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‘Ash vs. Evil Dead’ serves up a heaping helping of horror movie nostalgia
If Season 1 of “Ash vs. Evil Dead” was a welcome surprise for horror fans far and wide, then Season 2 of the Starz series should be seen as the crown jewel in the fledgling genre series. Not only have we seen familiar “Evil Dead” faces returning to fight the Deadite fight, but the creative team of Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell have found their stride in the show’s sophomore season.
As we gear up for this year’s finale, it feels only right to put Ashley J Williams right back where it all began. But unlike the Season 1 finale, he’s not just heading back to the cabin — he’s going back in time.
After Pablo (Ray Santiago) was severed in half, Sunday’s (Dec. 4) episode “Home Again” finds Ash on a drunken bender, doing donuts on the street outside his childhood home. In a distraught stupor, he gets a message from Pablo — or maybe it was a hallucination — that inspires a new plan.
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In another quick shoutout to “Army of Darkness,” Ash takes the gang on a trip fit for a DeLorean with a spell tattooed right on Pablo’s body — and after some dangerous driving and some odd incantations, Ash, Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo) and Ruby (Lucy Lawless) found themselves traveling back to the year 1982.
It’s a simple plan, really: Go back to the cabin, and destroy the evil book before young Ash and friends ever discover it on their trip. Then, none of this Deadite nonsense would be happening in the first place! But as we’ve seen with previous adventures, nothing is ever simple in Ash Williams’ life.
It doesn’t take long before Ash finds the creepy old cabin — surprised by an evil dead attack, which splits up the group. Apparently, the book was already opened by Professor Knowby. Who didn’t see that coming? While Kelly and Ruby search for Ash and the cabin, Ash has once again found himself back where it all began.
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In Season 1, “Ash vs. Evil Dead” ended at the cabin with multiple nods to the original film in the series. With Sunday’s episode, we’ve entered into a world of slapstick horror nostalgia. In other words, welcome to a wonderful homage to “Evil Dead II.”
Instead of losing his other hand, Ash almost has to sever his own leg once it begins to go bad. But thanks to some quick thinking, he sucks the poison out and goes to town on a growing monster inside of his gut. This, right here, is prime horror entertainment, folks! If ever there was a moment to proclaim that Sam Raimi has returned to form, it’d be this one.
And of course, it wouldn’t be a trip to the cabin without a jaunt down to the basement. Continuing with the “Evil Dead II” theme, Ash finds Henrietta Knowby chained up. Claiming her husband, Prof. Raymond Knowby — father to Ruby — had gone insane due to the Necronomicon, we soon see the old man copping to some sinister actions of his own.
His goal: Transfer the demon inside Henrietta into one of his students. Of course, things don’t go according to plan, either.
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We all knew Henrietta was possessed, right? Well, Ash didn’t — and the battle between the Professor, Henrietta, Ash and poor Tanya (Sara West) is peak “Evil Dead II.” With the help of Ted Raimi, once again donning Deadite makeup to reprise his role of Deadite Henrietta, “Ash vs. Evil Dead” really succeeded at setting the stage for the season’s final episode.
And while our hero was facing down multiple threats in the cabin’s basement, Kelly and Ruby found themselves fighting off one very hungry tree.
It’s possible this was the show’s nod to the 2013 “Evil Dead” remake — and the disturbing tree rape scene that transpired — but it’s probably best not to think too deeply on it. All we need to know is, in this forest, trees have some mean appetites… And very ugly devil eyes. The Land of Oz, this most certainly is not!
“Ash vs. Evil Dead” Season 2 finale airs Sunday, Dec. 11, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Starz.