El Jefe (Ash vs Evil Dead)
Series premiere of Ash vs Evil Dead, continuing the Evil Dead trilogy.
"El Jefe" is the first episode of the American comedy horror series *Ash vs Evil Dead*, picking up where the original *Evil Dead* movies left off. It aired on Starz on Halloween night in 2015. Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, and Tom Spezialy wrote the episode, with Sam Raimi directing.
The story takes place about three decades after Ash Williams returned from the year 1300. He now works as a stock boy at a store called Value Stop and lives in a trailer. After a disturbing moment in a bar restroom—where a woman's face briefly turns into a demon during sex—Ash realizes he accidentally unleashed evil forces years ago when he read the Necronomicon while high on marijuana with a prostitute.
Meanwhile, Michigan state police detective Amanda Fisher and her partner John Carson investigate an abandoned house. Inside, a possessed woman stabs Amanda's hand with scissors and kills Carson by hanging him from antlers. Amanda shoots the woman's head off, but her partner reanimates as undead, forcing her to kill him too. This leaves Amanda seeing dead people, which a mysterious woman named Ruby insists is real.
At work, Ash tries to get his paycheck early but is denied. His co-worker Pablo wants to help him leave town, bringing along their colleague Kelly. Ash is attacked by a possessed doll wielding a box cutter, but Pablo kills it. Ash explains his past to Pablo, who believes Ash is "El Jefe"—a prophesied hero his shaman uncle warned about. Ash rejects the title. As a storm approaches, Kelly discovers her dead mother has visited her father, and she and Pablo leave on his motorcycle. Their manager becomes possessed by Deadite forces.
Pablo takes Kelly to Ash's trailer, where Ash initially refuses to help. After a possessed neighbor grabs Kelly, Ash finally accepts his old life: he cuts his arm with an axe and kills the neighbor with his shotgun. Another neighbor, Vivian, appears possessed, stabs Pablo, and nearly stabs Kelly's eyes. Ash grabs his chainsaw and beheads Vivian, saving Kelly. He agrees to fix everything, and when Pablo asks how it feels to be back, Ash replies, "Groovy."
The project started as a fourth *Evil Dead* film before Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell decided on a TV series. It was announced at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2014, and Starz ordered the series that November.
In its original U.S.
- Series
- Ash vs Evil Dead
- Episode
- El Jefe
- Season
- 1
- Episode number
- 1
- Original air date
- October 31, 2015
- Network
- Starz
- Writers
- Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, Tom Spezialy
- Director
- Sam Raimi
Lore & Background
The episode is set 30 years after the events of the Evil Dead trilogy. Ash Williams, now working as a stock boy at "Value Stop," has spent his life doing nothing remarkable since the trilogy. He must renounce his routine existence and become a hero once more by taking up arms against the titular Evil Dead. The plot follows Ash as he realizes he accidentally unleashed demonic forces by reading the Necronomicon while high on marijuana with a prostitute. He attempts to leave town but is drawn back into battle after a possessed doll attacks him at work and his neighbor becomes a Deadite.
Reader's Guide
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.437 million household viewers and gained a 0.13 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The series premiere received extremely positive reviews from critics, who praised the series as "fun," also highlighting Campbell's performance and Raimi's directing as strong points. The episode was originally conceived as a fourth Evil Dead film before Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell settled for a TV series. The series was announced in July 2014 at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con, with Starz ordering the series in November 2014.
Did You Know?
- The episode originally aired on Halloween, October 31, 2015.
- The project originally began as a fourth Evil Dead film before becoming a TV series.
- The episode was written by Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, and Tom Spezialy, and directed by Sam Raimi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 'El Jefe' in Ash vs Evil Dead?
It is the series premiere of the Starz comedy-horror show Ash vs Evil Dead, serving as Season 1, Episode 1. The episode originally aired on Halloween night, October 31, 2015.
Who wrote and directed the 'El Jefe' episode?
Sam Raimi directed the episode and co-wrote the screenplay alongside his brother Ivan Raimi and writer Tom Spezialy.
What happens in the 'El Jefe' episode?
Set roughly thirty years after the original Evil Dead trilogy, the story follows Ash Williams as a down-on-his-luck stock boy at a Value Stop store living in a trailer. A brief demonic transformation he witnesses in a bar restroom jolts him into suspecting he has accidentally unleashed something terrible.
How does 'El Jefe' connect to the original Evil Dead films?
The episode functions as a direct narrative continuation of the trilogy, depicting Ash in a markedly diminished state—working menial jobs and scraping by—before the events that will drag him back into the supernatural conflict.
Why is 'El Jefe' important to the Ash vs Evil Dead series?
As the series premiere, it re-establishes Ash's character after a three-decade gap, sets the show's signature tone of dark horror mixed with crude comedy, and introduces the central conflict that drives the rest of Season 1.
More in Ash vs Evil Dead episodes 1-24
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