The narrative of Revival's pilot episode unfolds amidst the eerie ambiance of a mortician's office, where the deceased inexplicably arise from their eternal slumber. News of this otherworldly occurrence ripples outward with alarming swiftness, eventually reaching the ears of Wisconsin Police Chief Wayne Cypress, moments after a heated dispute with his daughter, Dana. Dana, who harbors aspirations of relocating to Chicago with her son, Cooper, to embark on a fresh chapter in their lives.
Intrigued by whispers of the undead returning, Wayne entrusts Dana, herself a seasoned officer, with the mission to uncover the truth. At a solemn graveyard, she encounters a harrowing sight: multiple resuscitated souls pleading for assistance.
As weeks drag on in a state of quarantine following the "revival" phenomenon, life slowly begins to resume its rhythm once the curfew is lifted. Specialized agencies, such as the CDC, step in to decipher the mysterious circumstances behind these resurrection cases.
Dana's personal life takes a curious turn when she discovers that Ibrahim Rahim, a fleeting romantic interest, is a member of the CDC's investigative team. This revelation dawns upon her after she slips into her father's secluded cabin, where she overhears a contentious debate between Wayne and Ibrahim over jurisdictional matters. Seizing the opportunity, Dana pilfers case files from Wayne's quarters, hoping to uncover clues pertaining to a deceased horse and a set of human teeth she had earlier stumbled upon.
Seeking clarity, Dana ventures to Ibrahim's workplace to establish boundaries, affirming her desire to maintain a strictly professional rapport. Their conversation is interrupted by the CDC's seizure of the deceased horse's carcass for further examination.
Ibrahim enlightens Dana about the discovery of human teeth near the horse and demonstrates the astonishing self-healing capabilities of revived tissue. Armed with this newfound insight, Dana postulates that the horse might have fallen prey to an unregistered, violent revived individual.
Relying on the pilfered case file, she embarks on a quest to track down a former criminal who has risen from the dead, suspecting his involvement in the horse's untimely demise. However, this lead proves to be a dead-end, leaving her as puzzled as ever.
The criminal, with a twist of malice, directs her attention to a dubious truck he had noticed traveling along the very route where the enigmatic horse was discovered. On her quest to uncover the identity of the truck's owners, Dana's journey takes an unexpected turn when she bumps into her sister, Martha "Em" Cooper, who is soundly slumbering on a bench, a stark contrast to her usual dormitory habitat. Em's relationship with her professor appears shrouded in mystery and raises eyebrows. With a heart full of concern, Dana urges her sister to her feet and resumes their pursuit.
Upon arriving at the farm belonging to the truck's owners, Dana is met with eerie sounds emanating from a barn. Pushing her way inside, she stumbles upon a scene of sheer madness: the farm owner's deranged mother, in the midst of an bizarre ritual, is yanking out her own teeth as they inexplicably regrow. The woman's descent into violence knows no bounds as she brutally slays her daughter and husband. Just as she lunges for Dana, Em, who harbors a hidden secret, leaps into action but suffers a stab wound to the abdomen.
With the deranged woman choking the life out of Dana, Em, revealed as one of the reanimated, delivers a decisive blow, cleaving the attacker's skull in two with startling ferocity. In a moment of vulnerability, Em pleads with Dana to guard her secret from their father, adding another layer of intrigue to their already tangled family history.
Meanwhile, Wayne escorts Cooper to an incident report, leading them to a grim discovery: an elderly woman has unearthed her deceased husband's body, clinging to the fantastical hope that he might rise again. Upon returning to his vehicle, Wayne's heart sinks as he realizes Cooper has vanished, leaving the episode on a heart-stopping cliffhanger, teeming with suspense and unresolved mysteries.
