"The Mettle of Man" is the tenth and final episode of the third season of Ash vs Evil Dead and the thirtieth episode overall in the series. This episode also functions as the last episode of the show and is the series finale. It was written and directed by Rick Jacobson. It premiered on April 29, 2018.
Plot[]
On the chaotic streets of Elk Grove, a giant hand emerges from an enormous sink-hole, prompting Ash, Pablo, and Brandy to retreat. Dashing over to the Elk Lounge Bar, Brandy grabs the Kandarian Dagger as Ash and Pablo remove Kelly's lifeless body from inside the wrecked Oldsmobile. As Brandy removes the dagger from inside the car, a Deadite suddenly appears beside her, prompting Ash to jump to her aid. Though they manage to stun the monster, the Deadite gives chase to the group as they rush towards the bar's alleyway exit, only for Brandy to use the mystical dagger to stab their demonic attacker directly in the mouth. The trio quickly run towards the alley's entrance back to the main street through Elk Grove, where owner of the giant hand has finally emerged from the underworld in full. Pablo is quick to identify the colossus as Kandar The Destroyer, a demon which has come to test the mettle of man. As the group of survivors huddled around the trio grow irritated that their local demon-slayer (Ash) is refusing to go fight the enormous demon before them, one man steps out into the street in an attempt to get Kandar's attention, only to quickly be attacked by the Kandarian Demon. Ash and the others make their retreat as the Deadite turns his attention towards the other survivor in the alley, mauling him into a bloody pulp.
It isn't long until Ash and the others reach the Williams homestead, with Brandy now in a frantic state, refusing to believe the events she's gone through today are really happening. As Pablo sets Kelly's body down to rest a moment, a news broadcast on television soon captures his attention. Reports are coming in from around the world of monsters emerging from sinkholes, as a live-feed of New York City shows Deadites running amuck through the streets. A horrified Pablo realizes that with the Necronomicon now in their possession, The Dark Ones have wasted no-time in unleashing evil across the globe. Realizing he's responsible for dooming humanity, Ash flops into a recliner, opens up a Shemp's, and begins to (angerly) demand to know why he was chosen to be the savior of the world. After Brandy slaps the beer can out of her father's hand, she begins to berade Ash, telling him that he needs to step up and fight this evil, to not let her down at a time like this. Finding the courage to go back out there, Ash gets out of the recliner, devising a plan to meet Pablo back to the rift under the hardware store and get Kelly's soul back in her body, as he and Brandy will take the long way back through the sewer system.
As Pablo navigates through the hellish streets with Kelly strapped to a dolly hand truck, passing burning cars and cackling Deadites playing with the bodies of the deceased, he watches as fighter jets send a barrage of bullets directly into Kandar's back. Through his unnatural powers, Pablo senses that their attacks are only making the demon stronger.
Beneath Elk Grove, as father and daughter wander through the dark and damp sewer, Ash stops to give Brandy a gift: removing a small silver necklace with a magnifying glass pendant from his pocket. He explains that he had this necklace the night he first found the Necronomicon, and has kept it as a good-luck charm ever since. Upon placing it on Brandy, their tender moment is short-lived, as Deadites begin to emerge from the shadows. Though Ash and Brandy attempt to take on as many as they can with the Kandarian Dagger and the Boomstick, the number of possessed is too great, forcing father and daughter to make a run for the sewer pipe leading into the hardware store cellar, quickly shutting the steel door behind them.
Inside the cellar, Pablo has already arrived as Ash and Brandy emerge from the pipe in the wall. As Deadites begin to flood into the cellar, Pablo rushes into the rift to recover Kelly's soul as Ash and Brandy fight off the approaching demons. After quickly disposing of the monsters, Pablo returns from the rift, only to find Kelly is still a lifeless corpse. Suddenly, a bewildered Kelly sits up from the floor, yelling and fighting, only for Pablo to confirm she's alive and kiss her on her cold lips. Kelly smiles, only to catch a horrific glimpse of her corpse-like body in the reflection of a nearby mirror. An explosion outside shakes the hardware store, prompting Kelly to ask Ash what he did. The group stagger upstairs and out into the street, where a United States Army convoy has arrived, attacking Kandar with everything they've got. Ash leans out from behind the cover of a flipped police cruiser, watching as missiles, bullets, and rockets do nothing to stop the giant creature.
