Ash vs Evil Dead
Season 1
Starring
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes10
Release
Original networkStarz
Original releaseOctober 31, 2015 (2015-10-31) –
January 2, 2016 (2016-01-02)
Season chronology
← Previous
Army of Darkness
Next →
Season 2
List of episodes

The first season of the American action-horror television series Ash vs Evil Dead, created by Sam and Ivan Raimi with Tom Spezialy, premiered on Starz on October 31, 2015, and concluded on January 2, 2016. The season consists of 10 episodes, and is based on the Evil Dead film franchise.

The series serves as a sequel to Army of Darkness, and stars Bruce Campbell reprising his role as the titular character, alongside Ray Santiago, Dana DeLorenzo, and Lucy Lawless. The season received generally positive reviews from critics, resulting in a renewal for a second season.[1]

Cast and characters

See also: List of Evil Dead characters

Main

Recurring

Special guests

Episodes

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUS viewers
(millions)
11"El Jefe"Sam RaimiSam Raimi & Ivan Raimi and Tom SpezialyOctober 31, 2015 (2015-10-31)0.437[2]
Thirty years after his epic battle against the evil Deadites came to an end in Army of Darkness, Ash Williams is living in a trailer park, working in a Value Stop department store, and spending his evenings womanizing in dive bars. After seeing a demonic visage appear on a woman's face, Ash recalls having a recent marijuana-addled "poetry read" with a young prostitute, from the Necronomicon, which he still keeps locked in a trunk. Elsewhere in town, Michigan state police detective Amanda Fisher investigates a disturbance at an abandoned house and encounters Ash's demon-possessed friend who kills her partner. After defeating the possessed woman, she is then forced to put down her undead partner who attacks her. Later, Amanda meets the mysterious Ruby Knowby who seems too understanding about the horrors Amanda has witnessed. As more evil happenings occur around him, Ash realizes he unwittingly reawakened the horrible curse again and decides to slip out of town, but he is stopped by his co-workers, Pablo and Kelly, who realize he is to blame for what is going on. After having to kill his possessed neighbor, Ash reluctantly decides to resume his old chainsaw-wielding persona once again.
22"Bait"M. J. BassettDominic DierkesNovember 7, 2015 (2015-11-07)0.276[3]
Pablo and Ash help Kelly who is worried about a strange call from her father (Phil Peloton) and the sudden return of her lost mother (Mimi Rogers), who was feared dead months ago. Ash remains suspicious of the mother, believing she is a Deadite impostor. Meanwhile, Amanda follows leads that Ash is behind the recent deaths and strange happenings around town, and decides to track him down. Ash and Pablo arrive at Kelly's father's house to find Kelly's mother acting normal. However, after being provoked at the dinner table by Ash, Kelly's mother reveals herself as a Deadite and kills Kelly's father with a fork. After a madcap fight between her and Ash, the Deadite tries to convince Kelly that she is fine now, but shows herself again and Ash kills her. After burying the two bodies, Kelly agrees to accompany Ash and Pablo, and the three drive away.
33"Books from Beyond"M. J. BassettSean ClementsNovember 14, 2015 (2015-11-14)0.383[4]
With the mysterious Ruby one step behind them, Ash and his friends seek out Lionel Hawkins (Kelson Henderson), the owner of the occult bookstore "Books from Beyond", to find a way to undo the evil curse. Lionel uses the Necronomicon to summon the demon Eligos (Ben Fransham) in hopes of compelling it to give the answers Ash seeks. The ceremony goes awry when Amanda arrives to arrest Ash and Eligos escapes the summoning circle. In all the chaos, Ash does manage to get a cryptic response that the solution to his predicament resides within him.
44"Brujo"David FrazeeJames E. EaganNovember 21, 2015 (2015-11-21)0.448[5]
After dealing with the demon, Ash leaves the uncooperative Amanda handcuffed in the bookstore and trapped with a Deadite Lionel. She is saved however by Ruby, and after learning of her interest in Ash, the two join forces in hunting him down. Meanwhile, Pablo takes Ash to meet his shaman uncle (Hemky Madera), a "Brujo", who may be able to help. Along the way, Kelly gets sick and acts strangely, having been unknowingly possessed by Eligos. Eventually the Brujo gives Ash a drug-induced vision of himself relaxing on a pier in Jacksonville, Florida (Ash's idealized vacation spot), where his pet lizard Eli appears and tells him he must bury the Necronomicon deep in the place where everything started – the cabin in the woods. During the trip, a possessed Kelly attacks Ash.
55"The Host"David FrazeeZoë GreenNovember 28, 2015 (2015-11-28)0.430[6]
The Eligos-possessed Kelly convinces Pablo and his uncle that Ash is the one possessed. Elsewhere, Amanda and Ruby close in on Ash by using Ash's severed undead hand to guide them. The Brujo prepares for an exorcism while, back in Ash's trailer, Kelly tries to seduce Pablo and later kill him. Once the demon reveals himself the Brujo performs the exorcism on Kelly, forcing Eligos to leave, but not before the Brujo is killed. During a funeral for the Brujo, Pablo takes his uncle's sacred Santa Muerte medallion. Back at the trailer, Pablo gives Ash a new mechanical hand that he had been working on.
