The Morgue (Ash vs Evil Dead)
Ash and Kelly retrieve the Necronomicon from a morgue corpse.
"The Morgue" is the twelfth episode of *Ash vs Evil Dead* overall and the second in its second season. The series picks up three decades after the *Evil Dead* movies, with Ash Williams stuck as a stock boy at a place called Value Stop. Having coasted through life since his earlier adventures, he’s forced to ditch his boring routine and grab his weapons to fight the Evil Dead again. In this episode, Ash and Kelly sneak into a morgue to pull the Necronomicon out of a dead body, while Pablo tries to make sense of his visions. Written by Cameron Welsh (his first writing credit for the show) and directed by Tony Tilse (his third time directing), it aired on Starz on October 9, 2016.
The plot kicks off with Ash crashing in his old bedroom, though his dad Brock isn’t thrilled. At the morgue, a possessed corpse kills the coroner. Ruby, threatened with a dagger, admits she stashed the Necronomicon inside a morgue corpse. Pablo stays to watch Ruby while Ash and Kelly head off to grab the book. Ash chops through several bodies, finally finding the Necronomicon inside one. But a Deadite corpse attacks him with its guts, even managing to get part of Ash’s head inside the body. After a struggle, Ash kills it. He also spots a corpse labeled Lillian Pendergrass, his old high school P.E. teacher—but when he checks, it’s a different woman.
Meanwhile, Brock is dating Lillian (played by Carmen Duncan), not knowing she’s a Deadite. Back in Ash’s room, Pablo asks Ruby about his visions. She explains that touching the Necronomicon gave him premonitions. One vision shows Ruby tying him up and slashing his throat with her fingernail, but Pablo keeps it to himself. The Deadite Lillian bursts in, mistaking them for Ash. Ash and Kelly arrive just as Ruby beheads Lillian. Pablo finally tells Ruby about his premonition. She figures out it involves Baal, her ex-husband, who made the kids rebel. When she asks for the Necronomicon, Ash says he left it in his car. They watch as two teenagers Ash insulted earlier steal his car—with the book inside.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode pulled in about 0.333 million household viewers and a 0.18 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. That’s a 24% drop from the previous episode, which had 0.436 million viewers and a 0.21 share.
Critics loved it.
- Series
- Ash vs Evil Dead
- Season
- 2
- Episode
- 2 (overall 12)
- Written by
- Cameron Welsh
- Directed by
- Tony Tilse
- Original air date
- October 9, 2016
- Network
- Starz
Lore & Background
In the episode, Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) is allowed to stay in his old house's bedroom, though his father Brock (Lee Majors) is not delighted. At the local morgue, a possessed corpse kills the coroner. Threatened with a dagger, Ruby (Lucy Lawless) explains that she hid the Necronomicon inside a corpse from the morgue. Pablo (Ray Santiago) stays with Ruby, while Ash and Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo) go to the morgue to retrieve the book. Ash chops up some of the bodies, eventually discovering the Necronomicon inside a body. However, a Deadite corpse attacks Ash with guts, eventually getting part of his head inside the body. After struggling, Ash kills it. He also discovers that one of the corpses is Lillian Pendergrass, his old high school P.E. teacher, but when checking the body, he finds an entirely different woman.
Brock is revealed to be dating Lillian (Carmen Duncan), unaware that she is a Deadite. In Ash's room, Pablo asks Ruby about his visions. Ruby states that Pablo's contact with the Necronomicon granted him the ability of premonitions. One of these includes Ruby tying him up and slashing his throat with her fingernail, but Pablo refuses to disclose it. The Deadite Lillian bursts into the room, mistaking them for Ash. Ash and Kelly arrive just in time to see Ruby behead Lillian. Pablo eventually reveals his premonition to Ruby. She deduces that his premonition involved Baal, her ex-husband, who was responsible for the children rebelling. When she asks for the Necronomicon, Ash states he left it in his car. However, they witness two teenagers, whom Ash insulted previously, steal his car with the Necronomicon inside.
Reader's Guide
"The Morgue" is significant as a pivotal episode in the second season of Ash vs Evil Dead, advancing the plot by revealing the Necronomicon's location and introducing the antagonist Baal through Pablo's premonitions. The episode received critical acclaim, with critics praising its humor, action sequences, shock value, and character development. According to Nielsen Media Research, it was seen by an estimated 0.333 million household viewers and gained a 0.18 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, a 24% decrease from the previous episode. The episode is often remembered for its extreme horror-comedy blend, particularly the morgue fight scene where Ash's head is inserted into a Deadite corpse. It was written by Cameron Welsh as his first writing credit and directed by Tony Tilse as his third directorial credit for the series.
Did You Know?
- It was directed by Tony Tilse, his third directorial credit for the series.
- The episode featured a fight scene where Ash gets part of his head inside a Deadite corpse.
- The episode saw a 24% decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which had 0.436 million viewers.
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