TV Review: New Sharks Are Revealed In ‘Revival’ Episode 4
by Mal White
Shark Week continues in Wausau, Wisconsin, but now it’s Sheriff Wayne (David James Elliot) in the water. Tensions rise on Revival in the wake of Governor June Harris’ (Shauna MacDonald) passing the Reviver version of the Mutant Registration Act. A freaked-out Wausau turns against Revivers, encouraged by Blaine Abel’s (Steven Ogg) show. The city teeters on the edge of violence, leaving some desperate to keep their identities hidden. Meanwhile, Dana (Melanie Scrofano) and Em (Rory Weltman) identify a shark involved with Em’s death.
If you haven’t caught up with what’s happening in Wausau, do it now. There are spoilers below.
While the mystery surrounding Em’s murder lies at the heart of Revival, Episode 4, “Run Along Little Lamb,” spins out to the larger town. The sheriff’s office only ends up encouraging the spread of anti-Reviver sentiment, all but guaranteeing discrimination that will very quickly turn to violence. Apparently, no one has read a single issue of X-Men or a history book to see just how well this will go.
Revivers are not the only thing Wausau has to worry about. As I called in Episode 1, we’re definitely in store for some From-inspired weirdness. During a sleepover, mysterious lights and monstrous wailing echoes beyond Cooper (Hunter Wurster) and Jordan’s (Flora McInroy) tent in the woods. Fans of the cosmic horror television show on MGM might recognize the reference. Fans of the comics, however, know exactly what’s in the woods. Although introduced a bit differently in the show, we know things are about to get so much weirder.
New mysteries unfold, like the appearance of Andy Check (CM Punk) and an actual payphone. Big brother Andy wants to smuggle himself into Wausau to start a new, lucrative business. We know the Check Bros are the inverse of the Cypresses. With anti-Reviver sentiment so high, we’re left to wonder if that business involves hunting outed Revivers.
Speaking of sharks, we’re also introduced to Diane Dillisch (Precious Chong), Mayor Ken Dillisch’s (Conrad Coates) wife. She implores Sheriff Wayne to keep her Reviver status a secret, only to be denied by her close friend. Now we know why Mayor Dillisch fights so hard for Reviver rights. We also see the divisions that Sheriff Wayne’s attack on the Revivers has created within his town, among his friends, and within his family.
Wausau’s woods are the ocean in which Revival’s sharks are revealed. Blaine recalls mysterious lights in the trees that may or may not be the same lights Cooper and Jordan see. A mysterious assassin stalks Dr. Weimer (Gianpaolo Venuta), who may have had more to do with Em’s death.
In an unsurprising but welcome turn, Em finally takes off that terrible wig. She debuts a badass bob and uniform, finally emerging as a shark herself.
