Ash vs Evil Dead
Episode 2.5 “Confinement”
Directed by Michael J. Bassett
Written by William Bromell
Created by Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, Tom Spezialy
Starring Bruce Campbell, Ray Santiago, Dana DeLorenzo, Lucy Lawless, Samara Weaving, Indiana Evans, Ido Drent, Rebekkah Farrell
Starz
Air date: Sunday, October 30, 2016, 8pm

Spoilers below for Ash vs Evil Dead…

Sorry for the delay, but I’m back with a recap of this week’s Ash vs Evil Dead, Episode 2.5 “Confinement.” But first, let’s catch up with last week: Our heroes were divided as Ash (Bruce Campbell) with his old buddy Chet (Ted Raimi) along for the ride did battle against his possessed car, the Delta, which had Pablo (Ray Santiago) trapped inside. Sadly, Brock Williams (Lee Majors), Ash’s recently forgiving father, is dead, run down and brain squashed by his own possessed automobile. Meanwhile, Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo) and Ruby (Lucy Lawless) form an unlikely alliance to defeat her demon spawn. Pablo gets another vision from the book of his death, but he and Ash find a portal to Hell in the trunk of the Delta and finally appear to have ridded themselves of the Necronomicon once and for all. But of course then there wouldn’t be anymore show. The demon spawn’s daddy is coming”¦

Margie (Lucinda Hare) stumbles onto the crime scene at the bar where Ash’s party became a deadite bloodbath. There she is seduced by Baal (Joel Tobeck), the demons’ “baby Daddy,” who promptly skins her to use as a disguise. Ash celebrates defeating evil, but is arrested for murder by his arch nemesis, Sheriff Emery (Stephen Lovatt). Everyone converges on the jail as Pablo, Kelly, and Ruby show up to find him moments after the Sheriff’s wife and Ash’s old flame Linda (Michelle Hurd) shows up along with their daughter Lacey (Pepi Sonuga), who just happened to be trapped in the possessed Delta with Pablo.

Pablo reveals to Ash and Kelly a gross rash and thinks he may be the portal for Baal’s arrival. Chet tries to turn the tables on Pablo and we have this classic back and forth of dialogue:

“Hey Ash, how well do you really know the Mexican anyway?” – Chet

“Hey, he’s not the Mexican, okay! He’s Pablo”¦ Pablo the Mexican.” – Ash

“Yeah, kinda like you’re Chet, Chet the dumb white guy!” – Pablo

“Whoa, that’s a little racist Pablo.” – Ash

Ruby encounters her ex in a great scene where he again appears by skinning another character to reveal himself. Joel Tobeck, decked in black, totally gives off a Randall Flagg from Stephen King’s The Stand vibe. And of course, without the Necronomicon, there is no way to stop him. As Ash and Sheriff Emery are about to duke it out over Linda’s affections, a skinless Margie attacks and it is awesome. Of course Ash gets his saw and soon everyone’s coated in blood from the halving of a skinless corpse”¦ the things I get to type while reviewing this show never cease to amaze.

Poor Pablo. He is having a shitty season. It gets worse as his “infection” is spreading. He’s convinced he is evil, and becoming Baal, but Ruby tells him he may be their only hope. Strange writing appears to be growing on him”¦

“Is that Sumerian?” – Kelly

“It ain’t French.” – Ash

My prediction”¦ Pablo is becoming the Necronomicon itself. Either way, another 25+ minutes of easy breezy TV watching, with blood and gore up the wazoo. It never gets old. This episode also had a few subtle moments which made me laugh out loud. The keys hitting Ash in the face, and Linda walking into the prison cell had me rolling. They found the perfect blend of Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness and to the shock of no one, it works.

Ash vs Evil Dead returns Sunday night only on Starz. You can download the Starz app now for a free trial.