TV on the Internet: Ash vs. Evil Dead- Series Finale

So it finally comes to this, eh?  The idea of us getting more Evil Dead after Army of Darkness was a long shot.

Getting a second Season was a long shot.

Getting a third Season was still a long shot.

I've reached the final Stage- Acceptance.

Let's do this thing...

In the wake of 3 Episodes worth of sudden wrap-up happening last time, a brand new Evil is loose...

...and it is big!

Things don't look good.

In spite of that, Ash and company will take one last stand to prove the mettle of man.

Nice Evil Dead callback here too, guys.

Can Ash save mankind from Evil in his final adventure?

More importantly, will we ever get any follow-up on this Ending?  I'm looking at you, Comic Books.

Seriously, we need Ash vs. Evil Dead: Season 4 as a Comic.  Make it happen.  The End (forever?).

A good, if slightly-sad end to the Series.  Did it hit my three qualifications for a good Episode?  Ash gets knocked around and kicks ass- check.  The Plot is progressed nicely and things are wrapped up- check.  The freaky monster here is here, plus some classic Deadites- check.  All in all, they hit everything nicely.  The sad note here is that there will be no Season 4, so we can only read about the possible ideas they had for it.  It looked strange and promising in the closing.  Here's hoping that Comics keep this going somehow.  This feels like a good Season Finale and, to be honest, is still a good Series Finale.  It was most likely only meant to be the former, but at least things worked out.  It would be hard to top the giant creature in this Episode, but I would have loved to see them try.  We can have Roseanne without Roseanne, so let's see what happens to the rest of the Ghost Beaters.  Given Ash's situation, it is easy to make it without Bruce if he so chooses to stay retired as Ash.  Nothing against him, by the way- he's earned the right to do it.  Besides, I'd be a dick to say mean things about his choice on his Birthday (the time of this being posted originally).  The Show was fun, bloody and ridiculous.  In other words, great TV.  As a random bonus, they name-dropped Kane as part of a Plot Point.  Way to cater to one specific audience member- I appreciate it.

A big note for the Show to go out on.  Having said that, they end on yet another strange Cliffhanger!

TV on the Internet: Ash vs. Evil Dead- 'Judgement Day'

As the end approaches, will I accept the reality of it all or will I keep fighting?  For the second-to-last Episode ever, let's see...

Mostly-reunited, the group makes plan to deal with Ruby once and for all.

It was nice of the Characters to joke about how often Ash has promised to do this too.  Lamp Shade that cliché, guys!

As the final battle approaches, a little milestone is finally reached.

A brand new evil- which has been hinted at all Season- emerges and things change in just a matter of moments.

Will Ash and company overcome all of this new and freaky Evil...

...or will the final test of Man be too much for them?

To find out, watch the (second-to-last) Episode...

It all must end...soon.  Before that happens (for me), I might as well enjoy it.  This Episode continues to not disappoint and keep me happy.  Let's go through the personal Checklist, shall we?  We get a freaky Deadite in the form of the evil Phone creature.  We get a little bit of Bruce in a slapstick Action Scene as he battles Ruby, although it is played more seriously.  Lastly, we get some good progression of the Plot.  In this case, we get a few big, dramatic leaps though!  There are two possible explanations for this.  One- they just wanted it to be surprising to speed through the events.  Two- they just didn't pace things well and had to rush things.  I tend to lean towards the first possibility, given that this Season is the same number of Episodes as the last 2.  Unless they somehow were given, you know, 12 Episodes and then had them taken away.  I kind of don't believe that, but who knows for sure?  Not me- that's for sure.  This Episode was nice and dramatic, while also having a little fun.  It tended to lean more towards the former though, so it may not be as great for those here just for the Comedy.  I still liked it, which is going to make the next Review feel like, well, this...

Next time, the last Episode ever of the Show.  Does it go out in grand fashion or disappoint?  See you then...

TV on the Internet: Ash vs Evil Dead- 'Rifting Apart'

Has it been just over a Month already?  Damn!  Well, the grieving period is over for now and I can finally get back to wrapping it up with...

When we last left our Heroes, Ash's Daughter was seemingly-killed, only to wake up in an Upside-Down-like World.  It's green and full of monsters- Insert Florida Joke Here.

Ash and Pablo are left alone to save her- what with Kelly being possessed and all.  The solution- not a great one.

As the creatures try to take Ash's Daughter and Kelly- her soul, that is-, the group is split up between Ash's journey and Pablo being left behind with a Deadite.

On top of all that, Ruby is up to even more evil!  What's going to happen next?

