1.6 Killer Of Killers Let’s get the major business out of the way first. So Amanda has officially joined up, which on the one hand feels welcome considering her hanging around to swear and be vaguely suspicious was getting pretty tiresome, but on the other hand seemed to happen almost too rapidly, considering how much the show has been leaning into her evangelical belief that Ash is a murderer. She’s seen him in action before, so I don’t quite see why any of what happened this week absolves him of the responsibility Ruby claims is his. But anyway, it’s a change of pace so I’m happy to run with it, and it should make for some interesting new dynamics in our core cast. Ash, Kelly and Pablo have proven to be a great team with great chemistry, so I’m looking forward to seeing how Amanda affects their little crew. A relatively adult voice of reason is bound to cause either some friction or some fun banter, and I’m happy with either. And speaking of Ruby, what happened to her exactly? Did that demon drag her to hell or something? Can we expect her to be possessed the next time she turns up? I doubt anyone thinks this is the end of her; she’s a good character and Lucy Lawless has been appropriately badass in her relatively limited screen time, so at this point this feels more like a way to keep her out of action for a little while as we figure out what the new alliance between Ash and Amanda looks like. I hope she’s not gone too long, especially as we’re yet to see her and Ash share any screen time, and that pairing promises some serious fireworks. Also, can we talk for a second about how fantastic Bruce Campbell is? I mean for anyone watching this show that’s a moot point, but he’s really excelling at balancing moments of legitimate pathos and development with Ash’s unchanging lack of self-awareness and charming boorishness. Somehow he manages to be cool and hapless all at once; I equally believe him being concerned for the safety of his new friends and thinking that he can get out of paying a tab by seducing a patently disinterested waitress with his terrible pick-up lines. Because he’s Ash and because he’s Bruce Campbell moments like this never seem sleazy, just endearing, and it’s a credit to the show that it knows exactly how to make that equilibrium work. We’re over the halfway point now, and with Ruby’s presumed return impending and the ultimate aim of the cabin now in place, the season is rocketing along toward what promises to be a spectacular denouement. Bring it on.
