For years, zombies have fallen into two main categories: the slow, shambling, brain-hungry walkers popularized by Night of the Living Dead, and the fast, aggressive runners seen in 28 Days Later. However, Syfy’s new series Revival, inspired by the comic of the same name, revisits a different type of undead that briefly captured attention in the 2010s: the dead who return with memories and bodies mostly intact.
Shows like Les Revenants, The Returned, Torchwood: Miracle Day, and iZombie have explored the profound social and emotional impacts when the dead suddenly reappear. These narratives challenge characters and communities, reshaping personal relationships and societal structures.
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Set in the small town of Wausau, Wisconsin, Revival echoes this theme on a more intimate scale, reminiscent of a dark, macabre riff on Fargo. The story begins as the recently deceased emerge from their graves—sometimes unexpectedly nude—without any signs of decay. After an intense opening scene of men climbing out of incinerators, the plot jumps to 35 days later, when Wausau starts lifting its lockdown but remains under quarantine. The returned, known as “revivers,” face suspicion and uncertainty as the town struggles to understand why they came back and how to coexist with them.
At the heart of the story is police officer Dana Cypress (played by Melanie Scrofano), who plans to leave the town for a fresh start with her young son. But mysterious mutilations pull her back into duty. Dana also deals with family challenges, particularly involving her sister Em (Romy Weltman), a high school student battling drug addiction and harboring secrets about Revival Day. Alongside a new CDC scientist (Andy McQueen) with whom she shares a complicated relationship, Dana shoulders the responsibility of a community forced to confront supernatural and divine mysteries.
Creators Aaron B. Koontz (Scare Package) and Luke Boyce (Revealer) take a deliberate, slow-burn approach across six episodes, deeply exploring the lives of Wausau’s residents and the far-reaching effects of Revival Day. The “revivers” endure discrimination and violence, even as their wounds heal rapidly, sometimes used for chilling dramatic effect. The town’s tensions escalate as a morally dubious preacher’s son and AM radio host (Steven Ogg) mobilizes apocalyptic followers against the “demons” among them.
Visually, the series looks impressive given its cable budget, though the dim lighting common in streaming dramas can obscure some atmosphere. Lens flares add visual interest, but the cast’s performances, especially Scrofano’s, provide the real emotional weight.
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What makes Revival truly unsettling is how the people of Wausau quickly adapt to their surreal reality, reflecting the eerie normalcy found in shows like The Leftovers and Twin Peaks. The absence of death removes consequences but traps characters in their past actions. The remaining episodes promise to deepen this haunting narrative, and fans hope the show avoids the premature end suffered by its comic source, which lasted only 47 issues.
Revival premieres June 12th on Syfy and airs Thursdays.
