Everyone wishes for that second chance with lost loved ones, but no one considers what such a thing would actually mean. ABC’s newest supernatural mystery, “Resurrection,” tackles this question. As the long-dead begin to appear in Arcadia, Mo., the town is overtaken with confusion as hidden truths, mysterious deaths and family tensions similarly rise. With a rich group of characters and backstories and the promise of even more upcoming mystery and suspense, “Resurrection” has the potential to make its way onto the list of the top DVR picks of 2014.

“Resurrection” does a great job of balancing multiple timelines (the deceased’s prior and current lives) while still remaining focused on the present mystery. As it is an adaption of the book “The Returned” by Jason Mott, it also already has a defined direction. The first person to return, Jacob (Landon Gimenez), seems to be innocent in whatever has transpired. Having drowned more than 30 years before, he returns to his now-elderly parents still eight years old and smiling, yet with an air of wise seriousness that young Gimenez does an excellent job of conveying. Although he doesn’t remember what transpired between his death and rebirth, he is able to shed light on his drowning. It was long believed in the town that his aunt had died trying to save him, but Jacob flips the Langston family’s world upside down when he reveals that it was actually the other way around. What’s more is that there was another man present at the time of the double death: possibly, a murderer.

If ABC is trying to replicate the success it had with iconic show “Lost,” it’s off to an encouraging start. In fact, the opening shot so mirrors that of the long-running series, with a young boy slowly opening his eyes in an abandoned field a la Jack Shephard after the crash of Oceanic Flight 815, that the pilot might as well be titled “Found.” Even two episodes in, the mystery elements of “Resurrection” are already strong. Besides the fact that the characters have inexplicably returned from the dead, there are many uncertainties in their stories that will presumably turn into long-running plotlines. For example, one of the risen, Caleb (Sam Hazeldine), feigns surprise to hear that he died, instead claiming that he had amnesia from which he “woke up” a few days before. However, his many suspicious antics, which include following Jacob and eventually attacking a man with a wrench, indicate that he knows more than he pretends.

Most intriguing is the spell that the people of Arcadia seem to be put under when they realize that their loved ones are back. Elaine Richards (Samaire Armstrong) expresses extreme disbelief when Jacob returns, even insisting that he can’t possibly be who he claims to be, despite DNA evidence proving it. However, when her father reveals himself to her, all of her doubts go out the window. She even makes it clear that she doesn’t care what has brought her father back to her and that all that matters is that she has a second chance with him. Similarly, Jacob’s mother seems not to understand why the other parents don’t want their children to play with Jacob and rejects the idea that community members think she is delusional.

While the mystery of why these biblical rebirths are happening to the people of Arcadia is a main focus of the show, character backstories and entanglements are also well established. With the revelation that Jacob’s death didn’t happen as it was so long believed, the complicated Langston family dynamic is thrown into the spotlight. The tempestuous relationship between brothers and patriarchs Henry (Kurtwood Smith) and Fred (Matt Craven) hints at years of bitterness, and the revelation in the second episode that Fred ignored his now-deceased wife’s post-partum depression surely means his daughter, Maggie (Devin Kelley), will re-examine everything she believed about the mother she never knew. So far, the most compelling character seems to be Pastor Tom Hale (Mark Hildreth), Jacob’s best friend before he died. Now in middle age, Tom struggles to connect with the boy who still thinks of him as eight years old.

The show currently has the possibility to progress in a number of different directions. Actor Omar Epps’ purpose in the show as immigration official J. Martin Bellamy is currently unclear, aside from the fact that he was originally assigned to Jacob’s case when the latter was found abroad. However, his desire to keep his superiors in the government in the dark about this case hints at a probable future standoff between the Arcadians and people who might want to examine the risen. From the few episodes out so far, “Resurrection” shows the potential to develop as a multifaceted mystery-drama that becomes more and more intriguing until its final hour. However, shows like this are often hit or miss, and the show’s excitement must overpower its uncertainties in order for it to be a success. Thus, the direction in which the writers choose to take it will determine whether the show becomes an iconic series or just a one-off ratings flop.