Throughout its entire season, “Ash vs. Evil Dead” has proven to be a fantastic and bloody return to form for the long dormant original “Evil Dead” series. With this finale, entitled “The Dark One,” the first season of the new show ends with a tremendous close.

The finale saw greater use of a variety of characters, especially that of Lucy Lawless’ portrayal of Lucy, who had been sparsely seen throughout the season. It was great getting to see her used well in the finale, especially when sharing scenes with Bruce Campbell’s Ash.

There were numerous showdowns that occurred in this finale, especially considering Ash’s more civil means when it came down to making tough, good decisions in the end.  There was a certain vulnerability to the Ash character these past few episodes and it was shown more prominently here. It’s shown that as much as a person tries to overcome the “deadites” of the “evil dead,” it is not always possible to best evil, especially when friends are on the line. This sets up great dramatic scenes in this finale.

However, as per usual, the main star of the show was the sheer bloodbath that ensues, and this finale does not disappoint, from a strong and exciting battle with a bleeding, animate cabin to Ash’s brilliant chainsaw action in the end.

Overall, the season had some grating tonal shifts here and there, but it continued on, delivering a finale that finally set its foot down on its campy comedy-horror effectively, with fine performances and gory action to make one get up and proclaim that “Ash vs. Evil Dead” has succeeded and the proper king, Ash Williams, has returned and is here to stay for the next season to come.

Show: “Ash vs. Evil Dead”

Channel: Starz

Premiere Date: Jan. 2, 2016

Rating: 4.5 / 5