Episode 6 marked a major turning point for Revival, according to stars Melanie Scrofano, Romy Weltman, David James Elliott, and Andy McQueen, who spoke about the series with The Direct at San Diego Comic-Con 2025. The cast also touched on the challenges of filming, shared stories, and got emotional about mental health and mortality. With just a few episodes remaining, Revival is poised to push each character to their limits.
Syfy's Revival has steadily built momentum since its June 12 premiere, drawing praise for its grounded take on the supernatural and its layered performances, especially Scrofano as Deputy Dana Cypress. Fellow Syfy series, Resident Alien, has also drawn praise for its stellar cast.
Based on the Image Comics series by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton, Revival blends horror, sci-fi, and family drama in a world where the dead return with their memories and personalities intact.
Set in Wausau, Wisconsin, the series centers on the aftermath of "Revival Day," where the dead begin to rise, and not everyone sees it as a miracle. As Dana investigates a growing number of crimes involving both the living and the undead, tensions mount between small-town fear and existential awe.
With the season finale set for August 14, the cast spoke on Episode 6, which aired about one month before the conclusion, and was the series' most significant shift yet.
"I think it's a turn in the season," Andy McQueen said during a roundtable interview about Episode 6, "I think it's taking us towards the finale."
David James Elliott, who plays Sheriff Wayne Cypress, added that the show's success comes from its emotional core: "I had to find a way to internalize those, soften them, if you will, and keep them likable or understandable at the very least
With only a few episodes remaining, the series appears ready to deliver on its slow-burn promise in a finale that could redefine the genre.
Revival Episode 6 Changed the Season
"I Think It's A Turn In The Season..."
- Question: "What's been your favorite episode thus far?"
Andy McQueen: Episode 6 is my favorite so far. I think it's a turn in the season. I think it's taking us towards the finale, which I won't talk about, but I think it's moving things in the right direction, and, yeah, visually and all the things that are happening, I think are super exciting.
- Question: "Andy, can you walk us through what it was like filming that intense, emotional moment at the end of Episode 6 especially acting opposite what looked like a glowing alien?"
Andy McQueen: There was nothing there. There was a grid with light. But Samir (Rehem,) who directed that episode, him and I are very good friends, and so I've worked with him before.
We took a couple of runs at it, and sort of like, played around and saw what worked and what didn't work. And luckily, we had time on our side with that, to the with that specific scene...we got to really sort of tease it out, and that actually the what ended up in the show was the last take.
We just were like, 'Let's just go try something different.' And that's what happened. So, you know, happy accidents. But I'm glad it made it in.
Balancing the Badge and Family in Revival
"He Makes a Lot of Bad Decisions, But He Was Coming From the Right Place..."
- Question: "David, how does your character cope with the immense pressure of being in charge during such a surreal crisis, with people coming back to life and total isolation setting in?"
David James Elliott: Poorly, ultimately, right? He makes a lot of bad decisions, but he was coming from the right place.
I'm trying to keep this person a human and to be coming from a place of honesty, and then I'd find out about situations or things that he had done that that I thought really put him in a bad light.
So I had to find a way to internalize those, soften them, if you will, and keep them likable or understandable at the very least.
"She Will Always Choose Humanity, Even If It Gets Her In Trouble..."
- Question: "How do you reconcile your duty to the badge and your duty to your family? One of those two things are conflict."
Melanie Scrofano: I think the duty of the badge does not supersede humanity. And so if there is a conflict between humanity and the badge, she will always choose humanity, even if it gets her in trouble.
And then I think, with her dad, it's very complicated...he kind of doesn't trust her, and so then it that gets a bit muddy.
Tackling Mental Health in Revival
"You Can Be Struggling Really Invisibly. ..."
- Question: Romy, how did you balance your character’s fear and fragility with the chaos unfolding around her, both in the outside world and in her personal relationships?
Romy Weltman: I think just any conversation around mental health needs to be done very delicately and appropriately, but it also needs to be talked about, and it needs to be seen on TV. It's important. It's real. People deal with it, and we don't know how people deal with it.
I love what you said about we decide who's different, but like, we don't know what anyone is going through, and you can be struggling really invisibly.
Honestly, the most important thing to me was that I understood what I was talking about, and I was able to confidently do it, because I feel really grateful to be a part of those conversations now.
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