Ash vs. Evil Dead - "Ashes to Ashes"

After a few rockier weeks, Ash vs. Evil Dead is back.  “Ashes to Ashes” may be one of the strongest episodes of the series thus far. Changing up the formula from the previous episodes to a fantastic effect, the eighth episode finds us right back at the cabin where it all began. After sneaking away from his team, Ash makes his way back to the remote cabin and very little has changed. The porch swing even swings to the same beat, banging into the house slowly and ominously.

Ash may be determined that to take on his demons alone, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards. Amanda arrives at the cabin just after Ash does and refuses to let him continue on his one-man mission. She, like him, she has been pulled into this world and she can’t just walk away. While Pablo and Kelly wander the woods trying to find their way to the cabin (not quite sure why they’re separated, but I’m going to let it go) Amanda convinces Ash that he can’t do this all by himself and he doesn’t get to.

Ash heads out to the old shed while Amanda waits inside to watch the Necronomicon. But, unfortunately, the two are not the only ones in the cabin. Ash’s old hand has followed them there and the Evil has plans for our pair. Ash is confronted by Linda—or rather her disembodied head in the vice—while Amanda is ambushed by another Ash which has sprouted new from his gross hand.

This episode takes a dramatic turn tonally, which comes across as a welcome and after complaining more than once about Amanda’s storyline it paid off in a mostly meaningful way this week. I am still not sure that it was executed in the best possible way before this week, and she still felt too young to be a realistic love interest for our lovably smarmy hero, but the final act of “Ashes to Ashes” is so beautifully shot and executed that it makes me resent it all a little less.

!!SPOILER ALERT!!

Specifically, the evil Ash being born from his hand rings of Army of Darkness and the way that the evil twin fires snarky comments at Fisher as she dies is both heartbreaking and a little funny.

This episode may go down as one of my favorites so far for its lovely cinematography and simple set pieces, to the seemingly effortless nods to the original franchise that this show continues to create with ease.

Lasting Thought: The fight between the two Ashes is really great. Since the men are mirrors for one another they know all of the other’s weaknesses and confidently shout them as they attack each other.