66"The Killer of Killers"Michael HurstNate CrockerDecember 5, 2015 (2015-12-05)0.402[7]
Ruby and Amanda arrive at the Brujo's ranch just having missed Ash, but the charred skeleton of the Brujo emerges from the funeral pyre and confronts Ruby telling her that she will never have the book for herself. The two fall into the pyre which then explodes. Amanda leaves in Ruby's car but notices Ash's hand has disappeared. On their way to the cabin, Ash, Pablo, and Kelly stop at a roadside diner to meet Lem (Peter Feeney), an old militia friend of Ash's, and ask for help in acquiring some weapons. While Ash tries to scam his way out of paying the diner check, Pablo and Kelly return to the trailer and deal with the Necronomicon which comes alive and reacts to the Brujo's Santa Muerte medallion. Meanwhile, Amanda confronts Ash and arrests him, just as her police chief arrives. Soon, however, the evil Kandarian force attacks the diner, spontaneously turning the police chief and a waitress into Deadites. Having barely escaped the horror, Lem calls his militia buddies to "arm up" but he is soon attacked by the force himself. Back at the smoldering diner, Amanda agrees to join up with Ash's group.
77"Fire in the Hole"Michael HurstSean Clements, Dominic Dierkes and Ivan RaimiDecember 12, 2015 (2015-12-12)0.452[8]
Ash and his group go to meet the militiamen but find they have been attacked by a demon-possessed Lem. Lem attacks again, and Ash and Amanda become trapped in the militia's bunker with him. Meanwhile, Kelly and Pablo escape to the woods but the militiamen, thinking the two are government agents and their friend Lem is infected with a government virus, hunt them down. Back at the Brujo's ranch, Ruby emerges from the funeral pyre unharmed; she goes to the diner and resumes her search for Ash. Eventually, Pablo and Kelly rescue Ash and Amanda and get the weapons from the militia. Ash unexpectedly vanishes, and his severed hand is seen crawling through the woods toward the cabin.
88"Ashes to Ashes"Tony TilseM. J. BassettDecember 19, 2015 (2015-12-19)0.465[9]
Armed with his chainsaw, shotgun and the Necronomicon, Ash returns to the sinister cabin after 30 years. He finds Amanda behind him who convinces him that he should not face the evil alone. Meanwhile, Kelly and Pablo are lost in the woods but find a group of Australian hikers consisting of Brad (Ido Drent), Melissa (Indiana Evans), and their friend Heather (Samara Weaving), who lead them toward the cabin. At the cabin, Ash is taunted by the severed head of his old girlfriend Linda that he left in the work shed three decades ago. In the cabin, Amanda listens to the old tape recorder about the Necronomicon. Ash suddenly appears and tells her that they should just leave and be together, but Amanda notices his putrid hand and he attacks her. She manages to cut off and destroy the hand, but imposter-Ash impales her on the antlers of the deer head in the living room. The real Ash then finds Amanda just before she dies. Pablo and Kelly return and Ash tells them that she was killed by another Evil Ash that is running around somewhere.
99"Bound in Flesh"Tony TilseRob WrightDecember 26, 2015 (2015-12-26)0.343[10]
Pablo and Kelly confront the two Ashes and, once they realize who the impostor is, they kill him. Ash decides to chop up the bodies of the impostor and Amanda before they turn into Deadites, but the hikers return. Pablo and Kelly lead them away while Ash dismembers his clone. Suddenly the Necronomicon starts talking to him, trying to convince him not to bury it. He throws the book in the refrigerator then notices Amanda has disappeared. Amanda, now a Deadite, attacks Pablo, Kelly and the hikers. She kills Brad and Melissa and Heather breaks her leg. Ruby arrives and Amanda runs off. Returning to the cabin, Ruby confronts Ash, introducing herself as the one who has been cleaning up his mess. She explains that the book cannot be simply buried but needs to be dismantled. Ash agrees to destroy the book and cuts off its face, but once he hands it over Ruby begins a ritual to unleash the evil upon the entire world. Ruby claims to have written the Necronomicon and the face of the book animates and attaches itself to Pablo.
1010"The Dark One"Rick JacobsonCraig DiGregorioJanuary 2, 2016 (2016-01-02)0.508[11]
Before Ash can react to what is going on, Amanda returns and attacks him. He manages to defeat her but notices Ruby and Pablo have disappeared into the cellar. He goes down to find them but the Kandarian force pounds the cabin and Ash falls down the steps. He suddenly finds himself back in his trailer with the Necronomicon. Ruby appears and tells him that he was destined to stand against her, and then tries to broker a truce by offering him what he desires the most – a peaceful retirement in Jacksonville. Refusing the offer, Ash finds himself back in the cellar and under attack by a demonic child that was belched up by Pablo who is under the control of the Necronomicon. Meanwhile, Kelly and Heather attempt to survive a demonic onslaught. Heather is killed while Kelly is locked out of the cabin. Ash again confronts Ruby, who promises to leave Ash and his friends alone in exchange for allowing her to release evil spirits (which she claims she can control) from the Necronomicon. Ash accepts the deal and starts driving to Jacksonville with Kelly and Pablo, while sinkholes begin to open up around the world.

