Abhiroop Das
In episode 3 of SyFy’s ‘Revival,’ titled ‘Reality Check,’ local officer Dana Cypress continues investigating the mysterious phenomenon of Revival Day, which led to multiple deceased individuals returning to life overnight, altering the fate of Wasau forever. The previous episode centers around the death and revival of Dana’s younger sister, Em, which further complicates the Cypresses’ fragile family relations. When Em runs off with a fellow reviver named Rhodey, Dana finds herself alone on the quest for truth, battling one obstacle after another. This culminates in the discovery that Mathurin, Em’s former roommate, was enabling her drug addiction. Mathurin, however, has another idea, suggesting the involvement of a bigger player in the game. The episode ends on a curious note, setting the stage for a deeper dive into the narrative. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Dana Discovers Em’s Ties to a Notorious Family of Criminals
The episode begins where the previous one left off, with Dana informally interrogating Mathurin about Em’s death. The teen reveals who she believes to be the killer: Anthony Check, who, along with his brothers, runs an illegal drug business in Wasau. She recounts the night she visited his home with Em, and in a flashback, we see them pretending to be admirers of Anthony’s mother’s chicken painting collection. While Mathurin entertains Mrs. Check’s eccentricities, Em heads upstairs to use the washroom. On the way there, she sneaks up on a sleeping Anthony and attempts to steal his bag of drugs. However, she is caught and makes a mad dash to exit, with her roommate following suit. The drug boss charges out with guns ablaze, but the duo manages to escape. Due to this, Dana, too, begins to suspect the Check family’s involvement in the ever-deepening mystery.
Armed with the knowledge of Checks’ affiliation with her sister, Dana runs them through the police system, making her colleagues curious. They discuss how the infamous clan of criminals has been largely inactive since Revival Day, which she reasons is because their leader, Anthony, is not around. She explains further that he was supposedly out of town on that fateful day and has since been unable to re-enter due to the region being in quarantine. However, she also speculates that he might be in hiding after committing a major crime, suggesting another possibility of him being Em’s mystery killer. The scene then cuts to a school where Dana’s son Cooper keeps company with a reviver named Jordan Borchardt, who is being ostracized by her classmates. This leads to an altercation, ending with Cooper hurting the bullies.
A Dual Confrontation Reminds Dana of Her Priorities
Elsewhere, Dana’s investigations take her to the Checks’ house, where she meets Dorothy Check, Anthony’s mother. After confirming that Mathurin and Em had indeed visited this place, the officer prepares to leave but is halted by the mother, who demands a quid pro quo. Dana begrudgingly asks for one of her chicken paintings, which Mrs. Check eagerly rushes down to get. In that brief interval, the protagonist comes face to face with Andrew Check, Anthony’s younger brother, another core member of the drug operation. It is revealed that she and the brothers go way back, having been in the same high school. Tensions begin to simmer with two vastly different life trajectories pitted against each other. Andrew alerts her to stay away from his family or risk losing another member of hers, seemingly confirming Dana’s suspicions.
After a chilling encounter with Andrew, Dana makes her way to Cooper’s school, where she has been summoned on account of his violent behavior. There, she learns of the full story and directs her attention to the school’s staff for not maintaining safety in the school and prejudicing against an innocent victim such as Jordan. Upon escorting her home, Dana learns that things aren’t much better, as Jordan’s parents refuse to accept her as their own child, treating her like a mistake. This rhetoric makes Dana furious; she comments that their perspective would have been different had they lost their child to a grave illness, as then they would have appreciated the value of her life. She further reminded them that no matter the form she takes, she is still someone worth love and affection. Following this, she attempts to reach out to her sister via voicemail, to no avail.
Ibrahim and Em Inch Their Way to Their Respective Truths
Elsewhere, Ibrahim nears a breakthrough in his research on the revival phenomena. When his assistant hands him the toxicology reports of Arlene Stankiewicz, referring to her as a specimen, he immediately corrects her, showing his respect for human life. Upon examining her reports, he appears to find something unusual. Rushing to the police department, he claims that he has a theory that explains Arlene’s psychosis and subsequent violent behavior and needs a police escort to conduct an examination at the Dittman house. While he secretly hopes to find Dana, fate seems to have other plans, as he ends up tagging along with another Cypress, Wayne, Dana’s father.
At Dittman’s house, Ibrahim conducts a series of routine investigations as Bob Dittman sulks in the distance, being pacified by Wayne. When the CDC Doctor wishes to check the washroom, Bob grows anxious but is unable to refuse. Instead of checking the washroom, Ibrahim visits the room where Arlene was kept and finds some horrific visuals, with leftover chains, a desk full of medicine, and a general air of despair and abandonment. Just when he notices a suspicious bottle with white powder inside, Bob storms in, pointing a gun at him. Thinking quickly on his feet, Ibrahim takes the conversation to a horse portrait on the wall, which manages to distract the old man long enough for Wayne to de-escalate the situation. Unbeknownst to the two, Ibrahim secretly takes the bottle with him on his way out.
