There was much disappointment from fans when Bruce Campbell announced he would be “retiring” Ash Williams, his much loved protagonist from the Evil Dead franchise, and with that, the third and final series of Ash Vs Evil Dead has arrived on DVD and Blu-Ray. STARBURST followed the travelling shots one last time.
Following the defeat of the Necronomicon at the end of series two, Ash has settled back into civilian life, taking over the hardware store of his late father in Elk Grove, Michigan. However, Ruby (Lucy Lawless) has some unfinished business with the famed Book of the Dead, which has wound up on the US equivalent of The Antiques Roadshow – she steals it back and plans to use it to finish off Ash once and for all. In order to do so, it requires the death of Ash’s offspring: cue the appearance of Brandy (Arielle Carver-O’Neill), whom Ash must save, along with trusted comrades-in-arms, Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo) and Pablo (Ray Santiago). Will Ash succeed in saving his daughter and the world, or will it succumb to the Deadites?
As with any final series, some people may not look at a series objectively as nostalgia and affection for a series may cloud our judgement; so is it a worthy send off? In short, yes-ish. Season Three has everything we have come to expect from both this series and the franchise overall: we have Ash fighting pretty much anything that has been possessed whether it be decapitated bodies in a funeral home or a porn mag (it has to be seen to be believed!), you have Kelly and Pablo who are given their own narratives in which they fight their own (metaphorical and literal) demons. On top of that, there is a nice cameo from Ash’s father (Lee Majors) who’s there to help from the other side. The snag is that the whole thing feels slightly repetitive of the first series; where the second series evolved as a story from the first, the third retreads old territory. So overall, does Ash gets the finale that is right? Yes. However, has affection hidden some of the flaws in some episodes? Yes as well.
ASH VS EVIL DEAD: SEASON THREE / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR AND SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: BRUCE CAMPBELL, DANA DeLORENZO, RAY SANTIAGO, LUCY LAWLESS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
