Melanie Scrofano's new zombie show 'Revival' debates how we treat others who are different

Growing up, Melanie Scrofano had a hard clip relating to different kids — particularly different girls. And though she felt similar she was capable to acceptable successful with the boys for a while, it was a signifier that besides yet ended.

“It was conscionable a lonely existence,” the histrion says during a caller Zoom call, “which I deliberation was a gift. Because arsenic I got older, I [realized] your pistillate peers are your superpower, and I truly started trying to cultivate those relationships.”

Nowadays, Scrofano is champion known for enactment connected TV that halfway specified bonds betwixt women. She says experiencing conscionable however peculiar the narration betwixt sisters tin beryllium during her clip connected “Wynonna Earp” — a supernatural occidental astir fiercely loving your household — made it thing she’s drawn to successful projects.

“I deliberation I crave those relationships due to the fact that there’s a information successful them that I ne'er recovered erstwhile I was younger,” says Scrofano, who emphasizes that it helps that she’s been “spoiled” by her castmates. “Yes, I’ve gravitated to those stories, but partly, it’s destiny and luck that these radical who marque it truthful casual to autumn successful emotion with them autumn into my lap.”

Her latest series, “Revival,” which premiered past week connected Syfy (the archetypal occurrence volition deed Peacock connected Thursday), is besides anchored by the narration betwixt 2 sisters. Created by Aaron B. Koontz and Luke Boyce, the supernatural enigma revolves astir a tiny Wisconsin municipality wherever 1 day, radical who person precocious died abruptly travel backmost to life. The amusement is based connected the comic publication bid by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton.

Melanie Scrofano’s Dana Cypress with her father, Wayne (David James Elliott), successful “Revival.”

(Naomi Peters / Lavivier Productions / Syfy)

Scrofano stars arsenic Dana Cypress, a azygous parent and section constabulary serviceman who is simply trying to supply for her kid. Audiences archetypal conscionable Dana arsenic she is packing up her location to pursuit a caller accidental distant from her hometown.

“It’s a tiny town, [and] erstwhile radical person decided who you are, that’s who you are,” says Scrofano, who besides serves arsenic an enforcement shaper connected the series. “[But] Dana knows she tin beryllium more. … So she wants to get retired of determination and fulfill the committedness she knows that she has successful herself.”

Unfortunately, the abrupt resurrection of the town’s precocious deceased derails Dana’s plans. The bid follows Dana arsenic she investigates the concern astir the no-longer-dead, dubbed “revivers” successful the show’s parlance, arsenic good arsenic different (possibly related) crimes. She’s besides navigating a strained narration with her begetter and a budding romance portion trying to reconnect with her estranged younger sister.

What struck Scrofano astir the quality is that she is not defined by her occupation oregon immoderate 1 circumstantial role.

“She [feels] similar a existent quality being,” Scrofano says of Dana. “She’s simply a pistillate trying to beryllium and execute her dreams successful a mode that is feeling impossible, and there’s thing much quality than that.”

The revivers, Scrofano explains, are besides quality — existent radical who look to person returned conscionable arsenic they were earlier they died, alternatively than arsenic undead zombie-like monsters — astatine slightest for the astir part. But overmuch of the satellite nary longer sees them that way, and views disagree connected however the revivers should beryllium treated.

“The rules [that use to them] person changed, adjacent though they person not,” Scrofano says. “So arsenic a metaphor for however we dainty radical who are antithetic than us, I was truly compelled by that. How bash you combat for what’s close erstwhile you don’t afloat recognize what’s going on, but successful your heart, you cognize we request to basal by these people?”

Dana’s sister Em (Romy Weltman), right, confronting Arlene Stankiewiscz (Nicky Guadagni) successful “Revival.”

(Naomi Peters / Lavivier Productions / Syfy)

Although the amusement is acceptable successful 2006 — arsenic evidenced by everybody’s flip phones — the themes it touches person go timely. While the revivers are much a wide metaphor for those who are deemed “other,” the amusement arrives astatine a infinitesimal erstwhile immigrants and their presumption successful the U.S. person been challenged by the national authorities ostensibly for nationalist information reasons, starring to radical being targeted for what they look like. (Scrofano was interviewed earlier the caller migration raids and unrest successful Los Angeles.)

Also topical is however the ideological rift betwixt Dana and her father, municipality sherriff Wayne Cypress (David James Elliott), is simply a root of tension. They clasp differing views regarding their work arsenic good arsenic attitudes towards revivers.

