‘Brujo’: Ash Finds His Go-Go MoJo In 4th ‘Evil Dead’ Episode

 Ash Has Spent The Last 30 Years Avoiding Deadites… And Responsibility

David Frazee directs Brujo with focus to script and narrative execution. While the episode, the fourth episode in Starz’s Ash Vs. Evil Dead, isn’t stunningly directed (there really isn’t much in terms of camerawork and composition)it’s very meaty in the story department and sets a pace for the rest of the series.

‘Hey! I’ve Got Two Hands. I Need Two Beers.’ -Ash

Whereas the first three episodes of Starz’ freshman season of the Evil Dead series were simplistic in plotting- it’s hard to call them plot driven but they were very linear and easy to follow- Brujo begins to thicken the narrative waters by adding massively heavy elements to the overall stakes of Ash Vs. Evil Dead. Without giving too much away, there’s something amidst in our band of “Ghost Beaters” and the results give the rest of the season much hope for story.

Brujo is also respectful to the lore of Evil Dead and we get many nods and mentions of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn. Deadites, if you are a huge fan of the series as I am- you wouldn’t be true Deadites otherwise- then you are going to want to catch this particular episode immediately. No joke, stop reading this and find a way.

Not only do we get to see Ash’s long-ago lost hand from Raimi’s splat classic, in all its black-nailed glory, but we also find out the identity of Lucy Lawless. I had originally assumed she was a completely new character in the world of Ash and “The Book Bound In Human Flesh,” but Brujo reveals her to be Annie from The Evil Dead’s first sequel. My head exploded upon hearing this and I’ve been picking up the pieces ever since.

As for Brujo’s acting, the episode is less of the comedic (there is an amazing montage featuring Ash on a “trip”) and more serious in nature (not that this baby is a straight horror/drama, this is Evil Dead we are talking here Fright Fans) but it does require one of the main cast to go outside of what has been performed thus far.

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Dana DeLorenzo is solid in the fourth episode. While I felt she was slightly overacting in part of Ash Vs. Evil Dead’s previous episode, Books from Beyond, the actress is pretty stellar here. While going out of her comfort zone, she begins to eat up scenery while causing Ray Santiago to step up his game. Then again, lets face it, Santiago is amazing in this series, so he doesn’t need much help.

Hemky Madera is also solid in the Starz series’ fourth outing. Though the actor isn’t tearing up the screen like some thespian weed eater, the actor is still quite effective as “Brujo” himself. Playing the “witch doctor” Uncle of Pablo, Madera is quite effective in his delivery and handling of Ash- most of his scenes are with the seasoned vet.

The Verdict:

Brujo is a solid episode of entertainment. It’s an entry that truly sets up the remaining portions of Starz’s premiere season of Ash Vs. Evil Dead. Not only does Brujo use amazing Evil Dead II lore, it also nurtures that piece of the series’ canon and uses it, instead of merely referencing it. Check it out ASAP, I cant stress this enough. OR I’ll have old “Chainsaw Arm” do a number on your face.

The Grade: B+

Join 1428 next week as I take a crack at Ash Vs. Evil Dead’s next episode,  The Host, also helmed by Frazze. Check out a preview of The Host, courtesy of Starz.