"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 was a damn fan demand that Bruce Campbell reappear as Ash Williams, and since it didn't manifest in a much anticipated "Army of Darkness" sequel, STARZ has blessed us instead with a series.
Produced by Campbell, Craig DiGregorio, Robert Tapert and maestro director/creator, Sam Raimi, "Ash vs Evil Dead" is (as Campbell has assured us) better than a mere movie sequel. With a television series, we get many mini-sequels, which for the immediate stretch guarantees at least a consistent flow of the outlandish antics and crazy carnage that's made the films so gruesomely endearing.
The show is a perfect vehicle for the affable Campbell, but then Ash has always been a perfect fit for the actor, going straight back to the original "Evil Dead". Campbell has the right bumbling, every-guy gait for Ash: a reluctant hero, who against perplexing odds, emerges victorious against the dreaded Deadites...well, most of the time, anyway.
In the series, he's not relegated to the past or future, but rather the present: a reluctantly renewed adventurer, sharing the madness with State Trooper Amanda Fisher (Jill Marie Jones); the flustered Kelly Maxwell (Dana DeLorenzo); and the optimistic Pablo Simon Bolivar (Ray Santiago). Campbell's old co-star, Lucy Lawless, is in for the fight, too, as the resilient Ruby! Groovy!
The first episode (directed by Raimi) proved a veritable hoot, with Campbell hitting all the required notes. The "Army of Darkness" buffoonery remains at its heart, and though we don't get those swell Medieval trimmings, the tongue-in-cheek spunk stays ever present. (A good deal of Campbell's "My Name is Bruce" also figures into the plot.)
"Ash vs Evil Dead" has immense potential and like Raimi's "Hercules" and "Xena", should attract weekly devotees. (Heck, STARZ has already approved Season 2 in anticipation of such.)
Like the films that inspired it, "Ash vs Evil Dead" should encourage many a hapless fool to plug along, against whatever obstacles may emerge in life. Campbell's beloved character represents this notion better than most. Yep, if he can do it, so can you, even if your circumstances aren't generally plagued by an onslaught of smart-ass demons.