“So galore families close present I find are rather divided due to the fact that of what’s going connected successful the world,” Scrofano says. “I emotion the communicative of a combat to find communal crushed betwixt them. … They’re forced to find it … and that gives maine anticipation that it could animate radical who mightiness beryllium successful those divisions to effort to find their mode backmost to each different successful a mode that feels respected and fulfilling for some sides.”

The bid touches connected applicable themes done its supernatural allegory, but “Revival” tells much than 1 story. As Scrofano describes, “it’s got horror, it’s got comedy, it’s got family, it’s got paranormal [and] it’s got existent crime.”

Dana’s narration with her younger sister Em (Romy Weltman) checks disconnected a fewer of those boxes.

Em was calved with osteogenesis imperfecta, besides known arsenic brittle bony disease, truthful her household has treated her delicately her full life.

“Growing up, we were each precise protective of her,” Scrofano says of her character’s family. “Much successful the mode that Dana is defined and can’t flight the explanation of who she is, Em has the aforesaid burden. There’s a region determination that happened due to the fact that Dana couldn’t get adjacent … due to the fact that each of her beingness [her] dada would person said, ‘Don’t touch. Be careful.’ ”

The sisters grew distant immoderate clip anterior to the opening of the show, but the mysterious events happening successful their municipality bring them backmost into each other’s orbit. They effort to reconnect, discussing however overmuch the sisters tin and volition interaction due to the fact that of Em’s condition.

“We’re rediscovering our narration successful this caller way,” says Scrofano. “Because of what she’s gone through, it frees her from definite things and frees america to beryllium capable to enslaved successful a mode that we couldn’t previously.”

Scrofano calls Weltman, who portrays Em, “a blessing.”

“Romy is 1 of the astir thoughtful, considerate, compassionate radical I’ve ever met, and she’s omniscient beyond her years,” she says.

Scrofano acknowledges that determination are immoderate similarities betwixt “Revival” and the amusement she is champion known for: “Wynonna Earp,” connected which she played the eponymous, initially reluctant demon hunter. The Syfy bid premiered successful 2016 and gained a devoted pursuing implicit its four-season run. A special, “Wynonna Earp: Vengeance,” was released connected Tubi past year.

Dana (Melanie Scrofano) and a reviver successful “Revival.”

(Mathieu Savidant / Lavivier Productions / Syfy)

Both are supernatural shows featuring a radical of reanimated dormant folks and a cardinal narration betwixt sisters. Scrofano admits that she felt immoderate unit to marque definite Dana and Wynonna were abstracted capable that the erstwhile did not consciousness similar a derivative of the latter, since “ ‘Wynonna’ is specified a peculiar thing.”

She adjacent jokes astir avoiding the connection “curse” erstwhile discussing “Revival” conscionable to support the region betwixt the 2 shows, but she besides makes it wide that the similarities lone spell truthful far.

“I’m not going to effort to person radical determination isn’t ... an evident parallel, but that’s benignant of wherever it ends,” Scrofano says. She does stock 1 little evident transportation betwixt the 2 shows, explaining it was “Wynonna Earp” writer-producer Noelle Carbonewho initially reached retired to her astir the “Revival” role.

That Scrofano is simply a spot protective of “Wynonna Earp” is understandable. The formed and unit person spoken often astir the show’s fiercely loyal and compassionate fanbase implicit the years. The amusement besides helped footwear disconnected Scrofano’s penning and directing career.

“‘Wynonna’ opened truthful galore doors creatively,” Scrofano says. “Because it’s opened truthful galore doors, I don’t consciousness the unit of [having] to flight immoderate mold that Wynonna has created oregon that I’ve created for myself done her.”

In a speech that detours done jokes astir the creation of turduckens, nostalgia astir the authorities of jeans worn during the aughts and comparing the inheritance decor disposable successful each of our Zoom windows, Scrofano is astir engaged erstwhile discussing storytelling.

She shares however arsenic a kid increasing up with anxiety, reasoning astir “Married… With Children” episodes was the 1 mode she was capable to settee her mind. Identifying with “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” led her to commencement martial arts. She besides has heavy emotion for “Spaceballs, “ Weird Science” and “Labyrinth.”

And what Scrofano loves astir her occupation and shows similar “Revival” is that they springiness radical an accidental to “search for answers done these stories” and characters to foster empathy and knowing toward others.

“By doing what we do, we hopefully tin empower radical to astatine slightest tolerate each different a small spot better,” Scrofano says.