Delusion (Ash vs Evil Dead)

Lore & Background

The episode opens with Ash having a nightmare and then finding himself in an asylum with no memory of how he got there. His psychiatrist, Dr. Peacock, claims Ash killed four people at a cabin and that everything since is an hallucination. After Ash attacks him, the doctor sedates him. Ash begins seeing other characters from his life—Ruby as a nurse, Kelly as a fellow inmate, and Pablo as an orderly—and is taunted by a puppet while experiencing a loss of perception of reality. During electroshock therapy, Dr. Peacock tells Ash he needs to "kill the book." Ash incites a riot, steals Pablo's access card, and attempts to escape with Kelly, but the alarm is triggered. In her madness, Kelly kills Pablo, claiming he was a demon. When orderlies arrive, Ash finds Kelly and Pablo mutilated and is blamed for their deaths. Confined to his cell, Ash is visited by Linda, who tries to reason with him. Seeing three shadowed figures (Pablo, Kelly, and Ruby) parking his Delta outside, Ash confesses to killing his friends at the cabin. Dr. Peacock then instructs him to destroy the Necronomicon to end the delusion. Ash accepts, unaware this is part of Baal's manipulation, and is released from his straitjacket to follow orders.

Reader's Guide

The episode was written by co-executive producer Hank Chilton, his first writing credit, and directed by Mark Beesley, his second directorial credit. According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.337 million household viewers and gained a 0.18 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, a slight increase from the previous episode's 0.330 million viewers and 0.15 share. The episode received extremely positive reviews from critics. Matt Fowler of IGN gave it an 8.6 out of 10, praising Ash's defeat as a first-time succumbing to something other than his own stupidity. Michael Roffman of The A.V. Club gave it a "B+" and called it a "smart, deceitful half-hour of Ken Kesey-inspired storytelling." Stephen Harber of Den of Geek gave it 2 out of 5 stars, feeling it was filler. Steve Ford of TV Fanatic gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars, noting the episode was toned back on gore. Merrill Barr of Forbes described it as a successful experiment in stretching an arc.

Did You Know?

• It was directed by Mark Beesley, his second directorial credit for the series.
• Critic Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode an 8.6 out of 10 rating.

Production & Broadcast Run

Ash vs Evil Dead is an American comedy-horror television series that functions as a direct sequel to Sam Raimi's original Evil Dead film trilogy. Developed by Raimi together with his son Ivan Raimi and writer Tom Spezialy, the show was produced for the network Starz. Bruce Campbell returned to the role he made iconic as Ash Williams, joined by Ray Santiago, Dana DeLorenzo, and Lucy Lawless in leading supporting parts. The series debuted on October 31, 2015, and Starz committed to a second season just three days before that first episode aired. The follow-up season premiered on October 2, 2016. A third season was subsequently greenlit and arrived on February 25, 2018. The run ultimately came to a close when Starz announced the cancellation on April 29, 2018, bringing the story to an end after three seasons.

Ash's Post-War Existence

The narrative picks up roughly three decades after the events of Army of Darkness (1992), finding Ash Williams in a state of profound stagnation. Rather than being celebrated as the hero who saved the world, he drifts from town to town in a mobile home trailer, keeps a pet lizard named Eli, and cycles through dead-end stocking jobs at various Value Stop locations. He drinks alone in bars and has made peace with a life of quiet mediocrity. Bruce Campbell has described the character as carrying heavy survivor's guilt and PTSD, essentially a war veteran who refuses to discuss his past and will even lie about the missing hand to impress women. In season two, it is revealed that Ash eventually returned to his hometown of Elk Grove, Michigan, where the townspeople not only dismissed his accounts of Deadites but actively accused him of murdering his friends and sister in the cabin. They shunned him and gave him the mocking nickname "Ashy Slashy." Despite multiple attempts to destroy the Necronomicon, Ash could never rid himself of the book and ultimately became its reluctant caretaker.

The Ghostbeaters and Supporting Ensemble

Ash's quest to save humanity is never a solo endeavor. Pablo Simon Bolivar, played by Ray Santiago, is his devoted co-worker and self-proclaimed "El Jefe in-training," raised by his shaman uncle, El Brujo, who spoke of an evil power only a true leader could defeat. Pablo fights valiantly, is torn apart by the demon Baal, and is later resurrected before succeeding his uncle as a "brujo especial" in season three. Kelly Maxwell, portrayed by Dana DeLorenzo, begins as a reluctant and occasionally moody Value Stop colleague but becomes a crucial Ghostbeater after being orphaned. Her Jewish family background and her mother's death in a car accident six months before the series add emotional depth to her impulsive, improvisational fighting style. She is often described as Ash's spiritual daughter. Other key figures include Amanda Fisher, a Michigan State Trooper in season one; Lucy Lawless as Ruby Knowby, a mysterious hunter of evil outbreaks; Linda Bates-Emery, Ash's high school girlfriend now married to Elk Grove's sheriff; and in season three, Brandy Barr Williams, Ash's long-lost daughter, a high school senior whose life is shattered by demonic violence.

Escalating Threats Across Three Seasons

The series structures its three-season arc around increasingly formidable demonic adversaries that force Ash out of his routine and back into the role of savior. In the first season, a hiking group's encounter with the Evil Dead at a cabin draws Pablo and Kelly into the conflict, and the Kandarian Demon emerges as a major threat. The shaman El Brujo, whom the team consults for help, is ultimately killed by the demon Eligos while performing an exorcism on Kelly. Season two introduces Baal, a diabolical demon and Ruby's ex-husband who covets the Necronomicon and wields abilities including lust-based manipulation, body possession, and time-slowing. The season also brings Lee Majors as Brock Williams, Ash's estranged father, a hardware store owner who blames Ash for Cheryl's death but, moments before being killed by his son's possessed Oldsmobile 88, realizes his boy was truly a hero. He later appears as a spirit to guide Ash. Season three brings the ancient order of the Knights of Sumeria, represented by Dalton, and centers on Brandy, Ash's long-lost daughter, whose mother's death at the hands of demonic violence propels her into the conflict.