This article is about the episode, for Pablo's uncle, see El Brujo.
"Brujo" is the fourth episode of the first season of Ash vs Evil Dead, and the fourth overall episode in the series. It was written by James E. Eagan and directed by David Frazee. The episode premiered on STARZ on November 21, 2015.
Plot Synopsis[]
Inside Books From Beyond, the handcuffed Amanda Fisher watches as the Deadite Lionel Hawkins creeps closer and closer. Grabbing her pistol off the floor, Amanda manages to fire off two shots, but the Deadite is quick, and pounces up to her, forcing the gun in her hand to point towards her head. As Lionel taunts her, a familiar woman steps inside the room, giving just enough of a distraction for Amanda to push the Deadite away from her. The woman grabs a wooden lamp, and impales Lionel to the wall with its sharp broken end. Amanda asks the woman who she is, to which the woman responds "I'm your new best friend."
Miles away, Kelly Maxwell is laying in the backseat of the Oldsmobile as they drive through the rural back roads of Michigan. After Pablo asks Kelly if she's alright, Kelly demands that Ash pulls the car over, rolling down the window just in time to throw up. Pablo suggest that they take Kelly to the hospital, but Kelly simply says its nothing more than a tiny concussion from getting thrown around in the bookstore during the fight with Eligos. Ash gets the car rolling again, and as they continue to drive through twists and turns and hills, the radio and dashboard lights of the Delta begin to flicker. It is then that Ash notices the Kandarian Demon (in the form of a rolling gray cloud) giving chase. The demon roars closer, bumping the back of the trailer and nearly causing Ash to drive off the road. Williams then reveals that the car is outfitted with nitrous designed for race cars, and tells Pablo to hit the button. The Delta takes off faster than before, but only for a few seconds, just enough of a boost to get them to El Brujo's property. The Kandarian Demon still gives chase, but is blocked by various talismans and totems put around the perimeter of the farm. Stunned, the demon gives up it's pursuit as the Oldsmobile comes to a stop near the little ranch house at the end of the dirt driveway.
Back at Books From Beyond, Ruby tells Amanda that Ash Williams is responsible for the unleashing of the Deadites, and that she has been searching for him for 30 years. Suddenly, the Deadite Lionel jolts awake, telling Ruby that they know who she is, but before he can say any more, Ruby cuts off the possessed man's head. Ruby then says that since she and Amanda are both looking for Ash, that it might be a good idea for them to team-up. Amanda agrees to the partnership.
Meanwhile at the farm, Ash, Kelly, and Pablo approach the house, where they are greeted by El Brujo himself, who tells them that he has been expecting Pablo's arrival after hearing an ill-wind whisper his name. After chastising Pablo for turning his back on his heritage, Brujo begins to look inside the mind of Ash, seeing that he is indeed a "Jefe", but the light within him is dim. While the Brujo is examining Ash, Kelly begins to hear strange whispers and starts to freak out, and heads back to Ash's trailer. Brujo tells Pablo to watch her while he deals with Ash.
Inside the Brujo's barn, he tells Williams that Ash's total lack of self-awareness is what is preventing him from finding the answers he seeks, and gives him a glass of ayahuasca to help unlock Ash's mind to him find these answers. Ash downs the whole glass in one gulp as Brujo begins to chant.
In Ash's trailer, Kelly takes an Advil as Pablo walks in carrying a box of old video game accessories, telling her that they're going to build Ash a new hand to help pass the time.
Back in Berkley, Ruby and Amanda exit the bookstore, with Ruby opening up the trunk of her car and revealing Ash's severed hand. Amanda jumps as the hand begins to move and twitch, to which Ruby tells her that it's been still for 30 years and just recently started moving, that perhaps it's trying to find it's master...
Meanwhile, Ash is beginning to succumb to the effects of the ayahuasca and falls into unconsciousness. When Ash comes to, he finds that he is unable to open his eyes, as they have been sewn shut. All around him are echoes of his past, doppelgangers of himself and Linda wearing cloth sacks around their heads, which stagger close to the frightened Ash and begin to touch him. The voice of El Brujo speaks to Williams, telling him to "exist inside himself" and fight as he would in real life. The stitching on Ash's eyes disappear, allowing him to see the ghoulish doubles around him, threatening to slice them up with his chainsaw. Brujo's voice then tells him that he needs to find a safe space within in his spiritual center to begin the search. The dark and gloomy forest suddenly turns into a warm sunset scene of Ash standing on a wooden dock, looking out at the city of Jacksonville, Florida. Brujo manifests himself behind Ash and asks him what's so special about Jacksonville, to which Ash responds that he booked a vacation there 30 years prior, but changed his plan and went to a cabin in the woods instead. It is then that Ash realizes in this space he has two hands, and exclaims that he needs two beers to hold.