Reception

Critical response

The first season of Ash vs Evil Dead has received critical acclaim. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the season a 98% "Certified Fresh" rating based on 51 reviews, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "True to the movies that spawned it, Ash vs Evil Dead is a gory, hilarious, and audacious resurrection of Sam Raimi's beloved horror franchise."[12] Metacritic gave the season a rating of 75 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13]

Accolades

Year Association Category Nominee(s) Result
2016 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards[14] Best Television Series Ash vs Evil Dead Won
Best Actor on Television Bruce Campbell Won
Best Supporting Actress on Television Dana DeLorenzo Nominated
Saturn Awards Best Horror Television Series Ash vs Evil Dead Nominated
Best Actor on Television Bruce Campbell Won
Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards Best TV Presentation Ash vs Evil Dead (Episode: "Brujo") Won[15]

Home media

On August 23, 2016, Anchor Bay Entertainment, a division of Starz, released the first season of Ash vs Evil Dead on Blu-ray and DVD.[16]

References

  1. ^ Kennedy, Michael (July 23, 2016). "Ash vs Evil Dead Season 2 Will Reference Army of Darkness". ScreenRant.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  2. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (November 3, 2015). "Showbuzzdaily's Top 100 Saturday Cable Originals & Network Update: 10.31.2015". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on November 4, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  3. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (November 10, 2015). "Showbuzzdaily's Top 100 Saturday Cable Originals & Network Update: 11.7.2015". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on November 11, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  4. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (November 14, 2015). "Updated: Showbuzzdaily's Top 100 Saturday Cable Originals & Network Update: 11.14.2015". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on November 11, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  5. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (November 14, 2015). "Expanded Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Saturday Cable Originals & Network Update: 11.21.2015". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on November 25, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  6. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (December 2, 2015). "Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Saturday Cable Originals & Network Update: 11.28.2015". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  7. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (December 8, 2015). "Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Saturday Cable Originals & Network Update: 12.5.2015". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  8. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (December 15, 2015). "Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Saturday Cable Originals & Network Update: 12.12.2015". Showbuzzdaily. Archived from the original on December 16, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  9. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (December 22, 2015). "Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Saturday Cable Originals & Network Update: 12.19.2015". Showbuzzdaily. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  10. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (December 30, 2015). "Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Saturday Cable Originals & Network Update: 12.26.2015". Showbuzzdaily. Archived from the original on January 2, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  11. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (January 6, 2016). "Updated: Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Saturday Cable Originals & Network Update: 1.2.2016". Showbuzzdaily. Archived from the original on January 7, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  12. ^ "Ash vs Evil Dead: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on October 30, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  13. ^ "Ash Vs Evil Dead - Season 1". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 5, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  14. ^ "Never mind Oscar, here's the 2016 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards Nominees Ballot!". Fangoria. January 14, 2016. Archived from the original on January 17, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  15. ^ "Winners announced in the (Gasp!) 14th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards". RondoAward.com. February 17, 2016. Archived from the original on February 28, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  16. ^ "Ash Vs. Evil Dead Season 1". Anchor Bay Entertainment. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.

External links

Ash vs Evil Dead episodes
Evil Dead
Categories