‘Bet Your Life' Is a Perky, Ghostly Dramedy
The spin here is that the pesky sidekick is a ghost, the mystery surrounds his murder, and everything plays out in a small Turkish town.
Isa (Ata Demirer) is a gambling columnist who hasn't made a good bet in years. Now he's in a mountain of debt, and some unsavory types are after him. Before he can flee home, Refik (Ugur Yücel) shows up at his apartment — Refik, the local richie rich whose suicide was just on the news. Refik knew Isa's late father, who in his day also channeled the spirit world, and Refik's estranged daughter, Seda (Esra Bilgic), owns the vineyard where Isa's aunt and cousin work. Perhaps they can help each other.
Refik and Isa bicker to no end while Isa also clumsily romances Seda and learns more about his own family. Isa shows off his vintner skills, dreaming up a wine coupage to save Seda's business, but she eventually grows concerned with his habit of having conversations with what appears to her to be thin air. But how can he say, 'Actually, I'm talking to your dead dad, whom you hated and who is indeed a pain, though he and I have grown to love each other in gruff ways'? How indeed.
The formula for these kinds of shows is a formula for a reason, and it works shockingly well here, even as various facets of 'Bet' are either not very good or get lost in translation. A lot of the series exists on a wholesome, hokey plane, but flashes of cleverness, especially from Yücel's performance, help, and the mysticism is fun and appealing. It's not that the show qua show is so wonderful, but the same-but-different intrigue of an international McDonald's applies here, too.
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Geek Girl Authority
4 hours ago
- Geek Girl Authority
REVIVAL Recap: (S01E04) Run Along Little Lamb
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She makes Em promise to steer clear of him. Of course, Em is a Cypress — Cypresses are gonna Cypress, ya know? She and Rhodey trail Dana to Blaine's towing business. Dana questions Blaine (Steven Ogg). Yes, he was on the bridge, but he didn't kill Em. REVIVAL — 'Run Along Little Lamb' Season 1 Episode 4 — Pictured: (l-r) Romy Weltman as Martha 'Em' Cypress, Melanie Scrofano as Dana Cypress, Steven Ogg as Blaine Abel — (Photo by: Lavivier Productions/SYFY) Blaine recounts that night. He was called to tow a vehicle near the bridge. He noticed Em there, and that she was very high. Then, he left with said vehicle and took it to Alonzo's. That's it. Em and Rhodey appear. Em decides to conduct her own interrogation. Blaine assumes she saw an explosion that night — a bright light that lit up the sky. Em was in close proximity to it. Blaine vehemently insists she witnessed it. No Revivers Allowed Dana and Rhodey urge homeboy to back up when he gets too close, looming above Em. 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REVIVAL — 'Run Along Little Lamb' Season 1 Episode 4 — Pictured: Steven Ogg as Blaine Abel — (Photo by: Lavivier Productions/SYFY) Then, Wayne urges Em to attend her first anger management session, which is the following morning. He claims Em is lucky that the woman she headbutted in Nella's bar isn't pressing charges. Wayne ensured Em got off with a slap on the wrist due to his status as sheriff. After Wayne leaves, Em makes a beeline for the bathroom. How to Deal Meanwhile, Cooper (Hudson Wurster) and Jordan (Flora McInroy) hang out in the tent in the woods. They're listening to the radio. Suddenly, the radio cuts out. Jordan hears strange noises seemingly emanating from the woods. A light flickers outside. She reaches out her hand as fingers or claws or hooves — which might not be of this world — touch the tent's exterior. Cooper brings Jordan back to reality. RELATED: Revival : Check Out 9 First-Look Photos From Melanie Scrofano-Led Series At the Cypress household, Dana and Ibrahim (Andy McQueen) have a coffee and a chat. Ibrahim needs advice regarding Wayne. How does one deal with him? Ibrahim realizes that Wayne has the governor's ear. Not to mention, how Wausau is treating Revivers is unconscionable. Inhumane. Gotta love the striking real-life parallels as the US ostracizes, discriminates and strips rights from the marginalized. Anyway, Dana tells Ibrahim that Wayne loves to feel helpful. Keep him busy. He thinks what he's doing is right, even though singling out and potentially rounding up Revivers like cattle isn't the way to go about it. After this, Dana heads upstairs to ensure Cooper and Jordan are in bed. Jordan admits she doesn't sleep anymore, which garners harsh judgment from her parents. REVIVAL — 'Run Along Little Lamb' Season 1 Episode 4 — Pictured: (l-r) Andy McQueen as Ibrahim Ramin, Melanie Scrofano as Dana Cypress — (Photo by: Lavivier Productions/SYFY) Under the Rug Dana reassures Jordan that she's not a 'freak' at her house. Jordan is perfect just the way she is. Ibrahim eavesdrops on Dana's chat with Jordan and Cooper. He smiles. Then, Ibrahim asks Dana if she'd like to go out to dinner. Aw, look at these cute kids. RELATED: Revival : The Dead Have Rejoined the Living in Official Trailer Later, Mayor Dillisch's wife, Diane (Precious Chong), informs Wayne that she's a Reviver. She asks him to look the other way for her, as it were. After all, she and the mayor watched Dana and Em quite a bit in the wake of Patty's death. The Dillisches did a lot for him. Wayne