Revival

Wasn't expecting much from this at first, but wow-REVIVAL totally pulled me in.

It's a low-budget show, but in the best way-intimate, grounded, and focused first and foremost on character. I am so invested in these sisters and all the quirky characters around them. But despite being a Low-budget SyFy series it somehow still has real scope, unlike any new show I have seen on that network in years. And then the mystery keeps unfolding in ways I didn't see coming. Dead people coming back to life without explanation is already creepy enough, but mixing that with a murder mystery? Where the girl is now alive? Genius.

The writing's tight, the cast is great, and there's a real sense of place. I binged the 1 and 2 on peacock and then signed up for SyFy to watch Episode 3 live as I couldn't wait! And now I'm dying (no pun intended) to see where it goes next. A hidden gem. I'm telling yall to seek this out!

For a premise that could have easily descended into schlock, Revival proves itself a delightfully clever bit of telly. It's a proper genre-bender, you see, a macabre tale of small-town dread and peculiar occurrences that hooks one with a most satisfying grip from the off.

The journey has its moments of contemplative ambling, indeed, as the plot takes a moment to tidy its threads. But this is no failing; rather, it's a confident, well-paced exercise in narrative discipline. It meticulously sets the board, allowing its excellent cast to truly inhabit their roles with a commendable naturalism. A splendid lot, all of them.

And my goodness, does this meticulousness pay off. The final act is a breathless, thrilling crescendo that delivers upon every promise. All those moments of quiet dread and mounting tension coalesce into a resolution that is both intellectually satisfying and emotionally resonant, without ever resorting to cheap theatrics.

This series, in its entirety, is a testament to the fact that a good story, well told, is an absolute triumph. It leaves one wholly content with the tale just concluded, whilst rather impudently setting the stage for a most intriguing next chapter.

Bravo, I say. Bravo.

As a fan of the mystical sci-fi genre, I can say - the pilot turned out solid. The atmosphere is surprisingly cohesive, the direction confident, and the cast is average overall.

Melanie Scrofano - familiar from Wynonna Earp - fits organically into the dark tone of the story. There's something reminiscent of Preacher: that same strange, apocalyptic energy bordering on the absurd.

It's a shame the episodes are released weekly rather than all at once, which is frustrating in the streaming era. Still, the wait might actually build anticipation.

In the end, it's a solid genre piece that knows how to keep you intrigued. Recommended for those who appreciate a dark atmosphere, philosophical undertones, and quality execution.

It's frustrating to read viewers who mistakenly believe this TV show swiped its ideas from the fairly engaging Aussie TV show Glitch (debuted in 2015), when in fact, Revival was first published three years prior (Revival was nominated for several Harvey Awards, which are the Academy Awards for comics.) So far, Revival is quite faithful to the comic series, although not quite as dark. I can tell fussy viewers that the comic eventually answered all questions because the writer had worked out the end, and reason for the revival, from the very beginning. The series ran for 47 issues, which really could be adapted in a 10-episode series, so if this gets a second season, the writers will have to create from scratch. Melanie Scrofano is fantastic in everything, including here (and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Letterkenny, Ready or Not & Wynonna Earp). Most of the cast is just fine, but I will admit that I can not stand the younger emo sister.

I loved the show...so far, that is. It had thrills and some unexpected things going on; however, my other half came into the room and said, "So Wynonna became the sheriff?" If you're going to do a show like this...you may want to get different actors that haven't played in some other show that is somewhat similar. To tell the truth though Melanie Scrofano wasn't recognizable to me. I guess some people remember faces better than others. But, the same thing somewhat happened when we watched SurrealEstate...I didn't realize that Tim Rozon was the same guy that played Doc Holliday, which is weird when they make them look so different.