Like many TV viewers, I was devastated when I learned that Season 4 would be Wynonna Earp’s last. After its initial premiere on SYFY back in 2016, the little supernatural Western that could managed to endure much longer than likely anyone would have expected, thanks in large part to its passionate fanbase. Although the Season 4 finale wrapped things up in an ultimately satisfying way, the rallying cry for more was so persistent that a one-off special was greenlit by Tubi only last year. It may be unrealistic to expect more Wynonna Earp in the years to come, but there’s no reason its cast can’t stay booked and busy, including leading lady Melanie Scrofano, who makes her return to SYFY this week with the premiere of Revival, created by Aaron B. Koontz and Luke Boyce. There are a few surprisingly similar throughlines between Scrofano’s new SYFY series and her previous one. Like Wynonna Earp, Revival is adapted from a comic, using the foundation of Tim Seeley and Mike Norton’s 2012 series to tell a surprisingly timely story for our post-pandemic era. Similar to Wynonna Earp, Revival also revolves around a complicated dynamic between two sisters who, after having been estranged from one another for several years, are forced back into each other’s company during strange, supernatural circumstances. It’s also easy to draw connections between Wynonna Earp’s revenants and Revival’s “revivers”… you get the point. Revival does scratch the itch for viewers who want to see more of Scrofano on-screen, while also somewhat serving as a darker spiritual successor to Wynonna Earp in more ways than one.
What Is ‘Revival’ About?

Dana Cypress (Scrofano) has officially reached her breaking point. Not only is the single mom eager for a change of scenery as she packs up herself and her son, Cooper (Hudson Wurster), to leave their hometown of Wausau, Wisconsin for good, but she’s also hanging up her badge with the local police department — which means no longer working for her hardass of a father, Sheriff Wayne Cypress (David James Elliott). Unfortunately, Dana’s plan to put Wausau in the rearview is completely upended when the dead start coming back to life. These aren’t your typical zombies, either; these newly resurrected people, or “revivers,” still possess all of their memories and mannerisms from their previous lives, but they’re also capable of healing from any injury they sustain, no matter how severe. It’s an event that, in the history books, will come to be known as “Revival Day,” and in the weeks that follow, the town of Wausau and all its citizens are put under mandatory quarantine while law enforcement and the CDC try to get to the bottom of what’s going on. Weeks later, there are still no real answers about what triggered this supernatural phenomenon, but with the quarantine now lifted, Wausau’s townpeople are desperately trying to return to some semblance of normalcy. Dana’s little sister, Em (Romy Weltman), is attempting to put together the pieces of a night she can barely remember (because she was getting high at the time), while Cooper tries to defend one of his classmates, a reviver herself, from merciless bullies at school. The town’s newest arrival, Ibrahim Ramin (Andy McQueen), sparks up an interest in Dana just before he discovers she’s the sheriff’s daughter, but thanks to his position with the CDC, the two end up in each other’s orbit a lot more frequently while attempting to solve this lingering mystery.
Melanie Scrofano Steals the Show in ‘Revival’

Image via SYFY

One of Scrofano’s inarguable strengths as an actor is her ability to deftly juggle comedy and emotional vulnerability, and, like Wynonna Earp before it, Revival gives her plenty of opportunity to flex that same muscle over the six episodes provided for review (out of 10 total). Although the show’s small-town setting lends itself to all manner of quirky characters — it’s, quite frankly, delightful to see Lenore Zann in a live-action capacity as the PD’s charming front-desk receptionist, Jeannie — Scrofano’s Dana Cypress essentially makes up one-half of the story’s driving force. Her character being at the center of the narrative, as well as leading the main investigation, means that there’s rarely a moment when Scrofano isn’t onscreen, and Revival is better for it. Watching her bounce off her fellow castmates is frankly worth the price of admission alone. Scrofano and McQueen have charmingly awkward chemistry as Dana and Ibrahim try to figure out what they are to each other, not to mention a surprise Letterkenny reunion involving co-star Nathan Dales, who plays the unsettling, rat-tail-rocking Deputy McCray, is always welcome. Alongside Dana, it’s her younger sister Em (short for Martha) who forms the other half of Revival’s foundation. While Dana has to set aside her dreams in order to dedicate herself to protecting a town she thought she’d be putting behind her, Em has never once felt like she fit in since the moment she was born. Growing up with osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, meant that the concept of true freedom would never be attainable. Through her performance, Weltman skillfully contextualizes the restraints Em has lived with her entire life — right down to how she diminishes herself in some of the season’s early episodes, practically shrinking into the background. When Em finally finds the inner strength she needs to assert herself, Weltman adapts her physicality to match — and it’s a shift that emphasizes how unstoppable the Cypress sisters are when they’re a united force.

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‘Revival’ is now filming in Canada.

‘Revival’s Version of Undead Horror Is More Than Meets the Eye

It’d be a mistake to refer to Revival as a “zombie show” when those that have crawled out of their graves aren’t mindless monsters with a taste for brains in this particular version. Where the SYFY adaptation’s spin on the undead differs is in the uncomfortably timely parallels that can be found between these much more supernatural circumstances and our own mundane reality. Just because the town-wide quarantine has been lifted doesn’t mean that things are immediately going to be the same as before, especially for those citizens in Wausau who now find themselves coexisting with people who, up until very recently, had been six feet under. It’s a new normal that becomes even more painful for parents who have already grieved the loss of a daughter, for instance, only to have her back under their roof, or the widow whose husband passed the day before others resurrected and can’t understand why he wasn’t returned to her as a reviver. Where Revival also thrives is in its blend of comedy and horror, the former preventing the show from becoming too dour while the latter springs up at exactly the right moment to keep the viewer on their toes. Jumpscares aren’t nonexistent, but the ones that do come land perfectly because they’re usually right on the heels of a perfectly-timed punchline. There’s also just the right dose of violence that slides into exaggerated territory without being overly gratuitous; the fact that these revivers are a little more durable than the average member of the undead means that there are plenty of opportunities for the show to lean into blood and gore where necessary, but it also makes certain members of this mysterious contingent that much more terrifying if they become more aggressive. Ultimately, Revival is poised to debut as a fun, refreshing addition to low-budget, small-screen horror fare. It’s not necessarily aiming to reinvent the wheel for the genre, but it doesn’t need to when it has a terrific leading lady in Scrofano, who makes any series more than worth tuning in for. While some of its side plots are less compelling, the main mystery, which gradually spools out to cover more of this small town and its eclectic characters, is packed with plenty of intriguing twists and turns to keep viewers hooked. Whether the story itself can stick the landing is yet to be seen, but right now, there’s enough life in this quirky apocalyptic horror series to sustain several more seasons in the future.

Revival

Revival, SYFY’s adaptation of the comic series starring Melanie Scrofano, puts a refreshing spin on undead horror.

Release Date

June 12, 2025

Directors

Amanda Row

Writers

Heather Taylor, Ashley Park, Noelle Carbone

Pros & Cons

Scrofano is once again a scene-stealer and reason enough to tune in with her equally comedic and vulnerable performance as Dana Cypress.
Like Wynonna Earp before it, Revival has a strong sibling element through Dana and Em’s relationship, which becomes the backbone of the series.
Revival nails its blend of comedy and horror, with some moments veering into genuinely scary or gory territory.
Lenore Zann!!!

Some B-plots, like the Check brothers, aren’t as interesting as others.