Ash vs Evil Dead: “Bound in Flesh” Review

Reader meet author.

Now that was a damn, fine episode of “Ash vs. Evil Dead.” The best since the premiere. Better than the premiere, in some ways. Sure, a few weeks ago “The Killer of Killers” also brought back the wit and perverse charm of the pilot for a uniquely gruesome bottle episode set in a diner, but “Bound in Flesh,” to date, felt the most Raimi-ish of the non-Raimi episodes. Writer and co-executive producer Rob Wright did a fine job of giving us the most familiar Ash since the guy who got stoned in his trailer and unleashed hell on Earth.

Because, let’s face it. The season’s been uneven. This Starz series marks the first time we’ve seen Ash written and directed by people other than the original creator. And so he’s felt different on certain episodes. “Off,” even. Yes, it’s expected that Ash would mature a bit as the show progressed, as he’d learn to love and respect his new cohorts, but occasionally – like with “The Host” and “Ashes to Ashes” – he’s felt almost too mature. Too changed in his ways. So the Ash here in the uber-bloody penultimate Season 1 episode was a return to form. Even if he doesn’t exactly line up with some of the more earnest Ashes from episodes past.

But crass, un-PC, overtly-boneheaded Ash helped make this episode really freakin’ funny. Some other episodes were kind of humorous. You could tell that an attempt was being made at a certain quirky tone. But this one nailed it. Legit laughs. Some very funny dialogue from Ash, Kelly, and Pablo. Right from the get-go even, in the opening bit featuring the two Ashes. When one of them tried to confirm his quasi-racism by admitting “Asian babies creep me out.”

But even from there, just Ash saying “My a***hole hand came back and grew another me” was amazing. As was, later on, his proclamation “Hey, evil. Why don’t you eat my butt!” This was just a very cleverly-done dumb Ash. Again, very different from the sentimental guy in last week’s episode who genuinely seemed to mourn the loss of Amanda. This week, some of the grief was still there but it came with a “Oh well, gotta chop her up” attitude that was more befitting of Ash. As was the smirking intent to – most likely – peek at her dead boobs while doing it.

So there is some incongruity in tone going from last week’s chapter to this one. But – hey – I’m choosing to invest more in this Ash than the previous. It’s the penultimate Season 1 episode after all. It was exciting. It was gross. Ruby finally arrived on the scene. Pablo got to get closer to Heather while also suspecting Kelly might have her own feeling for him. Hikers got treated like ventriloquist dummies after Deadite Amanda plowed her fists into their skulls. It had a lot going for it. Twisted, gory, and hilarious.

And so how about Ruby, huh? Finally, some answers. Sort of. I mean, we knew she was a Knowby (as in, the cabin Professor’s daughter), but then we also knew she was probably up to no good. After her run-in with that one demon at the Brujo camp. Also, there was the time she reanimated herself back from the ashes of death. But did we all know enough not to trust her with that book? Because, honestly, she had a good point about Ash always causing more harm than good. And creating huge messes that needed to get cleaned up. Still though, something was amiss.

By the end of the episode, I can’t say that I knew for sure what Ruby’s intentions were, but the reveal that she wrote the Necronomicon was a cool twist. I’m not sure what it means, but it sounds damn important. Did Ruby somehow create it? Or is she possessed by something ancient that created it? The latter, of course, makes the most sense, but I’m not ready to put an official stamp on anything.