Maddie is upset at Robb for not telling her, but in what universe would that make sense for him to do?! 99.6% of people would laugh in Robb’s face if he told them he was a mermaid, and there is no reason he would think she was that. Further, he doesn’t seem surprised at how much Maddie knows. When he and Maddie discover the half-transformed body, he isn’t phased at all, and nothing Maddie says about mermaids (all but saying they’re real) confounds him. She does not make any indication that she is aware of or knows a mermaid, but when Robb shows up in Bristol Cove, he seems… aware. If we backtrack to “ Borders,” Maddie attends Robb’s talk somewhat randomly, so their meeting is happenstance.
There are information gaps that the writing does not seem to acknowledge, namely, what does Robb already know? The story goes from Robb’s reveal to the team flying out to Alaska in what feels like three minutes. This is my first major gripe with this episode.
Robb agrees to this despite knowing nothing about Ryn, and being only a passing acquaintance to Ben. After a brief -frankly, too brief- conversation, the trio conclude that Tia wants to use the (siren) song against humans, and decide to reach out to Robb’s (estranged) people for help against her.
He comes from an isolationist clan in Alaska, who Ryn knows to be skilled warriors. This episode does a lot to move the story forward, perhaps too much, too quickly. “Northern Exposure” finally takes us to a new place and introduces us to another clan of mermaids. The world of Siren is mostly confined to the small coastal town of Bristol Cove, and though we’ve spent more time this season in the water, the view on land has been much of the same.