Melanie Scrofano Is the Reason to Watch SyFy’s Twist on the Zombie Genre, 'Revival'

I’m a big fan of the zombie genre, and one of my favorites is a British series from over a decade ago called In the Flesh, though it’s not about the brain-eating corpses we’ve come to know and love. Instead, it’s a meditation on immigration, bigotry, and the challenge of reintegrating the undead into society. It’s the closest zombie parallel I can think of to SyFy’s new series, Revival, though the tones couldn’t be more different. In the Flesh was somber and thematically rich; Revival leans into SyFy’s trademark blend of schlocky comedy-drama.

The best reason to watch? It stars Wynonna Earp’s Melanie Scrofano.

Revival is set in the rural Wisconsin town of Wassau, where December 18th becomes known as “Revival Day” — the day a handful of locals who died in the two weeks prior suddenly rise from the dead, fully intact with their memories, personalities, and appearances. They’re not out for blood, at least most of them aren’t; they just want their lives back.

The story picks up shortly after Revival Day, and it’s almost disorienting how quickly the town has adapted, apart from a CDC-mandated quarantine. The Revivers aren’t treated as a threat; they’re just part of the patchwork of a charmingly offbeat small-town ensemble.

Of course, strange things continue to happen, which is where the main cast steps in. Scrofano plays Dana Cypress, a local cop investigating the bizarre goings-on, while her gruff, no-nonsense father Wayne (David James Elliott) serves as the town sheriff. Dana’s got a spark with an adorably awkward CDC scientist, Ibrahim (Andy McQueen), and she’s also trying to reconnect with her estranged, drug-addicted sister, Em (Romy Weltman) — who, as it turns out, is one of the Revivers. (The family doesn’t initially know she had even died.)

Based on the comic series by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton, the show’s long-term direction isn’t totally clear from the pilot, but the premise is well established. The Revivers’ supernatural quirks will create fresh problems, Dana and crew will try to solve them, and the broken-but-loving Cypress family will struggle to come together through it all.

It’s classic summer fare, not likely to reach the emotional depth of In the Flesh, even while exploring similar themes. But thanks to the appealing cast, especially Scrofano’s dry wit, it’s already charming and very much in the vein of Wynonna Earp, Resident Alien, or even Buffy in its heyday: catnip for a particular slice of this site’s genre-loving crowd.

I like zombies, I like Scrofano, I like Earp—so there’s little reason to believe I won’t keep liking this, even if it never becomes more than a fun, mildly addictive summer watch.

Revival airs on SyFy and drops on Peacock a week later. The first episode is already available on YouTube.