Revival (SyFy/Peacock)
By: Dave Hughes
The zombie genre isn’t ‘dead’ but it’s definitely on life support. Shows like The Last of Us and iZombie have tried to breathe new life into the undead, but zombie fatigue is inescapable for viewers. Revival hopes to avoid the zombie malaise by creating their own approach and hopefully hooking audiences with something unique. The show builds a unique post apocalyptic world that only encompasses a small town, it doesn’t consistently deliver on its potential.
Based on the 2012 Tim Seeley comic, Revival takes place in Wausau, Wisconsin. In the suburban environment of Wausau, the recently deceased have begun returning to life. The zombies are not like the ones made famous by one of the original George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. Those zombies were slow-moving, non-verbal and driven purely by a hunger for human flesh. Instead these zombies remember their previous lives; they have feelings and have desires. This unique feature creates a certain sense of pathos for the undead. It would be easy to dismiss previous iterations of zombies but Revival does not do that. Revival’s approach to zombies and the undead makes the show infinitely more interesting than a run-of-the-mill zombie show. To add to the horror elements of the show a few of the revived do behave in more familiar, disturbing ways, but the show gradually reveals the reasons behind that mystery.
As interesting as the concept is, the execution falters when it comes to weak character development and a plot that starts and stops Revival has the bones of what could be a more memorable show. The pilot episode in particular has some twists and turns that can show what this program is capable of. It also showcases the strength of the source material. However, the series is limited by its episodic format. Viewers may lose patience with its slow pacing, especially after the first intense episode. Several background characters feel lifeless and viewers may quickly lose interest.
Revival is fronted by a pair of sisters played by Melanie Scrofano (Wynnona Earp) and Romy Weltman (The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh). The two play sisters whose bond is forged by the past and ongoing trauma. While such bonds can sometimes feel cliché, Scrofano delivers an excellent performance. Viewers cannot help but feel empathy for her with the weight of what she is dealing with. However, when her character is off screen, the series struggles to maintain momentum. It isn’t until wrestler turned actor, Phil Brooks, also known as CM Punk (Girl on the 3rd Floor) arrives in later episodes that the show finds another character as well acted and written as the lead.
Revival presents some interesting questions. First, how does a small town handle the sudden return of the dead? Who determines the true definition of “alive” in Wausau? At one point, the revived are supposed to indicate that they were part of the revival on their IDs. It creates many moral dilemmas for the characters and forces the viewer to reflect. However, the series struggles to explore these issues beyond surface level. The series could benefit from further explorations of key themes such as small town paranoia. Still, Revival deserves credit for the practical effects, specifically the visceral undead makeup and some of its violent scenes.
Target Score 5.5/10 Revival is not enough to revive the overdone zombie genre. However, it is a fun show and one where the special effects and few interesting characters help it progress in its story. . Revival avoids clichés that bog down other zombie shows instead focusing on grief, identity and small town paranoia offers something distinct that even longtime fans of the comic should appreciate.