Inside Ash's trailer, Pablo is hard at work on Ash's new hand, while Kelly's headache increases. She retreats to the back of the trailer and begins to panic, wondering what is happening to her, only to collapse onto the floor. Pablo hears Kelly's fall and gets up to investigate, all while Kelly gets back up and looks into the mirror, seeing her reflection as Eligos, the demon now in control of her body. Before Pablo can enter, Kelly surprises him at the curtain divider, saying that she feels much better. Pablo returns to his work on the hand, and Kelly offers to plug in a tool for him. She jams it into the power outlet, sending a strong electrical burst that sends Pablo flying out of his seat and onto the ground.
Back in "Jacksonville", Ash enjoys two beers while looking at the city of his dreams, all while Brujo is trying to relay important information. Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice coming from beside Ash tells him to stop screwing around and pay attention, and Ash sees it's his pet lizard Eli. Delighted that Eli is talking to him, Ash tells his lizard to grab a beer, but the beer in his hands turn into the Necronomicon. Eli tells Ash that he must bury the book where his journey began, but before Ash can figure out what that means, he realizes that Brujo has disappeared.
In the real world, Kelly comes running into the barn calling for Brujo, telling him that Pablo got electrocuted and needs help. Brujo runs off to investigate, telling Kelly to watch over Ash while he's gone. Kelly kneels over Ash's body, and begins to reach into his mind with the powers of Eligos, causing the beautiful Jacksonville scenery to shift into the old cabin. Ash hears growling from down the hallway, watching as Eligos comes crawling out through a doorway. Back in reality, Eligos (as Kelly) begins to toy with Ash's mind once more, and the unconscious Ash begins to jolt and quiver uncontrollably. Inside Ash's mind, he's suddenly back in the ValueStop backroom. Eli appears, telling Ash that he must take control and fight Eligos, as it is his trip that he's in control of. As Ash begins to take control of his dream, in the real world, he is choking Kelly while sleepwalking. Just then, Brujo and Pablo come running into the barn, getting Ash away from Kelly in the nick of time. Looking at the unconscious Ash laying on the ground, Kelly's eyes turn black as a wicked smile appears on her lips...
Cast[]
Starring |
Guest starring
|
Gallery[]
Soundtrack[]
- Midnight Rider - The Allman Brothers Band (Idlewild South; 1970) (heard during the driving montage to El Brujo's farm)
- Here I Go Again - Whitesnake (Saints & Sinners; 1982) (heard during the "map montage" during Ash's trip)
- Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow - Funkadelic (Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow; 1970) (heard during Ash's trip and end credits)
Trivia[]
- References to other Ash vs Evil Dead episodes:
- Kelly mentions seeing the Kandarian Demon before outside of ValueStop (El Jefe).
- Ruby mentions wanting to tell Amanda about the Deadites when they first met at the diner (El Jefe).
- During the ayahuasca trip montage, a woman wearing an American flag bikini can be briefly seen. This is the same woman that appears on the Jacksonville postcard which is later seen in the episode The Dark One.
- References to Evil Dead II:
- Ruby mentions the deaths of Raymond Knowby, Henrietta Knowby, and Annie Knowby at the cabin. While Raymond's death occurred off-screen, Henrietta and Annie's deaths were seen in Evil Dead II.
- Ruby is in possession of Ash's severed hand, which he cut off in Evil Dead II.
- Footage of Evil Dead II is used during the transition into Ash's mind during his ayahuasca trip, and audio taken from the film is heard during Ash's "attack" by the doppelgangers resembling himself and Linda.
- El Brujo mentions having heard Pablo's name on an ill-wind two days prior to his arrival. From an in-universe perspective, it has been two days since the events of El Jefe, where Ash awakened the Kandarian Demon and unleashed the Deadites.
Continuity Error[]
- When the Kandarian Demon begins it's chase of the Oldsmobile, all of the windows suddenly roll up and the doors lock. The car's driver window was smashed at the beginning of the second episode, Bait, when Ash shoved the Deadite Mr. Roper into the path of an oncoming car. The window was still destroyed in the previous episode, Books From Beyond, but has been somehow repaired by the time of this episode, which takes place only a few hours after the events of Bait.