Ash vs Evil Dead
Episode 2.8 “Ashy Slashy”
Directed by Tony Tilse
Written by Suzanne Keilly and Aaron Lam
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, Joel Tobeck
Starz
Air date: Sunday, November 20, 2016

Spoilers below for Ash vs Evil Dead…

Last week and every week of this season of Ash vs Evil Dead has pushed the bounds of decency and splattered the screen with ALL the bodily functions. After having to face his long-dead sister Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss), Ash (Bruce Campbell) was locked up in Baal’s crazy vision. Ash dealt with talking puppets, and faced his friends”¦ who weren’t his friends, but rather fellow inmates. In what were perhaps the best acting performances in the show’s history, Campbell and Dana DeLorenzo (Kelly) shined through the darkness of the world Baal (Joel Tobeck) created. In the end, Ash agreed to help Baal destroy the Necronomicon”¦ just one problem, Pablo (Ray Santiago) is becoming the Necronomicon. Is Ash seriously a defeated man, or is this his way of outsmarting ultimate evil?…

This week, on Episode 2.8 “Ashy Slashy,” Pablo, Kelly, and Ruby (Lucy Lawless) arrive at the asylum to rescue Ash. Pablo has a bad feeling. He doesn’t want anyone to get hurt because of his connection to the book. Kelly’s reaction: “Hey! Where’d my powerful vagina go!?” Cue spit-take one. At the end of Season 1 I totally thought Kelly and Pablo would inevitably be a thing, but I love their bond so much more now. They’re like badass guns-blazing, demon-slaying versions of Hermione and Ron to Ash’s chainsaw-wielding Harry Potter.

Baal is using Sheriff Emery (Stephen Lovatt), and Linda (Michelle Hurd) to do his bidding by keeping their daughter stowed away. We quickly find that Lacey (Pepi Sonuga) is a demon and holy crap what a hilarious first battle complete an all-time epic Evil Dead line, “Look Daddy, a unicorn” after putting a walkie talkie through a security guard’s head. The bloody confrontation between Lacey and Kelly is interrupted by the Sheriff who can’t kill his own daughter, so she helps him through the struggle by pulling his head clean off. This gives an great showdown where Kelly splatters her.

Ruby tries to be brutally honest with Pablo about their chances as they search for Ash, all the while Ash is stalking them. Kelly keeps investigating, finding a crazy patient who knows all about Ashy Slashy and then finds Ashy Slashy himself”¦ the hand puppet. “Okay, I’ve seen some seriously disturbing stuff recently, but you”¦ are”¦ adorable.” In the highlight of this or any other season of any show on television, Kelly proceeds to have a violent innuendo-laden streetfight with the “muppet” that involves biting in sensitive areas and a bed pan of stale pee. In that moment I was back watching Evil Dead 2. Just glorious.

Speaking of glorious, Bruce Campbell somehow after 30+ years managed to make Ash into a pretty scary sonofabitch. The tattered straitjacket, the chainsaw sparking a gasoline fire”¦ brainwashed Ash is pretty f’n cool! In the end, we find out that YES Ash was in fact screwing with Baal, and his plan worked. The final confrontation between Baal and the Ghostbeaters made me squirm and then”¦ jaw dropped! On the floor”¦ DONE!

Oh my god! Best episode of the season AGAIN! I am deeply impacted at this conclusion and with a couple of episodes left I have no clue what is going to happen next. The range of emotions you go through watching this episode hit the pole. One moment, you’re belly laughing as Kelly fought the Ash puppet, the next you’re grieving with a mom over her family, and next the flood gates just open. I am so impressed with everyone involved in this show. This episode combined the greatest parts of ALL the three Evil Dead movies into one thirty-minute segment. If there was justice in the world, this episode and the actors involved would win Emmys”¦ all the Emmys.

Ash vs Evil Dead returns next Sunday on Starz. I need a week to calm down after this.

Images

Video

Ash vs Evil Dead | Episode 208

Ruby, Kelly and Pablo go to look for Ash and Baal in an abandoned asylum and encounter some crazy characters. They are all players in Baal’s attempt to break Ash and find the Necronomicon. But did his plan work?

Ash vs Evil Dead | Ep. 208 Clip: You Are Adorable

Happening upon a precious puppet””what could go wrong?