Season 2, Episode 6: Trapped Inside
SUMMARY: Baal (Joel Tobeck) resurrects Ash’s (Bruce Campbell) dead sister, Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss), while Pablo becomes the living embodiment of the Necronomicon.
REVIEW: The same thing that happened to me last season, around this point, with “Ash Vs Evil Dead” is happening right about now – fatigue is setting in. While the last two weeks have offered tight installments, I wasn’t especially feeling tonight’s ep, with the story starting to tread water a bit in it’s midway point.
The big reveal is that Ellen Sandweiss, from the original THE EVIL DEAD, recreates her part as Ash’s sister, Cheryl, and while that’s a fun addition, particularly her chemistry with Ash’s (temporary) sidekick, Chet, it was a small part of a relatively dull outing. Like last season, the plot is being drawn out too much, and large chunks of the episode, such as Baal’s interactions with the scumbag sheriff, feel tacked-on.
The worst part of this season has been how sidelined Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo) and Pablo (Ray Santiago) have been, with neither getting much to do. Kelly’s become a one note action character, a major departure from last season where she had to deal with the trauma of her family being killed. It feels like a lot of her screen-time is being eaten up by Lucy Lawless’s Ruby, who, likewise, is not as interesting a character this season now that she’s been revealed as unambiguously good. Surely they’ve got something more interesting for Lawless on the back burner? Sure, she does seem bent on making Pablo a vessel for the Necronomicon to serve the greater good, but it doesn’t really feel like she’s being given a chance to get in on any of the fun. The same goes for Pablo with him mostly being possessed by the Necronomicon through this episode, and not getting to do much other than writhe around in agony on the floor.
All this is not to say this is a bad episode per se. It’s fine, I guess. Campbell is always aces as Ash, although it’s a shame Chet’s been killed off as his buddy-buddy give-and-take with Ted Raimi was fun. I also have to say, Lee Majors is missed as Ash’s dad. I wish they hadn’t killed him off so soon.
In the end, the midway point of season two hits me the same way the mid point did in season one. I’m still on-board, but I also feel like we’re hitting the filler part of the season, and maybe twelve episodes is just too long. Give me eight real solid half-hours and you have a better overall show. Still, I expect us to get right back on track as we go into the season’s home-stretch and even as filler, this is alright – I guess.
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