5 Greatest Moments In ‘Ash vs. Evil Dead’ So Far

It is fair to call myself an obsessive fan of the Evil Dead Franchise. I’ve been enthralled by the series ever since I was a kid and it has shaped my view of film and art in general so obviously when Ash vs. Evil Dead was announced and then eventually put on air it was like Christmas Day for a fan like myself.

The series had everything I could ask for and more and I’ve covered it a few times for this site. Most recently, I got to review the first two episodes of the new season, and since it is set to premiere on the 2nd of October, it’s the perfect time to look back at the first season and list its five greatest moments.

Narrowing this list down to just five is a challenge, but without further ado here are five moments that stick out as the best to date.

Evil Ash

It’s no surprise to fans that the Deadites like to mess with people, but mostly with Ash. In Army of Darkness a second Ash was created, who called himself “Bad Ash”. In the Cabin, Bad Ash makes his return and it’s fun to see Bruce Campbell play the more manic and evil version of Ash. It’s a funny and intense moment that fits perfectly in the zany Evil Dead lore.

The Necronomicon’s Author

One of the most surprising turn of events in the series is the revelation about Ruby. She turns out to be the author of the Necronomicon, which is why she is so hard set on retrieving the book the entire season. That gives her more context and as iconic an actress as Lucy Lawless is it feels fitting that she is the reason why it exists in the first place. It also gave a very surprising and great revelation not only for the main storyline, but also for the lore of the franchise.

The Blood and Gore

This one is sort of a copout because it’s really difficult to pick one moment, but the entire series is filled with grotesque and often hilarious scenes of extreme violence and gore. Most of the time it is played for comedic effect and it fits in line with the slapstick violence that Evil Dead 2 introduced. Mixing Three Stooges level slapstick comedy with extreme blood and gore made for some spectacularly creative and memorable moments throughout. As a fan whose favorite entry in the series is Evil Dead 2 this was a welcome addition that blends the humor from Army of Darkness with the grotesquely comedic moments in Evil Dead 2.

Returning to the Cabin

It goes without saying that the Cabin is the most important location within Evil Dead lore. It’s where everything started and as the show has stated it has forever changed Ash’s life. With this in mind it made sense that the cabin would come into play at some point, but it was still a pleasant surprise when the final episodes of the season centered around it. As a fan it’s hard not to be excited about revisiting the location where the first two films in the series took place. There are many references in and around the cabin and it really does make the ending of the first season thrilling.

Groovy

The first episode of the show ends with Ash donning the iconic outfit along with his signature chainsaw arm. He slices up the old woman that lived next to him who has now become a Deadite after a battle in his trailer with her. In a call back to Army of Darkness the chainsaw is thrown to Ash and it clicks onto his arm perfectly before he goes to town and essentially kicks the Deadite’s ass. The scene ends with a really bloody dismemberment before Ash covered in blood states one of his most famous quotes.  “Groovy”. This moment right here is what fans have been dying for. It’s an incredible episode with an incredible ending moment that states that Evil Dead is back and just as good as it has ever been.

It’s hard to explain to non-fans why Ash vs. Evil Dead works well, but if you happen to be one of those fans you know how great these moments were and how the show is a smash success.

Christian Michael Stoic

Christian Michael Stoic

Christian Michael Stoic is a writer, filmmaker, and comic lover from Los Angeles, CA. Heroic Hollywood is his introduction into the world of Journalism which...