Review: 'Ash vs Evil Dead' concludes with a satisfying ending
Posted Tuesday, August 21, 2018 at 5:11 PM Central
Last updated Tuesday, August 21, 2018 at 5:11 PM Central
by John Couture
How does the old saying go? Is it better to burn out or fade away?
When it comes to TV series, there's a tendency to take the latter route resulting in a gluttony of episodes that only serve to weaken a TV series. See any number of TV series who "jumped the shark" one too many times before they finally got their pink slip.
By contrast, Ash vs. Evil Dead: The Complete Third Season is the final season of the successful Starz series and it brings the shenanigans to an end before things get out of hand. In an age where networks are busy finding ways to prematurely ax shows that a bit slow to find an audience and milk hits well after their luster has come off, it's refreshing to see a series end on its own terms.
In season three, Ash has returned to Elk Grove as a hero thanks to the events of season two. But, it doesn't take long for the evil to catch up to him. The Ghostbeaters must band together once more to save the planet one final time.
The main dramatic storyline is Ash trying to come to grips with the fact that he has an actual daughter and then trying to win her over while also keeping her alive. A bit of this arc is familiar in the sense that Ash has already become a sort of surrogate father to Kelly, but there are some interesting elements that take place between the Kelly, Ash and Mandy, er Candy, I mean Brandy.
Much like the previous two seasons and the films upon which this bedlam is based, Ash vs. Evil Dead: The Complete Third Season continues the fine tradition of mixing horror and comedy in nice bite-size (no pun intended) portions. I applaud Starz for sticking with the half-hour format because had they ever tried to stretch the content to a full hour, I think the pacing would have suffered greatly.
Since I came into season two cold, I went back and watched the films and season one, so I was more than ready to bid a fond farewell to Ash by the time the credits rolled on season three. I will say that the TV series stands on its own, but having now seen the films, I appreciate the series even more.
Bruce Campbell is a national treasure and he only gets better with age. I'm a sucker for anything that he touches, but if this is truly the end, I wonder where he will go from here. Of course, if there's anything we can learn from the Evil Dead franchise, it's that dead doesn't always stay dead. So, I wouldn't be surprised to see Bruce Campbell wielding his trademark chainsaw as Ash in the near future.
In terms of the TV series, I do think that they did justice to the narrative without running out of steam. Too often, these types of series water down the episodes to stretch over many seasons and the overall quality suffers. This is not the case with Ash vs. Evil Dead. From episode one until the series finale, the action is tight and compelling and certainly worth a watch.
Ash vs. Evil Dead: The Complete Third Season is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.
