Ash is back for more blood and gore in this over-the-top second season which surpasses the first in almost every way!
“Season 2 roars back into action with Ash leaving Jacksonville and returning to his hometown of Elk Grove, Michigan. There, he confronts Ruby. The former enemies form an alliance as Elk Grove becomes the nucleus of evil.”
Do I even need to write this? Fans of the Evil Dead films and Army of Darkness will already have their copies pre-ordered, and don’t need convincing from anyone, let alone me, to tell you just how amazing it is that we have been given this gift. After years of rumors of Bruce Campbell returning to the character, an Evil Dead 4 with Sam Raimi at the helm, never panning out, die-hard fans were left still dreaming about him strapping on the chainsaw and shotgun when the remake came and went with only an after credit cameo appearance to quench our thirsts. Then, Starz pulled off the impossible. Somehow, the planets aligned, dogs and cats living together, and Ash vs. Evil Dead was born.
Season 2 surpasses the first by leaps and bounds; more blood, gore, gags, and most importantly, more backstory behind one of the most iconic characters in horror movie history. After making a deal with Ruby in the conclusion of first season, Ash was living out his dream in Jacksonville. When Deadites crash his party one night taunting him with a familiar song from his younger years, Ash, Pablo and Kelly return to Ash’s hometown of Elk Grove. Here we get to meet his father, and learn the story of what happens after the incident at the cabin.
As much as I love this series, not being able to get the rights to Army of Darkness makes me feel like something is missing. I know, beggars can’t be choosers, but going back in time to fight demons is one hell of a story, something that I think they’d be able to have all kinds of fun with when Ash tells the tale. Perhaps in the future they may work out some kind of deal, but until then, we’ll just have to be thankful for what we have.
There are so many surprises in this season it is hard to go in depth about anything without giving it away for those who haven’t seen it. The show captures the magic of Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness so perfectly, and thanks to the massive advances in make-up and effects, the gore and gags are more over-the-top than ever.
Here’s a breakdown of the set:
Disc One
- Home
- The Morgue
- Last Call
- U.I.
- Confinement
Disc Two
- Trapped Inside
- Delusion
- Ashy Slashy
- Home Again
- Second Coming
Video
Each episode is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.78:1. The transfer is simply amazing, crystal clear with no defects. Colors are well balanced and vibrant, giving the gory scenes a little something extra as the blood often fills the screen.
Audio
The audio is presented in Dolby TrueHD 7.1, and sounds absolutely spectacular. Chainsaws buzzing, Deadites wailing, blood spilling, all will give your surround system a workout and keep you highly enthralled in the action on-screen.
Special Features
On the back there are quite a few extras listed, which made me pretty excited to go through them all. To my disappointment, many of these are less than a minute long, basically promos for the show. However, there are quite a few commentaries on the set, including some by Bruce Campbell, which is quite entertaining. That being said, these are the extras you’ll see:
- Season 2 First Look
- Inside the World of “Ash Vs Evil Dead”
- Up Your Ash
- Women who Kick Ash
- Puppets are Cute
- Dawn of the Spawn
- Bringing Henrietta Back
- The Delta
- How to Kill a Deadite
- Fatality Mash-Up
- Audio Commentaries
This doesn’t need my stamp of approval for anyone to go out and pick up, the characters and content speak for themselves. Ash is back, and I hope he sticks around for several more seasons to come!