The scene shifts to Em waking up in Rhodey’s room, having slept for the first time in many days. The two spark a new conversation, this time about the manner of their deaths. After an initial teasing, Rhodey reveals that his death was due to a particularly ridiculous reason: he accidentally stabbed himself while cutting an avocado and then didn’t get adequate medical care. After the duo shares a good laugh, Em realizes it’s her turn to speak and turns silent. Rhodey reminds her that she doesn’t need to share it with him, but she gathers her courage and reveals that her sister and her ex suspect suicide to be the reason, while she remains unsure. However, upon noticing Rhodey’s scar from before his death, she realizes that injuries from before one’s death do not heal, suggesting that she could not have jumped to her death, as it would have crumbled her entire body.
A Horrifying Incident Forces Authorities To Tighten Their Grip
The theme of death continues into the next scene, that of Terry Dittman’s funeral. In the first episode, she is killed by her mother, who has been in a violent state following her revival. Here, her husband Bob mourns her passing, describing her as a compassionate woman who cared for her sick mother and their horses. The somber scene is interrupted by the arrival of Arlene, who charges toward the casket. An enraged Bob stands in front of her with a cross, calling for her exorcism; however, he is instantly overpowered, with Arlene breaking his neck for a swift death. More than rage, the old woman’s screams resemble anguish, which is complemented by her sitting on Terry’s corpse in a state of seeming mourning. In a strange turn of events, Blaine shows up behind her and, after praying for her cleansing, lights the casket on fire, immolating Arlene in the process.
The tragedy shakes the core of Wasau, with Governor Harris finally intervening. She conducts a meeting with Wayne and the mayor, with the former suggesting an aggressive suppression of the revivers for public safety, citing Arlene as an example of his concerns. However, he is interrupted by Ibrahim, who reveals his research findings. It turns out that the old reviver has traces of mercury in her brain. That, coupled with the mercury found at Dittman’s residence, suggests that she was being poisoned, leading to a psychosis that causes her to lash out. While he makes a solid case, it is not compelling enough for the Governor, who announces a new door-to-door campaign meant to tag every reviver with every violent case being sent to a secure facility. Ibrahim announces his reservations, calling out her dehumanizing practices.
A Punk Concert Becomes the Stage for a Showdown
Elsewhere, Dana, upon learning that her sister is hanging out with a punk musician, rushes to her location: the November Dismember Concert. Meanwhile, Em, who is already there, eagerly waits for Rhodey’s show. The performance is rich with spectacle, as Rhodey takes over the stage, shirtless, and cuts his torso open. Blood spews everywhere, but then miraculously, the cut heals, sending the crowd into an electric rush. As his performance rages on, Em is found by the Check brothers, Andrew and Adam, who seek payback. They are interrupted by the crowd just in time for Dana to make her entrance. She tasers Adam and searches him, retrieving a bag of drugs, formally allowing her to take him into custody.
Sitting in an isolated room with Adam, Dana begins to play her cards. She threatens the youngest Check with a life of imprisonment due to his illegal activities and then offers him a way out. All he has to do is call his eldest brother, Anthony, and get him to talk to her. Eventually, he obliges, connecting the two over the call. Dana negotiates a truce with Anthony, asserting that she will let Adam go without any prosecution if he promises to stay away from her family. While the drug boss agrees to the quid pro quo without conditions, his younger brother is left puzzled at the officer’s accusations that they killed her sister. He explains to her that they had no knowledge of Em’s circumstances and that Andrew’s words earlier were likely directed to the death of her mother instead of her sister.
Em Unlocks a Game-Changing Memory
Meanwhile, Rhodey and Em, having escaped the Check brothers, find themselves alone at a bridge. Before they can even process the events, Em kisses him, clearly expressing her romantic feelings at the moment. The two engage in a warm embrace and sit by the bridge’s edge, deepening their bond. Em shares how her disability has limited her life growing up, denying her many of the simple pleasures, such as beaches. Rhodey promises a thrilling, carefree life before spontaneously suggesting jumping from the bridge. He dives in first, forcing Em to take a leap of faith. In an unexpected turn of events, her descent triggers memories of Revival Day. Between flashes of a bright light, she recollects a man’s face, vaguely resembling Blaine. This marks a pivotal point in the story, tying this enigmatic figure to the twisted circumstances of the main character.
In the final scene of the show, Blaine, who was arrested for setting fire to Terry Dittman’s casket, is set free. He is received by a group of enthusiastic locals and is treated as a public hero for putting an end to Arlene’s rampage. Emboldened, Blaine asks if they are ready for a holy war and is met by a resounding cheer. It is likely that the following episodes will see his faction rising to prominence, attacking revivers, and threatening a civil war in Wasau. Meanwhile, Em’s jump opens Pandora’s box; while it can be a therapeutic exercise, it might also trigger her traumatic memories of her mother and her own passing. Elsewhere, Ibrahim seemingly makes a striking discovery among his samples of Moor Creek, promising a new twist. Above all, the identity of Em’s killer remains obscured, and Dana must accelerate her investigation before the next calamity strikes.
