Review: 'Ash vs Evil Dead' is a scary fun series

Posted Monday, October 15, 2018 at 4:56 PM Central

by John Couture

If you think that I've got a bit of crush on Bruce Campbell and that this site is turning into the Evil Dead propaganda network, you would be right.

In recent weeks, I've reviewed not only the 4K UHD version of The Evil Dead, but also the complete third and final season of Ash vs. Evil Dead. With today's announcement that Evil Dead 2 is getting the 4K UHD treatment in December, perhaps we will just keep the Bruce Campbell love going long into the new year.

For those of you who may have missed the first two Ash vs. Evil Dead reviews, the series follows Ash Williams as he returns home to Elk Grove, Michigan and meets his long-lost daughter before teaming with his former enemy and a new group of demon fighters for a final blood-splattering stand to save the world.

It's really weird to go back after reviewing Seasons 2 and 3 to watch Season 1 and yet, it sort of makes perfect sense. I'm not sure if I'm accidentally inventing the "Machete Order" of watching The Evil Dead properties, but there's a bit of sense to it.

Picking up the series after season one, I didn't feel as though I had missed much, but after watching The Evil Dead, I came to appreciate the little nods and nuances of season one better. Also, seeing the development of Kelly and Pablo was a bit more of an investment, if not a tad repetitive from the rest of the series, so it wasn't all great to watch it in this weird order.

And yet, the great thing about The Evil Dead is that it is so ingrained into pop culture that you can pretty much pick it up anywhere and find enjoyment in the series or films. Ash vs. Evil Dead is a long way from the original Sam Raimi source materials, but that's as much a good thing as a negative.

It's obvious that showrunners Craig DiGregorio and Mark Verheiden have a passion and respect for Sam Raimi's films and their mutual love combine to form a fairly satisfying series that will appease both longtime fans and newbies like me.

It's obvious that Bruce Campbell and his continued involvement as Ash is the heart and soul of the franchise and while Ash vs. Evil Dead may be over, the fate of the franchise is still very much up in the air. If Bruce ever gets the itch to reattach the chainsaw, I'm sure there will be no shortage of interested parties to fund whatever incarnation that might take.

For now though, we say goodbye to Ash Williams with a fitting tribute in Ash vs. Evil Dead that provides a deeper arc for the character as well as allowing him to grow. Well, at least allowing him to ascend to a higher level of adolescence at least. As someone who came into the show without any proper Evil Dead exposure, I'm saddened to see the series end, but I look forward to seeing Ash again some day.

Ash vs. Evil Dead: The Complete Series is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.