Another fun, freaky Episode.  The basic formula appears to be the same.  If it ain't broke, why fix it?  We get a freaky Monster in the form of that smoke thing, plus the shadow things from Ghost AND a Deadite.  How they waited this long to have a fight in that Hardware Store is anyone's guess!  The Story progresses nicely as Ash makes a big move to save his Daughter, but not everything is wrapped up.  The only thing really missing is some slapstick from Ash, but we got the Delta back.  I guess that's a fair trade.  What are Ruby and Not Kelly up to now?  I know that many people know by now, but I prefer to be in the dark.  It was pretty much impossible to not have *anything* SPOILed- especially once the announcement of the Show ending came out- but I did my best.  I, for one, will see this Series through to the end.  One more reason to love it- their willingness to mock their own Show.  When Ash appears with his hand back, he gives this little wink-wink-nudge-nudge response...

Next time, more evil comes knocking.  Can the Ghostbeaters finally get a win?  See you then...

Quick Reviews: The Evil Dead (1981)

Acceptance is a key part of the grieving process.  

To help me with that, let me look back at how the whole Series got started...

Way back in 1981, Ashley and his friends go to a Cabin in the Woods.  What could go wrong?

Just imagine if this was set at any place but a Cabin.  How different would Films be now?

After lots of tension and establishing of Tropes that would be copied for Decades, his Sister has a, let's just call it bad, experience in the surrounding Woods.

The titular force then spreads slowly like a disease, mutating and corrupting all of those around him.

(Update: I'd have made a Weapons joke if I wrote this in 2026)

Things get freaky as the night goes on.  

That's not even counting the transformations that came from all of the Reshoots!

While even the most casual fan must know what generally happens in the Film, here's a reminder of what isn't in *this* Film...

- No Chainsaw kills
- Ash's hands stay intact.
- No 'groovy.'
- No use of the word 'boom stick.'

Can Ash survive?  Will he be remotely the same person?  Can people stop thinking that Evil Dead II is a Remake?

To find out the answer to at least one of those questions, see the Film.  Do it already!

What else is there to say?  Raimi and company put themselves through hell to make a great, over-the-top Film for us all to enjoy?  

In the 37 years since, there have been countless Sequels, rip-offs, spin-offs and marketing gimmicks.  As pure Horror, the original Evil Dead is hard to top.  

Ash is a strong Hero that has to constantly deal with loss and find ways to overcome it.  He's a Hero.  

Even after all of this time, the Film is still very effective at everything it tries to be.  The overdose of blood and guts is still shocking, but in a palatable way.  The sheer Horror of having friends and family turn into murderous monsters still works.  

While some of the make-up work- mostly the stop-motion- can be dated, they clearly knew how to shoot what they could.  I know that it was hell to get right, but it was worth it.  

For a Film that is literally older than me, it doesn't look that dated.  That is just part of what makes it a Classic.  

If you haven't seen this yet, do it already.  If you're worried that it won't hold up, don't.  

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to see a man about trying some new facial products.  He says that they work wonders...

Classic Films never stop being Classics.  Need I say more?  Oh right- groovy.

TV on the Internet: Ash vs. Evil Dead- 'Twist and Shout'

Is it better to burn out than to fade away?  We will see..

After escaping from the law, Ash and his Daughter have to...go to the High School Dance.

Nearby, that demon baby is all grown up and put on a mission.

Elsewhere still, Pablo learns that Kelly's spirit is in trouble and rushes to the scene.

It's not a pretty sight as Other Ash starts cutting up Teenagers and this naturally implicates Ash.

Can Ruby's convoluted scheme of murder and mayhem turn Daughter against Father do the trick?

To find out, keep watching the Show (while you can).

Fun and bloody mayhem.  On the surface, this a bit confusing.  Ash is running around.  Other Ash is running around.  Kelly controlled by a spirit is working with Ruby.  Ruby is doing her own plan.  Pablo shows up.  They manage to make it pretty easy to follow and you never lose track of which Ash is which.  A cynic could say that the Plot relies too heavily upon Ash being dumb and predictable.  A regular viewer would point out that it is just Ash being Ash.  For better or worse, he's kind of a dumbass.  Besides, if you're immortal, you've had more than enough time to figure out how dumb us normal people can be.  For the most part, this still checks off everything on the list.  The Kelly thing is a bit out considering what is happening with her, but her body at least does something badass without her mind.  Close enough?  The Show continues to deliver for me, so I'm game to see this to the end.  Speaking of the end, could you stop by and pick up Barb's body while you're down there?

Next time, adventures in the spirit world and chaos in the real world.  What will possibly happen next?  See you then...

TV on the Internet: Ash vs Evil Dead- Tales From the Rift

Well, this one got more somber with the News on Friday.  I'll do my best to power through and keep going with this Season though, regardless of what happens next...

Kelly makes a bold move: go right after Ruby and try to take her out.  Is this a good idea?

