Fishtales 2 (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Thomas travels to Spetses because his research grant at Oxford is running out and he needs a breakthrough to save his career. A supportive Oxford don named Professor Coulter invites him to stay on the island, hoping the change of scenery and access to ancient materials might help him complete his study of ancient love spells.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the timeline, Thomas is shown fearing the loss of his grant, establishing the desperation that drives him to accept the invitation.

• thomas bradley
• spetses
• grant
• research
• professor coulter

Serena discovers a book about merpeople with an ancient Greek inscription on the cover. This book becomes central to Thomas's research because the inscription provides the key to decoding the ancient relics he has been studying, ultimately enabling his breakthrough.

Foreshadowing: The discovery happens early in their stay, foreshadowing the central role both Serena and myth will play in the story's resolution.

• serena
• mermaid book
• inscription
• relics
• translation

Neried is a mermaid who can only assume human form at night. She travels ashore to meet Thomas, drawn by the same scholarly curiosity that attracts him to ancient texts. Their first meeting is marked by tension and skepticism from Thomas, who doubts her authenticity.

Foreshadowing: The timeline notes a first clash between them, establishing the uneasy start to their relationship.

• neried
• mermaid
• night
• human form
• meeting

Serena asks Neried to assist with translating the relics, hoping her mythical knowledge can unlock meanings that academic study alone cannot provide. Neried agrees to this collaboration, which bridges the worlds of myth and scholarship and becomes the foundation for her deeper involvement with Thomas's work.

Foreshadowing: Serena's request comes after the initial clash, showing how the relationship evolves from friction to cooperation.

• neried
• translate
• relics
• serena
• collaboration

When Thomas and Neried recite the ancient love spell in unison, a powerful attraction develops between them that transcends their differences. This moment transforms their professional collaboration into a romantic relationship, reshaping Thomas's priorities and challenging the boundaries between his scientific work and mythical experience.

Foreshadowing: The collaboration on translation has already created intimacy and mutual respect, making the spell's effect feel like a natural escalation.

• love spell
• attraction
• neried
• thomas
• ritual

Thomas realizes that the writing on Serena's book, previously overlooked or misunderstood, provides the framework needed to decode the entire set of ancient relics. This inscription becomes the missing piece that allows his research on ancient love spells to advance, offering hope that he can complete his work before the grant expires.

Foreshadowing: The book is introduced early with an inscription, establishing it as significant before its importance is revealed.

• book
• inscription
• relics
• decoding
• breakthrough

Falling in love with Neried complicates Thomas's single-minded pursuit of academic breakthrough. While the relationship ultimately helps his research through her translation assistance, it also shifts his priorities, challenging him to balance his devotion to scholarship with attention to the people who depend on him, particularly his daughter Serena.

Foreshadowing: Serena had sensed her father was sacrificing too much to his research, and the romantic relationship introduces new emotional complexity.

• thomas
• neried
• love
• research
• priorities
• serena

Dimitri, the son of fisherman Captain Mavros, develops a romantic crush on Serena. This subplot adds emotional stakes to the island setting and provides a gentle teenage romance backdrop. It also highlights Serena's position between her father's scholarly world and the local island life.

Foreshadowing: The crush is introduced shortly after their arrival, adding a personal dimension to their time on Spetses.

• dimitri
• serena
• captain mavros
• crush
• romance

The narrative concludes with Thomas's breakthrough, fueled by the love spell, Neried's cooperation, and Serena's discovery, giving him hope to continue his research. The collaboration between scholarly investigation and mythical knowledge points to a path forward, though the story suggests this success comes with new personal responsibilities.

Foreshadowing: The grant deadlineloomed from the beginning, making the breakthrough's implications for his career significant.

• thomas
• research
• breakthrough
• future
• grant

Neried is a mermaid who can assume human form only at night, creating an inherent limitation and mystique in her relationship with Thomas. This nocturnal constraint shapes the timing of their interactions and adds poetic tension to their developing romance, as their connection must flourish in the darkness before the dawn.

Foreshadowing: The night-only limitation is established from her first arrival, affecting how their relationship can unfold.

• neried
• mermaid
• night
• human form
• limitation