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For a show that began with a quiet resurrection, Revival is going out in full-blown Book of Revelation mode.
Revival Season 1 Episode 9, “Mother of Babylon,” gives us war cries, betrayal, rescue missions, nefarious moms, and a man who saw a flash of light and decided God personally wanted him to start a cult with a radio signal and a bug-out bag.
It’s intense, exhausting, and weirdly moving. Maybe. I’m still deciding.
Let’s start with Em. She spends most of the episode trapped in a cage, doped out of her mind, haunted by what we’re starting to realize is not her mom. Patty’s presence is eerie — comforting one moment, emotionally abusive the next.
The more she talks, the more she sounds like an echo chamber of Em’s worst thoughts, dialing in on every shame and regret like she’s holding a grudge from the grave.
This is not your usual “TV mom appears in a dream” situation. This Patty is dark. And if Em really is “the Mother of Babylon,” it’s no wonder her subconscious is speaking in fire and brimstone.
Also, I love that Em still reaches for Rhodey — even after hallucinating her way into breaking his neck.
She whispers, “Please don’t leave me again,” and if that didn’t gut you, I don’t know what will. Their bond is weird and messy and complicated, but it’s also pure Revival — trauma-coated, but real.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim is… guessing. I know we love him, but this man is throwing theological darts blindfolded.
Somehow, in between getting kidnapped and philosophizing about soul death, he decides that Em’s murder caused Revival Day. Sure. Let’s go with it. Why not.
Blaine, on the other hand, has finally taken his turn into full villain preacher cosplay. He’s walking Em down the church aisle like she’s about to marry the devil, calling her the Mother of Babylon and declaring her the reason the gates of hell opened.
The audacity. The delusion. The utter Blaine of it all.
But the truth is, no one has a full handle on what’s happening. Dana, Wayne, May, Rhodey — they’re all just scrambling to put pieces together while the military (with its single worst actress) prepares to ship the revivers off like unwanted cargo.
The general is still delivering her lines like she’s asking if you want fries with that, and Carla looks like she’s considering a career change mid-scene. And I wouldn’t blame her.
Wayne and Dana finally learn the full truth about Patty’s death, and — yep — turns out Wayne wasn’t answering his phone that night because he was with Diane. Oof.
No wonder Dana says, “It should have been you.” And yes, despite whispering it, she said it with her whole chest.
The whole town is mobilizing to stop whatever horror show is being planned for the revivers, but once again, the Cypress family drama eclipses the bigger picture.
Lester calls twice before anyone pays attention, and even then, it’s treated like a nuisance. God forbid the people in charge remember there’s an entire community depending on them.
For a show about death and rebirth, Revival spends a lot of time circling the same family tree.
Still, the final scenes are chilling. Em, dazed and confused, is marched down a church aisle by one of Blaine’s goons.
And there’s Blaine himself — frothing at the mouth, calling her the serpent who opened the gates of hell. If this man doesn’t burst into flames next week, I want a refund.
If Em is the heart of this show, Dana is its engine — and she’s running at full throttle here. Between tracking Blaine’s finances, interrogating witnesses, and wading through Blaine’s twisted sermons, she’s piecing together the puzzle at breakneck speed.
But even as she inches closer to the truth, the goalposts keep moving. Everyone’s making guesses now.
Was Aaron just a pawn? Was Blaine more connected to Rose’s death than he’s letting on? And if the angel isn’t a savior… then what exactly is it? And are there two of them, an angel and a demon?
The team’s resistance plan hinges on subterfuge — posing as Blaine’s militia to intercept the transport trucks. Seriously, it’s about time the show leaned into a bit of heist energy.
For once, the town comes together. Rhodey wants to stay behind to protect Em. Ken’s trying to redeem himself after selling out the revivers. Even Carla, previously toeing the government line, risks everything to smuggle Ibrahim’s mystery vials — aka “just water” — into the revivers’ hands.
Whether it’s holy water or a placebo, we don’t know. But the revivers rise up at just the right moment, breaking free from their chains as gunfire erupts outside.
And still, Em slips through the cracks.
Kyle — Blaine’s creepy right-hand man — reaches her first, spinning a tale about Dana sending him. It’s not until she’s marched down the aisle of a church with Ibrahim seated quietly in the pews that we know for sure this isn’t a rescue — it’s a ritual.
And in Blaine’s mind, Em isn’t just a girl with a second chance at life. She’s the literal embodiment of sin. The gatekeeper of evil. The “Mother of Babylon.”
It’s like The Leftovers and The Da Vinci Code got mashed together in Blaine’s fever dream.
But here’s the real question: is Em powerful because of what happened to her, or is she simply being weaponized by everyone who wants to explain the unexplainable?
Wayne and Dana’s final scene adds yet another emotional wound to the family. For nine episodes, they’ve blamed themselves for what happened to Patty. Now they find out the truth — and it’s worse.
There’s no closure, just more guilt, more secrets, and more betrayal.
That might be the one truly consistent thread Revival has nailed: how grief warps everything. How secrets fester, and how easy it is to turn the people you love into villains when the truth stays buried.
If next week really is the finale, the show has a mountain to climb. We need answers. We need consequences. And come on: someone better punch Blaine in the mouth.
You all still along for this ride? You know what to do… drop below and get this party started!
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The post Revival Season 1 Episode 9 Review: Mother of Babylon appeared first on TV Fanatic.
