Well, this news is truly horrifying, and not in a fun, chainsaw-slingin’ way. Starz has announced that the April 29 season three finale of Ash vs. Evil Dead will also be the series finale, because the crazy, gory, cult-beloved show will not be returning for a fourth season.
While hearing about the cancellation of any favorite show is a bummer, the end of Ash vs. Evil Dead is particularly poignant, because it very likely means the end of Ash Williams. The character, first portrayed in Sam Raimi’s 1981 The Evil Dead, has become one of horror’s most iconic heroes—all praise to Bruce Campbell’s deft ability to balance physical comedy and untold thousands of gallons of stage blood. At a fan event in March, Campbell told an audience that “if they cancel it, I think Ash is done.” Today, in a Starz press release, he was a bit more effusive:
Ash vs. Evil Dead has been the ride of a lifetime. Ash Williams was the role of a lifetime. It was an honor to reunite with Evil Dead partners Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi to give our tireless fans another taste of the outrageous horror/comedy they demanded. I will always be grateful to Starz for the opportunity to revisit the franchise that launched our careers.
No reason was given for the cancellation, though Starz head of programming Carmi Zlotnik did say “We are proud to send the show out with a bang… and a splat.”
The current (and final, sob) season still has two more episodes to get Ash and the Ghostbeaters (now including Ash’s long-lost daughter) out of the realm of the Dark Ones and, hopefully, defeat Ruby (Lucy Lawless) once and for all. What’ll they do with that damn Necronomicon, though? The show airs Sunday nights on Starz.