Review by Eric Hillis (@hilliseric)
In my recap of the second episode of Ash Vs Evil Dead, I surmised that a half hour format may be a bonus for the show, as it forces writers to inject extra pace into their scripts. On the evidence of the last two episodes, I may have to revise that assessment. Both this week's installment, The Host, and last week's, Brujo, have rejected the frantic storytelling of the series' opening three episodes, with both episodes confined to one location, resolving a subplot over the course of two episodes.
Brujo saw the gang rock up to Pablo's (Ray Santiago) witch doctor uncle's place in an attempt to banish Elegos, the demon stupidly summoned up by Ash (Bruce Campbell) in episode three. Elegos possessed Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo) , and in this week's episode we see the demon use Kelly's body to seduce the smitten Pablo, tempting him into taking a potentially fatal hit from a bong improvised from Ash's shotgun. Speaking of Ash, the main man takes something of a back seat in this episode, as Pablo and Kelly take centre stage in a twist on the old TV trope of having a couple advance their flirtatious relationship while under the influence.
The Host is certainly an improvement over the preceding episode, and it finally wraps up the weak Elegos storyline, but it exposes the problem that lies within the half hour format. A standard hour long format would have meant we only had to endure this diversion for one week rather than the two we've had to get through as is. We've also seen little of Ruby (Lucy Lawless) and Amanda (Jill Marie Jones), who only appear in a single scene here, using Ash's severed hand as a ghoulish dashboard sat-nav in their quest to track our hero down. Were this a Netflix show, with a full season dropping instantaneously, this wouldn't be such an issue, but when you have to wait a week to move on to the next episode, the likes of Brujo and The Host can feel like frustrating setbacks in the show's grand scheme.
At the conclusion of this episode, with this minor arc dispensed, we do end on a sweet note, as Ash is presented with the improvised power glove replacement hand fashioned by Pablo. Promising to shove it up a Deadite's ass, the Ash we know and love is back. Let's hope the next episode can reinject some of that trademark wit into the character.
