The King has returned! Ash vs Evil Dead Season 3 is incoming!
February 25th marks the bloody return of the Ash vs Evil Dead, the Starz original series, now entering its third season. A sequel to the trilogy of movies that began in 1981 with The Evil Dead, and was followed by Evil Dead 2 (1987) and Army of Darkness (1992), the series follows Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) 30 years after he “vanquished” the forces of the undead.
After unknowingly releasing the forces of darkness by reading from the Necronomicon to impress a woman he brought back to his trailer, Ash and his pals have been dealing with the consequences in the bloodiest, goriest ways imaginable.
It’s a hilarious dark comedy with extra emphasis on both and DOES NOT shy away from using buckets of blood to make its point.
This series is definitely not for the squeamish.
Don’t. Read. This. Book.
Seriously, it shouldn’t need saying, but it can be safely inferred that a book known as the “Book of the Dead” should not be read. You know the book. The one that’s bound in human flesh and written in blood. That one. In the original The Evil Dead Ash and his friends discovered it in the basement of a run-down creepy cabin out in the woods they thought would be a great idea to spend the weekend in. Unleashing the forces of Hell, Ash was the sole survivor and has been plagued by Deadites ever since. Army of Darkness saw Ash travel back to the middle ages to stave off a Deadite invasion and it was only with the help of the same book that got him into the mess, the Necronomicon, that returned him home.
Now 30 years later the book has been opened and on top of having to deal with the usual possessive undead a new layer is added. Fellow Value Stop employees Pablo (Ray Santiago) and Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo) have teamed up with Ash to help him put a stop to the insanity but soon found that they were being stalked by a very important figure. Known as Ruby (Lucy Lawless), it’s later revealed that she is a demon herself and is the original author of the Book of the Dead.
Throughout the first season of Ash vs Evil Dead the slapstick humor, dark humor and true horror elements all run behind the theme of a group of people put into a horrifying situation together and growing closer and stronger in the face of it. Pablo is a true believer in the inherent, although buried deep down, nobility in Ash and vows to follow him into battle and takes to calling him “El Jefe”.
Kelly has a tough exterior but grows fond of both Ash and Pablo and comes to think of them as her new family. Nothing brings people closer than chainsaws and demonic possession.
Ashy Slashy
In Ash vs Evil Dead season two Ash and company venture to his hometown of Elk Grove to face his past so to speak.
Ash needs to bury the hatchet with his father, who is still angry that he ran away years ago after the massacre in the woods, and face up to past friends and lovers and a town that thinks he’s a lunatic. Which he is in a way but a lovable one. After the events from the original film, the town did not believe his claims of demons and murders and believes instead that he is responsible for the death of his friends. Taunted by the nickname they’ve adopted for him, Ashy Slashy, he has avoided coming home all these years and is now back to prove his innocence while he’s here.
Forming a temporary alliance with Ruby they attempt to take on hordes of the undead and Ruby’s ex-husband Baal from destroying the town and taking over the world.
The second season ramps up the blood and guts and humor and has a host of stand out moments. Including but not limited to a demon-possessed Oldsmobile Delta, Ash’s dad Brock played by Lee Majors and a murderous Ash hand puppet. There is even a great cameo by Ellen Sandweiss playing Cheryl; Ash’s sister from the original film.
After losing Pablo the distraught team travels back to the year 1982. With the aim of preventing the trouble that started then from ever happening therefore bringing Pablo back to them. It’s there they reach the cabin, now before young Ash got there, and encounter Professor Knowby who has been studying the Necronomicon and Kandarian demons. At the end the day is seemingly saved, Baal has been banished and the Necronomicon appears to be gone for good.
And Pablo’s back!
Hail To The King
The third season of Ash vs Evil Dead looks to keep the gang in Elk Grove. Returned to present day and hailed now as a hero Ash must now come to terms with a daughter he never knew he had, the return of Ruby and more Deadites than you could shake a chainsaw-hand at.
The first of the 10 episode run premieres on Starz February 25th at 9PM ET/PT.
Mike Harris hails from the suburbs of Chicago and has been a fan for most of his life. Working as an industrial radiographer and raising a family with his wife take up most of his time, but there’s always room for Star Wars books and podcasts! Just looking to give back to Star Wars and the fan community, it’s been a source of fun and learning for him for so long.