Fire in the Hole (Ash vs Evil Dead)

Lore & Background

In the episode, Ash, Pablo, Kelly and Amanda are captured by militiamen convinced they are government agents, just as a possessed Lem attacks the group. The plot follows the group arriving at the woods to meet militiamen, finding some already killed by Deadites. They are taken to leader Crosby, who reveals a possessed Lem caused the deaths. During a commotion outside, Pablo and Kelly escape, while Ash and Amanda are handcuffed and thrown into a bunker. Amanda apologizes to Ash for believing he was responsible, explaining that Ruby paid the price for her actions. Meanwhile, a naked Ruby rises from a pyre at Brujo's ranch and retrieves her car at a diner.

Reader's Guide

The episode was seen by an estimated 0.452 million household viewers and gained a 0.18 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research. This was a slight increase from the previous episode, which had 0.402 million viewers. "Fire in the Hole" received positive reviews from critics, who praised the action sequences, character development and ending. Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode an 8.3 out of 10, noting the great gory action and the effective final moment where Ash left his new friends behind. Michael Roffman of The A.V. Club gave a "B" grade, discussing how the episode's use of a "gun" backfires. Gina McIntyre of Entertainment Weekly compared the episode's militia setting to The Walking Dead. Stephen Harber of Den of Geek gave a 2-star rating, calling the episode mostly filler but a graduation ceremony for the supporting cast. Carissa Pavlica of TV Fanatic gave 4.75 stars, calling it the most well thought out and meaningful episode so far.

Did You Know?

• The episode was written by Sean Clements, Dominic Dierkes, and Ivan Raimi, and directed by Michael Hurst.
• It was seen by an estimated 0.452 million household viewers according to Nielsen Media Research.
• The episode features Ash's severed hand approaching the cabin in the final scene.

The Apartment Siege

The narrative of Evil Dead Rise unfolds across two interlocking timelines. A prologue at a lakeside cabin shows cousins Teresa and Jessica, along with Jessica's boyfriend Caleb, falling victim to a possessed Jessica who scalps Teresa, decapitates Caleb, and levitates above the water. The main story opens one day earlier, when guitar technician Beth learns of her pregnancy and reaches out to her estranged sister Ellie Bixler. Ellie, a single mother to Danny, Bridget, and Kassie after her husband's departure, lives in a Los Angeles apartment. An earthquake exposes a hidden chamber beneath the parking lot, where Danny discovers the Naturom Demonto and three 1923 phonograph records documenting a priest's failed exorcism. Once Ellie is possessed and the building's exits are severed—collapsed staircase, broken elevator, blocked fire escape—the family and neighbors are trapped. The horror escalates as Bridget and Danny are in turn possessed, and the three Deadites merge into the multi-limbed Marauder. Beth and Kassie ultimately destroy the creature in a wood chipper, with Beth kicking Ellie's severed head into the machine after it taunts her about motherhood. The final shot returns to the parking lot, where Jessica is attacked by an unseen force.

From Scrapped Sequels to a New Chapter

Evil Dead Rise did not emerge from a clean slate. Before Lee Cronin's project took shape, the franchise had seen multiple abandoned plans: a direct sequel to Fede Álvarez's 2013 Evil Dead, a follow-up to Army of Darkness (1992), and even a fourth season of the television series Ash vs Evil Dead. Campbell and Álvarez had once outlined a grander vision at a 2013 WonderCon panel—two sequels followed by a seventh film merging Ash Williams and Mia Allen's stories. By November of that year, Campbell was already expressing doubts. The path that eventually materialized was announced in October 2019, when Sam Raimi confirmed a new film in development. Rob Tapert stepped in as producer, while Raimi and Bruce Campbell served as executive producers. New Line Cinema, the original film's distributor, joined as a production company. Principal photography ran from June through October 2021 in New Zealand, making the project an international co-production spanning New Zealand, Ireland, and the United States. What began as a streaming exclusive on HBO Max was pulled into a theatrical window by Warner Bros. Pictures after test screenings proved strong.

A Family at the Center

Lee Cronin wrote and directed Evil Dead Rise as the fifth entry in the Evil Dead franchise, shifting the spotlight from the franchise's long-time protagonist to a new generation of survivors. Lily Sullivan carries the film as Beth, a guitar technician who discovers her pregnancy and must protect her niece Kassie, played by Alyssa Sutherland. The supporting cast includes Morgan Davies as Danny, Gabrielle Echols as Bridget, and Nell Fisher in what was her feature-film debut. The film deliberately centers a family unit—mother, three children, and a pregnant aunt—trapped in a single Los Angeles apartment, making the horror intimate and domestic rather than the wide-open-countryside terror of earlier entries. One of the most talked-about creative choices is Bruce Campbell's uncredited, voice-only appearance. His character speaks from a 1923 phonograph record, warning priests about the dangers of a demon resurrection ritual and demanding they destroy the book. Cronin has explained that he cast Campbell intentionally, framing the voice as a time-displaced Ash Williams—a ghost of the franchise's past haunting the present.

Box Office Triumph and Series Momentum

Evil Dead Rise premiered at the South by Southwest festival on March 15, 2023, before hitting U.S. theaters on April 21 under the Warner Bros. Pictures banner. The critical reception was broadly positive, and the film went on to gross approximately $147 million worldwide, a figure that made it the highest-grossing entry in the entire Evil Dead series. At the 51st Saturn Awards, the film earned nominations in two categories: Best Horror Film and Best Make-up, the latter a nod to the creature and prosthetic work that defined the Marauder and the possessed characters. The film's commercial and critical success also reinvigorated the franchise's future. At the same SXSW premiere, Fede Álvarez publicly announced that his 2013 Evil Dead would receive a sequel, while Sam Raimi confirmed his own plans for a fourth Evil Dead installment tied to Army of Darkness. The momentum carried forward into 2026, when the sixth installment, Evil Dead Burn, was released on July 10, confirming that the series had re-established itself as an active and commercially viable franchise.