Based on the Image Comics title by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton, Revival is framed by the creative team as ‘rural noir.’ Not a lot of horror, surprising for a show based on a comic that won multiple Best of Horror awards, and not much suspense either. There is a clear shift in direction with a heavier focus on sci-fi and… a surprising amount of camp.
What an interesting decision to begin the show with two bombastic moments. I enjoyed the first moment because it very much reminded me of the famous chaotic morgue scene (replacing a slimy zombie with a flaming one) from the aforementioned Return of the Living Dead.
Photo: Lavivier Productions/Syfy
” data-medium-file=”https://aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/nup_206867_00001-300×200.avif” data-large-file=”https://aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/nup_206867_00001.avif” class=”size-full wp-image-625765″ src=”https://aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/nup_206867_00001.avif” alt=”REVIVAL — “Don’t Tell Dad” Episode 101 — Pictured: Brandon Oakes” width=”862″ height=”575″ title=”nup 206867 00001″ srcset=”https://aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/nup_206867_00001.avif 862w, https://aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/nup_206867_00001-300×200.avif 300w, https://aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/nup_206867_00001-768×512.avif 768w, https://aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/nup_206867_00001-360×240.avif 360w” sizes=”(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px”>
Photo: Lavivier Productions/Syfy
Then a cooldown scene introducing our main character of the series, Dana Cypress (Melanie Scrofano) with her dad, police chief Wayne Cypress (David James Elliot), previewing the season and the complexities of their relationship.
We are treated to another attention-grabbing moment that will ensure you aren’t on your phone.
I hope you caught your breath and standing on attention because the two minutes immediately after the opening credits contain the most important exposition dump of the episode.
After the whiplash of the initial eight-minute opening, the pilot found its footing as it let off the gas with a slower introduction to the large cast of characters, some midwest zany (the police squad) and some normal (the mayor), and how they are all interwoven into this small community.
The two other main characters Martha “Em” Cypress (Romy Weltman) and Ibrahim Rahim (Andy McQueen) have multiple scenes sprinkled throughout the episode. The four main characters had enough time to breathe and interact with each other in different scenes and groups, including a standout moment with Martha and Dana while driving, and, by the end of the episode, I knew enough about everyone and their motivations to grasp the kind of character development Revival wants to explore.
Photo: Naomi Peters/Lavivier Productions/SYFY
” data-medium-file=”https://aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/nup_206850_00319-300×200.avif” data-large-file=”https://aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/nup_206850_00319.avif” class=”size-full wp-image-625764″ src=”https://aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/nup_206850_00319.avif” alt=”REVIVAL — “Don’t Tell Dad” Episode 101 — Pictured: (l-r) Nicky Guadagni as Arlene Stankiewiscz, Romy Weltman as Martha “Em” Cypress” width=”862″ height=”575″ title=”nup 206850 00319″ srcset=”https://aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/nup_206850_00319.avif 862w, https://aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/nup_206850_00319-300×200.avif 300w, https://aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/nup_206850_00319-768×512.avif 768w, https://aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/nup_206850_00319-360×240.avif 360w” sizes=”auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px”>
Photo: Naomi Peters/Lavivier Productions/SYFY
The acting and script were a mixed bag but leaned positive. I commend Melanie Scrofano for mirroring the energy of the different types of characters she interacted with throughout the episode. They are all over the place tonally and her acting slid just enough to match their energy and connect them to the world to ensure no character felt out of place.
The dialogue was much better than I anticipated, and it kept at a steady pace. The conversations felt natural (at least natural to the world they created), and I found myself chuckling at the one-liners used to end scenes.
This is where the mixed bag comes in. The dialogue might have leaned too heavily on comedy because there were often moments where the actors struggled. Acting beats were rushed or the actor was asked to speak too long without a break or a response and struggled with the tone (instead of the punchier short form back and forths that generated the best moments). Comedy is all about timing, and the necessary light-heartedness from the script flummoxed some of the actors.
I was most surprised by the amount of color. I keep referencing 80’s camp horror within this review, but so much of the pilot brought me back to it. The world is colorful with multiple locations, times of day, and over-the-top characters. I don’t think it is a coincidence that Evil Dead 2 is referenced by a main character based on the visual language of the pilot.
When I think of the Revival comic, it created a sense of cold and darkness where the monsters lurk in the snow. The show had a purposeful move to the warmth of light (even the night shots and plenty of moonlight), and I will be interested to see where it settles as the series progresses.
The shift from a horror mystery to a mystery box may aggravate the comic fans, but the world they created is flexible enough to handle the genre tweak. I watched the episode with my wife, an avid horror AND mystery box fan, and she was running through theories and creating character connections by the halfway point, so mission accomplished if they wanted to bring that crowd to Syfy.
Revival season one, episode one sets out to punch you in the face from the opening bell when it could have worked the body a bit before delivering its final ‘hook’, but it starts the series with a bang and has the makings of the mystery box show of the summer.
Revival premieres June 12th on Syfy (10pm ET/PT)
Revival S 1 E 1 review: ‘Don’t Tell Dad’
Revival season one, episode one sets out to punch you in the face from the opening bell when it could have worked the body a bit before delivering its final ‘hook’, but it starts the series with a bang and has the makings of the mystery box show of the summer.
Snappy script
Fast paced. Managed to squeeze a lot into 45 minutes
Fun, campy horror. What’s not to love?
Overwhelming first ten minutes
Sacrificed tension and suspense to make the comedy work