refuses to let Diane fly under the radar, insisting he can't make exceptions for anyone. Next, Em arrives for her first anger management session … with Nithiya, who's a therapist. Nithiya admits she knows that Em is a Reviver. They chat about this for a spell. How does it make Em feel? At one point during the session, Nithiya goes into an unexpected coughing fit. Em apologizes, recalling her late mother's cancer battle. Nithiya is fighting it, too. She remarks that Em's mom must've been a strong woman. REVIVAL — 'Run Along Little Lamb' Season 1 Episode 4 — Pictured: (l-r) Romy Weltman as Martha 'Em' Cypress, Gia Sandhu as Nithiya Weimar — (Photo by: Lavivier Productions/SYFY) James Anderson Elsewhere, Dana marches into Alonzo's Auto Shop to chat with the proprietor, Alonzo (Massimo Cannistraro). Alonzo is still quite analog in his practices, refusing to use a computer. He corroborates Blaine's alibi. He did bring in a towed vehicle around 10 pm. Alonzo reveals that James Anderson rented the vehicle on the night of Em's murder before Blaine towed it. RELATED: TV Review: Resident Alien Season 4 Dana searches the car. She finds a parking stub for Wausau General Memorial Hospital on December 18, 2008, at 6:47 pm. Let it be known that I was aware that this show took place in the 2000s, but not in 2008. As a 2000s emo kid, this takes me back. Meanwhile, Rhodey gives Em her first massage. This leads to smooching. Rhodey insists they don't have to go further than that, but Em wants to. While they kiss, though, Em has a flashback to that night on the bridge. She recalls someone chloroforming her as they drag her away. This person had on that wedding band. At the same time, Blaine records his radio show. We hear him spew hateful rhetoric about Revivers as one Reviver, a sweet-looking older woman, happily exercises during a class. Afterward, two of Blaine's bros attempt to block the woman's passage. They intimidate her. Alibi Later, Dana chases another lead at the hospital. A nurse reveals their patient logs from December 18. Dana realizes that Nithiya was receiving chemo around the same time as what's on the parking stub. The nurse shares that Nithiya most likely went home around midnight. So, if the car was dropped off at 10 pm, that means Aaron is using his wife's chemo as an alibi. RELATED: 10 Out-of-This-World Predictions for Resident Alien Season 4 Dana knocks on Aaron and Nithiya's door. However, no one answers. As she leaves, we see the curtains part from inside. Meanwhile, Em and Rhodey visit a pawn shop with the mysterious wedding band. The owner is the one who refuses to serve Revivers. Rhodey claims he left his ID at home, so Em shows hers, which doesn't have the Reviver stamp. She asks the man if he has sold a wedding band to anyone lately. He reveals that one customer emailed him, claiming he needed to replace his wife's wedding ring. The pawn shop owner also shares the email address of this customer — it belongs to James Anderson. Em tells Rhodey that James is Aaron's TA. Uh-oh. 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Anthony hangs up the receiver, which is covered in blood. Fun. At the same time, Aaron is on the phone with his contact again. He urges this person to ensure Nithiya is taken care of. RELATED: Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: SurrealEstate 's Susan Ireland Meanwhile, Dana instructs Ibrahim on where to go, although the latter would rather trust the GPS. Dana gets a text from Aaron, ordering her to go to the woods behind Pacer's. He'll tell her everything. So, Dana directs Ibrahim to drive to that location. Bullets Fly Next, Em confronts Aaron in the woods. Em demands to know the truth. Aaron insists he didn't mean to hurt her. Em starts choking him. At the same time, Ibrahim stops the car near the treeline. Dana whips out a gun. This is all standard first-date fare, right? Dana leaves him there. Em chokes Aaron for a few moments before releasing him. Aaron claims he didn't kill her. He took her from the bridge, but he didn't commit murder. He apologizes. Suddenly, someone shoots Aaron from a distance. He dies. RELATED: Read our Revival recaps Dana arrives after this. She checks Aaron's pulse, realizing he doesn't have one. She asks Em what happened. Then — another gunshot. Ibrahim hears it. This time, the bullet flies through Dana and Em. Unfortunately, only one of them is a self-healing Reviver, and it's not Dana. Em takes Dana's gun and fires at the shooter. A bullet strikes their right arm as they cry out. REVIVAL — 'Run Along Little Lamb' Season 1 Episode 4 — Pictured: Romy Weltman as Martha 'Em' Cypress — (Photo by: Naomi Peters/Lavivier Productions/SYFY) Em calls for help. She reassures Dana she'll be okay while trying to stanch the wound. Someone, save Wynonna! Revival airs new episodes every Thursday at 10/9c, only on Syfy. Our 15 Favorite WYNONNA EARP Moments Contact: [email protected] What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events. Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet. Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium. Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
Yahoo
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Yahoo
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Wimbledon diary: Bear Grylls takes in the tennis on a day of Turkish delight
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