Revival Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Run Along Little Lamb

Amidst mounting dangers, a life hangs in the balance on Revival Season 1 Episode 4, “Run Along Little Lamb.”

After watching “Run Along Little Lamb,” most viewers probably only have one thing on their mind: that shocking ending. We will DEFINITELY get to that. But before that curveball came flying at us, a lot of important things happen on the episode.

Ship 1

Let’s start with something a little lighter. There is some good development on the romantic front for both Cypress sisters.  

Dana’s awkward flirtations with Ibrahim finally lead to a real date. Well, what is supposed to be a real date before Dana’s little detour into the woods. 

I’ve been rooting for Dana and Ibrahim from the beginning. Scrofano and McQueen are both super charming in their scenes together, making for some pretty adorable onscreen chemistry. 

Ibrahim brings out a fun side to Dana that we don’t often see when she is with other characters. It is also a part of Dana that seems more open and at ease. 

Obviously, the events in the woods at the end of the episode derailed their date. Hopefully, though, it isn’t something that causes a rift between them. 

I wouldn’t blame Ibrahim if he backs off. Dana put him in a pretty dangerous situation. And, she did it without giving him any say in the matter, either. Still, I hope he doesn’t because I want this ship to sail very much. 

And Ship 2

And then there is the Rhodey/Em Ship. I’m not entirely sold on this one yet, but I’m warming up to it. The main issue with this ship is that we don’t know if we can fully trust Rhodey yet. 

When he rescued Em at the bar, it all seemed rather convenient. He is a little too perfect and a little too understanding. Most of all, though, he seems a little too interested for someone Em has only known for a hot second.

“Run Along Little Lamb” goes a long way to making Rhodey seem more trustworthy. 

It starts with Melanie Scrofano doing what she does so often. She makes me more invested in the characters she shares scenes with. That scene with Dana, Em, and Rhodey towards the beginning of the episode is fun. Rhodey is pretty darn endearing in his interactions with Dana.

It also seems unlikely that someone trying to take advantage of Em would be encouraging her to follow her sister’s lead.

Similarly, Rhodey isn’t happy about Em’s decision to confront Aaron. Seeing him finally disagree with her and draw a line makes him a little less suspicious than the guy who fell out of nowhere and always seems to say what Em wants to hear.

I’m not saying I totally trust Rhodey yet, but I trust him more, and that makes it a lot easier to root for an Em/Rhodey ship. 

A Lying Liar But Not a Murderer

In perhaps the least surprising development of the episode, we learn that the ring Em coughed up on Revival Day was, in fact, Aaron’s. The lying liar lied about not being on the bridge the night Em died. 

Once Em figures out that the ring in her mouth was Aaron’s and that he got a replacement at a pawn shop, he becomes suspect number one again in Em’s eyes. 

But, as it turns out, the one truthful thing to come out of Aaron’s mouth is that he didn’t kill Em. He was involved, but not the actual murderer. 

Aaron seems ready to confess everything he knows when Em confronts him. He never gets the chance, but he does say one interesting thing to Em before dying. He says she was special. It doesn’t mean anything yet, but file that tidbit away because dollars-to-donuts we’ll find out at some point.

While Aaron is every bit the bastard he appears to be on Revival Season 1 Episode 2, “Keeping Up Appearances,” his wife, Nithiyam, actually seems pretty great.

As uncomfortable as it must have been for Em to have Aaron’s wife assigned as her anger management therapist, their interaction is one of the episode’s highlights.

Under different circumstances, Nithiyam seems like precisely the person Em needs in her life. It’s a shame she met Aaron first.  

I hope Nithiyam is who she appears to be. I want to keep rooting for her. Then again, Sci-fi shows like this have a way of pulling the rug out from under you in situations like these (hence my distrust of Rhodey). 

With Aaron gone and the series putting such a significant focus on her, for better or worse, it seems like Nithiyam has a bigger role to play in this story than just being a source of guilt for Em.

Fear and Loathing in Wausau

The fear of revivers continues to escalate in Wausau, setting the stage for some very bad things.

First, there is Blaine’s cult, which appears to be growing and getting bolder in their harassment of revivers. Add to that a self-righteousness that seems to make them think they are above the law, and you have a recipe for disaster.

What’s worse is that the government, which is supposed to protect citizens, is only fueling the fear and derision of revivers with its new mandatory registration and calls to report suspected revivers. 

Things are escalating quickly in the town. Revivers are already being forced to have identifying marks on their IDs and have notices on their homes singling them out as the other to be feared.

At this point, the one person who might be able to pull the town back from the brink is Wayne. He is the only one who MIGHT have enough credibility and authority with the town to stop this all-too-familiar spiral. 

Unfortunately, Wayne is one of the main instigators of these policies. There is still hope he will change course. For now, though, with each decision to curtail revivers’ rights in the name of safety, he is getting closer and closer to being one of the main villains of this story. 

That Ending!

Ok, and now let’s get to the thing everyone is thinking about after watching “Run Along Little Lamb.” That ending. I’m not sure what to say about it from a narrative standpoint.

Melanie Scrofano is the show lead, so barring some sort of Game of Thrones situation, it’s probably safe to assume Dana will be ok. 

What I will say about the scene is that it is excellent. Revival continues to shine in these big cliff-hanger moments. This bombshell is every bit as exciting and gripping as the reveal that Em is a reviver on Revival Season 1 Episode 1, “Don’t Tell Dad.”

Another thing this scene has in common with that first reveal from “Don’t Tell Dad” is the way the camera lingers for a bit after the bomb drops before the credits roll. 

In both instances, the choice not to immediately cut to black after the big twist adds emotional weight to the scene. It feels heavier and signals to the viewer that this moment will have repercussions and isn’t simply for the sake of spectacle.

Unlike “Don’t Tell Dad,” I did not see this one coming at all. The audible gasp I let out was not just a reaction to getting caught up in the moment, as it was with “Don’t Tell Dad.” It was a genuine surprise. Still, I feel pretty confident saying that, even if I had known it was coming, my reaction would have been the same.

The scene is just that good.

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Revival airs Thursdays at 10/9c on Syfy.

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