Ash vs. Evil Dead (2015)

Season 1

Director: Sam Raimi, Michael J Bassett, David Frazee, Michael Hurst, Tony Tilse, Rick Jacobson
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ray Santiago, Dana DeLorenzo
Episodes: 10

Synopsis:
Thirty years after his first run-in with the Necronomicon, Ash unleashes evil on the world once more and has to put an end to the curse once and for all.

Impressions:
I don't have that deep of a connection with the Evil Dead franchise, but when I saw the promos for this series, it had my interest and I made a point to watch through the original trilogy, which was helpfully being aired as a primer. One thing I noticed about the movies is that Ash becomes more and more of a jerk with each iteration and this progression holds true here as well. They have fun with it, though. He's a jerk and a total loser, but there is some depth to his character and when it comes down to it, he steps up to the plate in the fashion you'd expect from his memetic reputation.

There's a good dynamic going on with the group and you've got a nice contrast with the hero-worshipping Pablo and the snarkily unimpressed Kelly. Lucy Lawless' Ruby is a cool character and Jill Marie Jones' Fisher provides a helpful outsider's perspective on the Deadite menace.

There's plenty of violence and gore, usually comically over-the-top in keeping with franchise tradition. The practical effects are pretty good but the CG can get pretty bad at times. I really liked the design of Eligos.

If you're a fan of the franchise, you'll definitely want to see this. If you're uninitiated, it may be more of a hit or miss deal. I honestly wasn't expecting this to be more than a one-shot, but there's enough setup at the end to warrant a second season and I at least will be back for that.

Rating:
Watch It