At Ash's House, more Knights of Sumeria show up and offer to help.  I don't like their odds in a Show like this...

Elsewhere, Pablo is now connecting to his roots to become the Brujo.  This new power draws him to Ash, but will he be able to truly stop the evil?

In the Cellar, Pablo manages to use the writing on the wall to make a Portal open!  Nothing good happens with those, does it?

To find out what happens next, watch the Show.

Ash & company continue to deliver.  It's kind of sad to see a fairly-clear end in sight for this Show, but at least it hasn't lost its touch.  All of the stuff you expect and hope to see is here yet again.  Ash fights a freaky Monster- check.  To be fair, it is a bit like the fusion-creature from The Thing's Prequel Film.  It is still cool though, so no real docking of points here.  Kelly looks absolutely bad-ass in her big Scenes with Ruby.  Even if things don't always work out in her favor, she is willing to fight evil straight on!  Pablo getting to learn how his powers work is also nice to see.  He's always wanted to be a big help in that department and maybe now he can finally live up to his potential.  There's less outright slapstick in this one, but the more serious tone of it all makes that acceptable.  No matter what happens next for the Show- if anything- we will always have these good Episodes to enjoy.  Speaking of enjoying, they found a way to *almost* use Army of Darkness clips- yea.

Next time, Ruby's evil plan continues to unfold.  Can Ash and company stop it this time?  See you then...

TV on the Internet: Ash vs Evil Dead- 'Baby Proof'

Another week and another Episode.  Can they keep things going from last week?  Let's see...

Ash has to face down a new, cuter threat- a demon baby.  Will his newfound personal connection to it make it impossible for him to save himself though?

Will the Foreign Tourist last another Episode?  All signs point to 'no' on account of, well, history.

Will she at least go down in memorable fashion?

While possessed by evil, Pablo's soul is able to journey to the Spirit Realm.  Can family save him?

Can he save his soul?  Can Ash take down the demon baby?  Can the family reunite?

To find out, watch the Show already!

Even with all of the new stuff, they manage to keep this going nicely.  Since we're in Season 3, we've got all of the Leads established and can build upon them.  Kelly shows how badass she is, but also makes a big move that's been a long time coming.  Ash shows compassion...but is still willing to keep demon ass- even if he doesn't want to kill it this time.  Pablo gets a lot of focus here as he finally seems to step up to the place of power that he's been meant to for so long.  Ruby is, of course, still manipulative as all hell.  You get all of the stuff you expect- slapstick, Ash fighting a creature and Kelly being badass- and more.  What's not to love?  I'm still not sure where all of the build-up is going, but I haven't been disappointed by the Show yet.  If you're more anxious than I am, just hold up and see where this goes...

Next time, Ash and company must reunite to save the World.  Can they do it?  See you then...

TV on the Internet: Ash vs Evil Dead- 'Unfinished Business'

Ash vs Evil Dead is one of what feels like the 6,000,000 things in my life, but I still make time for it.  I just...take longer.

In any event, here's your Teaser for Episode 4...

In the wake of what happened last Episode, Ash is visited by his Ghost Dad.  It's time for some suddenly-important backstory...

As for Ash's Daughter, her and Kelly have some trouble with a new Deadite.  Can they survive?

As for Ash, his ghostly visitor takes him to...a Hardware Store.  What secrets lie in the basement and how will they affect the future?

As for Ruby, she is still super-evil, but we see a little more nuance to her when she talks to this lady in the Underworld/Hell.  Can she be stopped?

To find out, keep watching the Show.

More bloody good fun.  Ash vs Evil Dead does a nice job of giving you short- by Network TV Standards- doses of both crazy, emotional and fun stuff.  You get Ash with his physical comedy.  You get Ruby's sardonic wit.  You get Kelly's gruff, but fair attitude.  We also get one more- hopefully not the last- bit with Lee Majors being a mean, sarcastic dick.  You really do see how Ash could grow up to be the way he is when he you see his Dad.  For the bloody stuff, this one was a bit more sedate.  We get a Deadite and once nice head explosion- making Tom Savini proud-, but this is mostly about the weird and serious.  Kelly is really conflicted by all of this and not sure how to handle it.  Ash does care for his Daughter.  Even when he won't say it, Brock really does care about Ash.  Credit where credit is due, they keep things fresh with the Deadites and other Monsters.  In this case, we get some wall tentacles, which stand in contrast to the stuff they used before.  Ruby adds a new wrinkle to this whole Story- no SPOILERS- that I liked and am curious to see play out.  No matter who wins, we'll all enjoy the trip.  I'll leave you with this glorious '90s burn by Kelly...

Next time, evil is both adorable and deadly.  Can they save themselves, let alone the World?  See you then...