HORROR TV YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: ASH vs EVIL DEAD season 2 (2016)

ASH vs EVIL DEAD season 2 (2016)

“Always bring a gun to a puppet fight!”-Kelly Maxwell

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Ash vs Evil Dead was a blast for Evil Dead fans, a ten-episode series created by Sam and Ivan Raimi along with Tom Spezialy and produced by Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert and star Bruce Campbell, that finally brought back Campbell’s Ash Williams for more battles with the Deadites. The half-hour show premiered, last year, on Halloween night on Starz and was a big hit renewed for two more seasons.

Season two arrived on October 2nd, 2016, and opens with Ash living it up in Jacksonville, Florida as per his agreement with Ruby (Lucy Lawless). Ruby however finds herself overwhelmed by her “children” and as she has lost all control of them, she needs Ash’s help and thus sicks the Deadites after him to get his attention. She lures him back to his hometown of Elk Grove, Michigan where we find he is an outcast nicknamed “Ashy Slashy” by the locals, who believe he murdered his friends and sister back in that cabin in 1982. We also find that Ash has an estranged father (Lee Majors) who still lives there and a former flame (Michelle Hurd) who he still has feelings for. We also have a new villain, a demon named Baal (Joel Tobeck) who has apocalyptic plans for The Necronomicon. Now it’s a race against time and various Deadites to secure the book and foil Baal’s schemes…if the townsfolk don’t kill Ash first!

While the novelty has worn off a bit that we actually have an Evil Dead series, the fun hasn’t and season two makes up for being the second go-around by upping the ante on gore, taking us to some new places, adding some new faces and delivering some nice character development, especially from Dana DeLorenzo’s Kelly. We also get the return of some classic characters, like Ellen Sandweiss as Ash’s sister Cheryl and some truly shocking and unexpected moments. There is a somewhat darker tone at times though there are still plenty of classic Ash moments, like in The Morgue. As with last season, there are a few weaker episodes such as Last Call, where Ash throws a party to find the kids that stole his car and Confinement that has the gang trapped in a police station with Baal. To counter that, there are some really great episodes such as the DUI where he battles his demon possessed Delta, Delusion, which takes place in an asylum and the climatic Home Again and Second Coming that return us to the cabin once again, this time back in 1982. In between we get an epic reunion with dead sister Cheryl in Trapped Inside, that horrifying and hysterical trip to The Morgue, an evil Ashy Slashy hand puppet and some truly unexpected character deaths that really resonate. There is an abundance of gore and while some gross-out moments are a little too obviously in existence just to be gross, Pablo and Kelly do graduate from sidekicks to equals by being given some very strong moments in which to shine. The show obviously sets up season three but does so without sacrificing a satisfying conclusion to this season’s storyline. With new show runner Mark Verheiden, hopefully season three will keep things fresh without loosing the show’s beloved and now established elements.

The cast are enjoyable as they were last season, as far as the regulars. Campbell plays the role with the same gusto and doesn’t seem at all tired of it. We get to see a bit more of Ash here as we travel to his hometown, visit his house and his room, experience the effects of his strained relationship with his dad and for the first time, the guilt over the death of his sister and the rejection of a town that blames him. Campbell pulls it all off with swagger and some surprising sensitivity. Dana Delorenzo really shines as Kelly. She comes into her own as a hero and fighter, as well as deals with the loss of her parents and the rage it has caused. The actress has some strong dramatic moments, yet also has some very funny ones, too, including a wonderful turn as a crazy Kelly in the asylum episode Delusion. She really gives a tour de force here and we hope the writing continues to give this actress such opportunities. Ray Santiago also gives a strong overall performance as Pablo. Ash’s buddy has a more serious role this season as he is still suffering the effects of being linked to the book and it only gets worse for the loyal sidekick. Santiago is charming and evokes sympathy in the darker moments and yet keeps Pablo lovable and endearing. He is involved in some powerful moments, and he shines in them like his costars. Hope season three lets Pablo have a bit more fun, again and continues to give him strong scenes. Lucy Lawless gives us a different Ruby here as she is now an ally and not the bad guy. It gives Ruby a new spin and Lawless carries it out well. She makes her likable, though the character is written with a bit less intrigue than last season, and her bonding with Kelly was an interesting element.

As for new characters, we have an eclectic bunch. Lee Majors is great as Ash’s cantankerous and horny old man. The veteran actor really has a good time with a man who proves apples don’t fall far from the tree when it comes to being the father of Ash. Ted Raimi also has a blast as not only Ash’s best bud from school, Chet, but he also returns as a classic character from the original movie series. He was a lot of fun, though sadly the Chet character is left out of the action, for the most part, in the season’s second half. Michelle Hurd is pretty and likable as old Ash flame Linda. Her character isn’t given all that much to do, though being married to Ash’s arch enemy (Stephen Lovatt) who is now sheriff, adds a troublesome wrinkle. Lovatt is fine as the wimpy Sheriff Thomas Emery, though the character didn’t seem to contribute much other than being a clichéd thorn in Ash’s side. Possibly the weakest written character this season. Finally, we have Ellen Sandweiss who does a great job returning as Ash’s sister Cheryl, who was the first victim of the Deadites in the original film. It was wonderful to see her back and the character is used interestingly, and Sandweiss seems to have a blast with it.

In conclusion, season two was a bit darker but still a lot of fun. There were some great episodes, though a few weak ones too, and we got some nice character growth and background for our main characters who were given some strong moments to really shine in it. It was different in many ways from season one, yet never lost that Evil Dead vibe. There still seems to be room for improvement and growth for the show and thankfully season three is on its way to hopefully do just that.

EPISODE LIST

1. Home – directed by Rick Jacobson and written by Craig DiGregorio
2. The Morgue – directed by Tony Tilse and written by Cameron Welsh
3. Last Call – directed by Tony Tilse and written by Noelle Valdivia
4. DUI – directed by Michael J. Bassett and written Ivan Raimi
5. Confinement – directed by Michael J. Bassett and written by William Bromell
6. Trapped Inside – directed by Mark Beesley and written by James E. Eagan
7. Delusion – directed by Mark Beesley and written by Hank Chilton
8. Ashy Slashy – directed by Tony Tilse and written by Suzanne Keilly and Aaron Lam
9. Home Again – directed by Rick Jacobson and written by Jennifer Ames and Steve Turner
10. Second Coming – directed by Rick Jacobson and written by Luke Kalteux

-MonsterZero NJ

3 and 1/2 groovy chainsaws.