. Leo goes to the hospital where Melissa is recovering in order to heal her, but the Siren also arrives, and makes her music, causing Leo to kiss her. Piper can hear the music through her connection to Leo, and Piper and Paige transport themselves to the hospital. Piper is unable to use her power to blow up the Siren, as her unborn baby is playing with her powers, and instead of explosion the baby creates flowers. Paige therefore throws a metal pole at the Siren, which goes through her stomach, stopping her from harming Melissa or Leo. Back at home Paige researches the Siren in the Book of Shadows, a book passed down through the Halliwell family, containing information about magic and demons. She quotes from the book as follows:
"As a mortal the Siren fell in love with a married man but when they were caught the man was held blameless. The village women cheered as they burned her to death and her rage turned her into a Siren, a vengeful demon who seduces married men with her song then destroys the couple with the flames that consumed her."
This Siren, then, is not one of the female creatures from Greek mythology that lured sailors to their deaths, for example in Homer’s Odyssey (12.153-200), but she does share with these creatures the seductive and fatal power of her song.
The Siren is healed by another demon, and decides to go after the Charmed Ones through their love for their husbands. When Cole goes after the Siren she makes her music and he is enthralled. However, when she kisses him he does not die like mortal men, his demonic powers keep him alive, but he turns against his wife Phoebe and tries to strangle her. Leo, using Piper’s powers, as the unborn baby has swapped their powers over, blows up the Siren, and Cole is released from her spell. Leo and Piper have their own powers returned, as they have learned to understand each other better and are no longer at odds. Phoebe and Cole, however are not reunited, as although the Siren’s power over Cole was brought about by Phoebe’s love for him, his demonic powers were turned against Phoebe, and this could happen again in the future.
