‘Ash vs Evil Dead 3×03 – Apparently Dead’ Review

If there is one thing we should know about horror films by now, it is never to have a funeral. This week’ Ash vs Evil Dead sees Ash (Bruce Campbell) try to make a good impression, with the usual disastrous results.

Ash vs Evil Dead

Brandy (Arielle Carver-O’Neill) tries to say goodbye to her mother this week at her funeral, but Ash’s attempt to be a good father end up in disaster. This gives Ruby (Lucy Lawless) the ammunition she needs to drive a wedge between the two. With Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo), Pablo (Ray Santiago), and Dalton (Lindsay Farris) on away on an important mission, another surprising family member makes a return to the Ash household.

When Ash turns up at the funeral, I had flashbacks to Braindead (or as America know it Dead Alive). My instincts where right on this one, and we are presented with another fight scene that will be hard to forget. I did like the fact though that this week, instead of it being a big set piece around the church, the battle takes place in the small enclosure of the coffin itself.

Another nice touch in season three has been Pablo and his visions. While Dalton believes Pablo’s connection with the Necronomicon means he should die, Pablo is still a major part of the group as he gets help from his ancestors. This of course pulls the three away from Ash and Brandy, which leads to the family reunion.

Lee Majors was easily the highlight of season two of Ash vs Evil Dead, so it is good to see him back, even if it is only for one episode. The use of his return to drive even further of a wedge is another nice touch for this episode which really feels like a game changer. Previous episodes have done a good job of introducing new characters like Brandy and Dalton, and now it is time to mess it all up.

The fight scene featuring father and son beats the funeral scene for me because it feels like time was taken to make it feel believable and add some comedy to it. It has the usual elements of slapstick humour with Ash taking most of the beating, and of course plenty of gore. It also becomes an important scene because of the way Brandy was connecting with Ash’s family, but as expected it turns into yet another reason for her to turn against Ash.

What I’ll admit is somewhat of a surprise this season is how understated Ruby’s attack is. Her attack is on Ash’s family and taking that away. Instead of just sending a horde his way, it is more a systematic attack on the relationship between Ash and Brandy. What will happen when this finally comes to fruition? Also, strength will this give to Ruby’s own little demon child? The answers to that are still to come.

This was another good episode of Ash vs Evil Dead and was one of the ones that would have benefited from the episode being longer. The fact it never overstays its welcome though makes these bite sized chunks of Evil Dead chaos a must-see television event every week.

Ash vs Evil Dead is available on Virgin Media video on Demand in the UK.

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