"Ash vs Evil Dead" bites the dust after three seasons. I guess my exclamation of its longevity (see Feb '18 post) cursed things. To say the least, I'm frustrated that the wild ride comes to its Deadite end on April 29, especially with Bruce Campbell having expressed a desire for five seasons.
STARZ at least did right by resurrecting Campbell's celebrated character, along with Sam Raimi's merciless mythology. I'm grateful for that (truly), but without an episodic continuation of Ash and the gang splattering my screen, my visits to the pay-for-it network will ultimately hit zero.
What does this cancellation mean for Campbell and the "Evil Dead" franchise? Without question, Campbell will find his way into other projects. That's guaranteed. Like William Shatner, the man is simply too resilient to stay put (thank goodness), but something tells me "Evil Dead" may not be as rubbery as its star.
The franchise has always had a tough time of it, with false starts and delays among chapters. To boot, "Evil Dead" has never gotten the mainstream respect it deserves, and in a troubling time when teens/college kids (once "Evil Dead'"s bread and butter) cringe at stuff like demons and zombies, the required cult allegiance (and uproarious demand) for another resurrection won't be as influential this time out.
Still, "Evil Dead" has outlasted what the snobs predicted. Few foresaw a television series springing from the film series, and therefore, who the hell know? "Army of Darkness II" could yet emerge or maybe even that damn, live-action "Freddy vs Jason vs Ash" we were once promised.
Yeah, I know, it's all just wishing thinking, but as the astounding Ash has demonstrated time and again, you can't keep a good, chainsaw-clubbed, boomstick-blastin' legend down, and so...
It appears that with the series' cancellation, Campbell is also retiring the Ash character. A shame... Hope this is truly not the case, that he'll reconsider, but at least we have lots of gory fun to revisit and savor.
ReplyDeleteWhat a powerful season finale! And to think what we may have seen in a fourth season! Such a shame...
ReplyDeleteAdored the cyborg gal. She would have been a wonderful, recurring character.