For years and years, it looked like Army of Darkness would be the last time that anyone got to delve into the life of Ash, the horror icon portrayed by Bruce Campbell. Then last year miraculously brought us the outstanding Starz horror comedy Ash vs Evil Dead, which allowed us back into this tortured loner’s mindset. And it sounds like Season 2 will take us even deeper into the character’s history, bringing us back to what he was like even before we met him in the first Evil Dead film.
While I doubt we can expect some big and lavish origin story happening on Ash vs Evil Dead, executive producer Craig DiGregorio has revealed some details about what viewers can expect to learn about Ash in Season 2.
Season 2 focuses on Ash going home and going back to his hometown. In that respect, you’re learning about another side, which you haven’t seen. In this season, I think you’re going to learn more about what his life was like before he went to the cabin. What was his life like? Who were the people that he hung out with in high school? Maybe we’ll see members of his family. . . . So, our plan for Season 2 is finding out more about Ash and his distinct past, before he read the book. Who was he and what was he really running away from?
This is going to be amazing. Ash isn’t the kind of character whose backstory was ever necessary to solidify him as one of cinema’s greatest creations, but there’s every reason to get excited about actually seeing what life was like for him before he became a haunted, one-handed killing machine. I’m also curious about whether we’ll only experience his past through anecdotes or if we’ll see “young Ash” at some point in a flashback. Either way, was he a god-fearing dork in high school before heading off to one of the most fateful cabin trips in history, or was he just naturally a badass right out of his mother’s womb?
Speaking of the mother, there’s no word yet on if viewers will be graced with her presence, but we do know that the great Lee Majors is playing Ash’s dad, so that’s a relationship that I need in my life immediately. Are these the kind of men that played catch in the yard, or did Papa Williams (a last name that I don’t think the show has the rights to) play a part in showing Ash how to use a boomstick?
DiGregorio also made lots of fans’ dreams come alive by telling Collider that the Delta will also play a big part in the season. There are very few people whose car-acquiring stories come close to being important, but the Oldsmobile Delta 88 isn’t just about Ash. It isn’t just about Evil Dead. It’s about filmmaker Sam Raimi, who has put that car into everything he’s directed, and learning more about how the vehicular icon came into Ash’s life is strangely exciting. Did he maybe buy it from someone who has something to do with Ruby, circling this whole story back on itself? And, less importantly, did he and Linda bless the backseat before the cabin trip?
I could literally ask questions like this all night long. But something in the basement is calling my name, so I’m going to check out who or what that is. Ash vs Evil Dead will return to Starz for Season 2 presumably in October. In the meantime, you can check out the entirety of Season 1 on Starz's new streaming service.
