Ash vs Evil Dead 209 - Home Again - SPOILER FREE Review
PREMIERES SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4th at 8:00 PM ET/PT
Official Synopsis: Ash, distraught about losing Pablo is determined to bring him back. Ruby and Kelly tag along as they travel back in time to make sure Young Ash never sees the Necronomicon. But the butterfly effect they create is something no one can believe!
Good: These good/bad mini reviews are, for now, redundant as, for me, this is the greatest show on television right now. It is an Evil Dead geek's paradise! There. Is. No. Bad. Here.
Ash Vs Evil Dead Season Two is making its amazing and breathless dash to the finish line and the only thing racing through my head is "are they going to make it and thank the almighty chin that there's a Season Three on the way!"
You know that when a distraught Ash makes a plan while drunk, high on angel dust, doing doughnuts in the Delta, with a dismembered Pablo in the passenger seat and when that plan involves going back to the cabin, that it is going to be anything but a smooth ride.
With this being Episode Nine, Ash Vs Evil Dead has no time for discussions, moral or ethical issues or strict continuity and it joyfully revels in that fact. I remember watching 24 and becoming endlessly irritated with the standing around and pontificating about the ramifications of Jack Bauer's lone wolf tactics. The man saved the country 5 times in one season and by season 4 they're still standing around wondering if it's ethical that they let Jack go in alone, risk life and limb and kill everyone with an uzi and a hacksaw. It's especially pointless when we know he's going to do it anyway. After all, as Wrath of Khan showed us, the needs of the many... etc. etc.
In Ash Vs Evil Dead, Once Ash accepted the mantle of El Jefe, as far as he was concerned, everything HE did was towards saving the world and his mantra of "shoot first, think never" remains more true in the first 5 mins of this insane episode than it ever did - AND I LOVE THAT. The other thing is, who knew a TV series based on movies that were short on plot and only ever had one really strong character would have such legs?! If anything this series has proven that it can run and run and the writer's can go nuts with their imagination.
Episode Nine's main strengths are that you really don't know what is going to happen next, it moves incredibly fast and it is filled, much like Episode One of Season 2, with some delightful nods to the original movies. Some are subtle like another continuity/Evil Dead 1 versus Evil Dead 2 recap gag about the book and others are more obvious but in both cases, for this fan anyway, I adore it. There is the return of a character in this episode, for example, that will have the fans whooping for joy! (especially in the episode's last moments)
The writer's have also worked out a way, more than once, to write around what exists from the movies and add elements in the sections of the plot that were never originally fleshed out. It's not a spoiler, really, to say that Professor Knowby re-appears into the franchise but it may be a mild spoiler to say that the woman with him, in the above picture, is actually a student of his. I won't say anymore but it's additions like that, that fit into gaps in the continuity, that are excellent and expand the story and the Evil Dead world, not just for the show but for the films as well.
Episode Nine will not disappoint the fans. You get plenty of Bruce Campbell being amazing, you get plenty of Evil Deadite shenanigans, you get film call backs (every time they go to the cabin I get shivers), you get kick ass music and you get more Ruby and Kelly badassery. There was an interesting moment between Ruby and Kelly where there were hints that while Ruby still believes in Ash's bumbling madness, and she did write the book in which he is foretold after all, Kelly is, maybe, beginning to consider her own future.
Ash Vs Evil Dead has achieved more with its characters and premise in 19 30min episodes than The Walking Dead has in its 93, snooze inducing, 45 minute shows. I don't want to get into a pissing contest though because TWD obviously has its fans and Greg Nicotero and his crew have done fabulous work with practical special effects but give me the no holds barred, rambunctious, splatterific insanity of AVED any day of the week.
I have no idea where they go or what happens in Episode 10 but only one more week to wait!
What are your theories?
What were your favourite moments this episode?
What has been your favourite part of Season 2 so far?
Let us know below in the comments section!
You can hear my interview with Kelly herself, Dana DeLorenzo, HERE
“MILD SPOILERS BELOW!”
A little, quick fan word on Army of Darkness and Ash Vs Evil Dead:
The Evil Dead franchise has always, seemingly, befuddled and confused the hell out of some of its fans with its continuity and behind the scenes gossip. The latest confusion has been about whether Army of Darkness is part of the AVED continuity or not.
People know that when the original creators embarked on AVED Season One that they only had the rights for The Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2. This was because Army of Darkness was produced by major studio Universal whereas the other two were produced by separate companies and their rights have been swapped more times than my underwear.
While the lack of content restrictions and their previous, Sparticus related, relationship certainly were major reasons, don't underestimate the fact that Anchor Bay is owned by Starz and Anchor Bay have the rights to ED 1 & 2 which also made it nice and neat when it came to referencing those films in the show.
During press for Season 2, producer Rob Tapert said that Army of Darkness would finally be referenced in Season 2. Bruce Campbell later clarified that they couldn't directly reference AOD but seeing as time travel and the medieval times appear at the end of Evil Dead 2, that referencing those elements would be fair game. I doubt though that stuff like Henry the red and S-Mart will ever get a mention but, like Bruce says, never say never!
In Episode Nine then, I can say, as a little sneak peek, that they will finally get their wish and see AVED loosely linked with AOD at long last, whether there's more to come in Episode Ten remains to be seen!
