‘Ash vs. Evil Dead 2×01’ Review
With the return of Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, the Evil Dead is most definitely back. Now with the Ash vs Evil Dead season 2 premier the show is back, but can the magic of the first be repeated? Or will Ash start to settle down in his old age.
Everything seems fine for Ash (Bruce Campbell), Pablo (Ray Santiago), and Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo) in Jacksonville and they are enjoying the truce that has apparently been formed. With the return of the Deadites to Ash’s life though it looks like Ruby (Lucy Lawless) is up to her own tricks and Ash must return to his home town of Elk Grove, Michigan where she awaits his presence.
Now that Ash vs Evil Dead is into its second season it has a few things to prove. One of these things is that the same spark is still there, especially with the characters. Happily, for those with faith in Raimi and Campbell it is still there, if not even stronger than before.
Another thing is that the gore still has to be in the show in bucket loads and again I can happily say that there is plenty. To make sure the audience knows this, we get it all over the screen even before the opening credits roll. Just wait till you see the second episode, it has a scene that will stay in your memory for some time (all I will say is mortuary, and a butt joke).
For those wondering how the new members of the cast fit into the show, Lee Majors is the one that stands out and is perfect as Ash’s father Brock Williams. We even get a Six Million Dollar Man joke to break the ice. The interesting relationship between Ash and his father is interesting because it’s something we’ve not really seen for the character and it fleshes him out more. It is also interesting to see how his own town reacts to Ash’s return. In ways we never really think about the outcome of the events of the first film and who knew about it. I won’t spoil this too much, but his return is not taken well, which just adds to the problem of Ruby.
When it comes to Lucy Lawless it is obvious that her character is taking a route to make her much more than the “Big Bad” of the show. She is much more ambiguous and Lucy Lawless plays her well. Her vulnerability and strength are shown, and it is interesting to see how the events of the first season has had an effect on her. I’ll admit that I’m impressed in the route they are taking, but (for me at least) they need to keep Lee Majors a big part of this, he steals every scene he is in.
Ash vs Evil Dead Season 2 is coming back with a bang, and the new direction it is taking will make people feel right at home. This first episode (and the second which I’ll review next week) cement the core story for the season into our minds well and places each character in well-defined places. There is a big battle coming, and some of the character’s parts in this are teased at being surprising, I can’t wait for the third episode (and the debut of Ted Raimi which hasn’t come yet).
***** 5/5
Ash vs Evil Dead Season 2 debuts in the UK on Virgin Media TV on Monday 26th October.
