Is Dana Going to Make It? Revival EP Aaron B. Koontz Unpacks the Aftermath of “Triage”

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Despite being frequently knocked down by challenges, Deputy Dana Cypress (Melanie Scrofano), can’t be easily stopped. However, as shown in the final moments of last week’s episode “Run Along Little Lamb” from Revival, she can indeed be temporarily incapacitated with a bullet wound.

This week in “Triage,” the Cypress family gathers around Dana to discuss the repercussions of her recent actions. Sheriff Wayne is determined to identify anyone else who may have been with Dana in the woods, apart from the deceased Aaron Weimar and her date, Dr. Ibrahim Ramin.

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It has been established that Romy Weltman, playing Em Cypress in the series, was present as well. She is now aware that Aaron was not responsible for her death on “Revival Day”. However, the question remains: Who else could have committed the crime?

In this week’s special post on SYFY WIRE, showrunner Aaron B. Koontz shares insights about why removing character Dana from the story allows Emily (Em) to take center stage and makes the murder mystery much harder to unravel.

Dana and Em Cypress swap places in Revival, Episode 5 “Triage”

In light of the startling shooting incident involving Dana, this episode focuses on the aftermath of her urgent operation, and crucially, it follows Em as she takes over investigating the case since Dana is currently unable to do so due to her condition.

Koontz laughed, commenting on the amusing predicament of their charismatic lead actress being confined to a hospital bed. He acknowledged that it was an unusual task to maintain both the show’s flow and the character’s dynamics while Scrofano was bedridden.

Koontz expressed that what captivates us is the notion of individuals uniting to aid Dana, offering assistance not only for her physical recovery but also in the challenging circumstances she faces following the shooting. Dana has always been a guardian of Em and her father, shielding them from harm. Now, Em sees this chance to reciprocate by trying to protect her sister. This situation presents a very touching storyline.

In the tender aftermath following Dana’s surgery, where a sisterly bond was reinforced, Emma predominantly navigates through Wausau during “Triage”, diligently trying to piece together clues about the forest gunman. Was she the intended target? Could it be the same individual who attempted to harm her previously?

In this episode, Heather Taylor skillfully depicted the scenario from Em’s viewpoint, as Koontz remarked. Em recognizes that she likely won’t be able to solve this problem alone, so she needs assistance. Consequently, it was an enjoyable process for Koontz to devise a reason for Em and Kay Mathurin (Maia Jae) to team up, as these unexpected partners embarked on their adventures together.

Revival‘s whodunit in the Wausau woods

Koontz expressed that they enjoyed crafting the “Who Shot Dana?” enigma within the ongoing mysteries in Wausau. They felt it was necessary to intensify the intrigue by eliminating Aaron Weimar from the pool of suspects in a particularly dramatic fashion.

As a gamer in the writers’ room, I couldn’t help but bring up Aaron again and again, expressing my gut feeling, “I just can’t shake the idea that it’s Aaron.” However, I was worried about maintaining his character arc for ten episodes. He seemed too sketchy to me. It felt like a mind game – whether I trusted him or not – with the ring in ‘Keeping Up Appearances.’ We strive to create that effect, and for a moment, it makes you doubt. But if you give it some thought, you inevitably find yourself drawn back to Aaron.

As a gamer, I thought to myself, “Let’s skip ahead and show them he’s not as straightforward as he seems.” Koontz added, acknowledging our assumption about his character being suspicious, but assuring us that there’s much more to the story. It’s not as simple as it appears at first glance.

In addition, it allows them to reimagine the events involving the character from the original comic book, tailoring it to their unique style. As for Aaron, he dies early in the storyline, but his demise is not definitive, according to Koontz. The creators choose to present his death differently, with a striking moment where you believe the murderer is Aaron, only to discover him dead in a well. To heighten suspense and tension, we decided to replicate this twist by also introducing additional layers of uncertainty as Dana is incapacitated.

Investigating the main suspect doesn’t just eliminate him as a possible culprit; it also adds layers of intrigue to the “Revival Day” case. Instead of focusing on who murdered Em, Koontz emphasized that we should question how and why Em was killed. It appears there’s a larger conspiracy at play because it’s becoming clear that more than one person is involved. The identity of the individual who spoke with Aaron will play a significant role in unraveling this mystery. With numerous suspects and townspeople to consider, it becomes an exciting challenge to figure out ‘who could have pulled the trigger’?

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2025-07-11 06:01