"Judgement Day" is the ninth episode of the third season of the American comedy horror television series Ash vs Evil Dead, which serves as a continuation of the Evil Dead trilogy. It is the 29th overall episode of the series and was written and directed by executive producer Rick Jacobson. It originally aired on the premium channel Starz on April 22, 2018.
Production
The episode was written and directed by executive producer Rick Jacobson. It marked Jacobson's first writing credit and his fifth directorial credit for the series. The episode has a running time of 28 minutes.
Plot
The episode follows Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) as he goes to confront Ruby (Lucy Lawless), who is planning to unleash the Evil Dead upon the world. Kaya, possessing Kelly's body (Dana DeLorenzo), kills Zoë (Emelia Burns) by plunging her eyes. Ruby removes part of her own skin to write a new page of the Necronomicon.
Pablo (Ray Santiago) discovers he can see through the eyes of the Necronomicon and learns that Kaya's possession prevented Kelly from passing through the Rift. The three Dark Ones enter the real world, briefly touch Pablo, and spare his life before leaving. Deadites begin attacking the town, and the Kandarian Demon arrives and attacks Brandy (Arielle Carver-O'Neill), who loses her left thumb to her possessed phone.
Ash confronts Ruby and Kaya but is overpowered, and Ruby destroys his chainsaw. The Dark Ones intervene, retrieving Ruby's soul and turning her body into a skeleton, while restoring Kaya's soul to her original body (Chelsie Preston Crayford). Ash escapes with Kelly's body, the Necronomicon, and the Dagger, but the Dark Ones subdue him and reclaim the book. The episode concludes with Ash, Pablo, and Brandy witnessing the ground open as a gigantic creature emerges.
Reception
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.130 million household viewers and gained a 0.05 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. This represented a 26% decrease in viewership from the previous episode, "Rifting Apart," which was watched by 0.175 million viewers.
The episode received extremely positive reviews from critics. Michael Roffman of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B" grade, praising its "disturbing oddities." Stephen Harber of Den of Geek awarded a perfect 5-star rating, noting that "the stakes are higher than they've ever been." Steve Ford of TV Fanatic gave the episode 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "one of the best episodes of such a short Season." Bryan Kristopowitz of 411Mania rated it 8.5 out of 10.
Guest Appearances
- Emelia Burns as Zoë
- Chelsie Preston Crayford as Kaya
- Antonio Marsh as Wheelchair Vet
- Paul Harrop as Hunter
- Shayne Blaikie as Bartender
- Katrina Hobbs as Candace Barr
