Ash Vs. Evil Dead returns from the cellar with a groovy new "Family"

Time has been long, strange, and unpredictable since we last saw Ash and his Ghost Beaters at the end of season two. It seems as if the show’s titular evil forces were actually unleashed on our world, what with Donald Trump taking over the Oval Office, violent shootings showing no signs of slowing down, and Hollywood being loused by myriad sexual controversies.

Reality has been crazy, frustrating, and downright terrifying, which is why it’s refreshing to see Bruce Campbell’s mug again. Call me crazy, but pop culture is often our only escape, and when you’re living in an era where even legendary heroes like Twin Peak’s Special Agent Dale Cooper stumble, it’s kind of nice to know Michigan’s sleaziest blowhard still has a chin up on the rest of ‘em.

Not so fast, though. If you recall, things weren’t exactly groovy when Ash Vs. Evil Dead signed off in December 2016. Showrunner Craig DiGregorio bolted over creative differences, leaving a ramshackle season finale in his wake, and the keys to the Delta to Battlestar Galactica and Daredevil producer Mark Verheiden. Seeing how Verheiden had nothing to do with that finale, there’s no need to dwell on the specifics—it’s best to forget that godawful Baal battle—but it is important to remember that the whole shebang ended with a deus ex machina parade in Ash’s hometown of Elk Grove, Michigan.

Well, not just a parade but a celebration. In a dreamy twist, the town that cruelly dubbed him Ashy Slashy had finally come around to rally behind him in a happy ending that was as believable as the robin at the end of Blue Velvet. Yet it takes a lot to fool Ash: “All of this? It’s just … so perfect. I never expected any of this,” he told Linda. To which she insisted, “…you deserve this. You’ve done your part. Now, you can live a normal life. This time, you relax and do whatever you want.” At the time, all Ash wanted was some “sugar,” and that’s certainly what he got, but as we see in season three, things aren’t so sweet.

Or at least not for long. When we first return to Elk Grove, we’re immediately introduced to Ash’s new life as an entrepreneur. Yes, our prophesied hero—the same guy who chopped up his friends to little pieces, lobbed off his own hand, and conquered his demonic doppelgänger in ancient times—has carried on the legacy of his father’s hardware store, only he’s added more attractive offerings … like dildos. At his side is his trusty partner-in-grime, Pablo Bolivar (Ray Santiago), who runs his dream electronics/food stand outside the store called Pablito’s Fish and Chips. Buy a couple of fish tacos, get a hard drive. Sweet.

Meanwhile, Kelly Maxwell (Dana DeLorenzo) works as a bartender in another town, honoring the dying request of the older, not-so-villainous Ruby Knowby (Lucy Lawless), who last insisted she “forge” her own path. Well, she did, and now has to contend with another kind of evil: jerkstore, non-paying moochers who think it’s totally kosher to nosh on the bar’s free pretzels. Needless to say, she has a strict no-nonsense policy against these kind of assholes.

But it’s not that bad for Kelly. Girl’s gone ahead and got herself a hunky sidekick named Dalton (Lindsay Farris). Good looks aside, he’s also a descendent of the Knights of Sumeria, an ancient order dedicated to combating evil, which is more or less a reference to all the untouchable Army of Darkness mythology. Sadly, other than mug the camera, Dalton doesn’t get to do too much in this episode, but keep your eye out … after all, he’s wearing leather.

So far, the biggest shakeup of the series is the revelation that Ash has a long-lost daughter. Her name’s Brandy Barr—daughter of the gone-too-soon Candy Barr (c’mon, that’s funny)—and she’s a hell of a lot like her pops back in The Evil Dead. She’s quiet, she’s angsty, and gets vicious when necessary, as she spits back at the demonic mascot Cougie: “What is your problem, fuckboy?” If you told this writer that actress Arielle Carver-O’Neill was Campbell’s daughter, he wouldn’t bat an eye. Their respective features are uncanny.

Then again, Brandy isn’t much of a revelation. If anything, her character is essentially a recalibration of DiGregorio’s original idea to make Kelly Ash’s daughter by the end of the second season. She even has a similar backstory to the foul-mouthed Ghost Beater, namely how her mother was killed before her eyes by the clutches of evil. Still, she’s the most intriguing aspect of this third season, which is already leaning hard on past arcs, from Pablo’s nuclear tattoos to Ruby’s demonic offspring to the superfluous way evil returns to the fold.