As the Army commander calls for everyone to fall back, Kelly notices the Kandarian Demon charging towards the front lines of the military barricade, striking one trooper and turning him into a Deadite. Kelly runs over and picks up a machine gun, unloading on the wild Deadite and saving the stunned commander from it's attack. Upon making it to an armored transportation truck, Ash overhears one soldier inform the commander that a nuke is going to be dropped on Elk Grove. Before Ash can climb into the back of the truck with the others, he quickly slams the door shut. As Brandy pleas with him to get in, Ash says he's not running from this fight, that he must finally own up to who he is. After bidding farewell to his daughter and the Ghost Beaters, the military convoy begins to drive away, leaving Ash standing alone on the street. With the Kandarian Dagger in hand, Ash turns his attention towards Kandar, telling the beast to "Come get some."
Sneaking through the back alleys of Elk Grove, Ash emerges beside his hardware store, where the military has left behind a tank. Seizing the opportunity, Ash climbs inside, and slowly begins his trek towards the enormous demon. Lining up with his target, Ash loads the Kandarian Dagger into the tank's barrel and manages to attract Kandar's attention. The monster lumbers through the street, picking up the tank with it's long, boney fingers. With the barrel pointed directly at Kandar's open maw, Ash fires the Kandarian Dagger projectile, puncturing the giant's jaw and striking it's chest directly. The demon belts out an ear-piercing shriek as it's body begins to melt, dropping the tank back onto the street below. A rattled Ash emerges from the tank's hatch, just in time to realize that the dying monster is going to fall directly on top of him.
Stunned and bloodied, a groggy Ash moans in agony as he lays in the street, realizing he's somehow survived the demon's fall. Though his vision is severely blurred, Ash can make out a humanoid shape moving towards him, dragging his limp body across the pavement. The figure, wearing a Knights of Sumeria ring, places tape over Ash's wounds as he's placed inside a coffin-like box. Ash weakly reaches up to stop the box's lid from closing, only to slip into the darkness of unconsciousness.
In the confines of a white concrete room, a computer lets out a series of electronic beeps, unlocking a rectangular orange box holding the body of Ash Williams. Ash slowly awakens, confused by his new surroundings, as well as the new android hand attached to his right stump. He stands up, opening the large vault door monitored by a lone security camera looming above. As the the threshold slams open, a woman emerges from a service elevator at the end of the long corridor laid out before him, her strange robotic-like features catching Ash off-guard. The woman kneels at Ash's feet, informing companions unseen that "The Savior is awake", and tells him to follow. The confused Ash follows her, as the elevator leads them into what appears to be an underground garage. The android woman turns a lever, opening the garage to the blinding light of the setting yellow sun. Ash steps closer to the entrance, horrified to discover Detroit had been rendered an apocalyptic desert wasteland. The woman proceeds to remove a tarp covering an unfamiliar shape at the back of the garage, unveiling Ash's beloved Oldsmobile, now converted in steel armor plating and a mounted machine gun turret. Ash asks what exactly is going on, and where his daughter is, though the android simply throws him the keys, telling him she'll explain on the way, as The Dark Ones are on the move. Changing into a fresh set of clothes, Ash fires up the engine of the Oldsmobile. As the android climbs into the gunner seat, she asks her "sire" how he feels. Ash replies with "Groovy", as the Delta's jet engine launches them into the wasteland.
Cast[]
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Starring |
Guest Starring
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Gallery[]
Episode Stills[]
Behind The Scenes[]
Soundtrack[]
- Stormbringer - Deep Purple (Stormbringer; 1974) (Heard as Ash drives the tank)
- Space Truckin' - Deep Purple (Machine Head; 1972) (Heard during the Delta's reveal and end credits)
Trivia[]
- References to other Ash vs Evil Dead episodes:
- Pablo's line "It's Kandar The Destroyer, and it's come to test the mettle of man" is not only used as the episode's title, but was first alluded to by the Deadite Vivian Johnson in the first episode of the series (El Jefe) with the line "It's time to test the mettle of man." The line was also alluded to by Ash himself in the Season Two episode Second Coming.
- Ash and Pablo's reference to the WWE wrestler Kane is a call-back to the duo's previously established fondness for the WWE franchise mentioned in the Season One episode El Jefe and the Season Two episode Ashy Slashy.
- The Deadites surrounding Ash and Brandy in the sewer are heard singing the "Ashy Slashy" song first heard in the Season Two episode Home.
- Upon seeing the newly-resurrected Kelly, Ash remarks "filthy and not-fine", which is a reference to when he first saw Kelly at ValueStop in the Season One episode El Jefe.
- Ash tells Brandy that his father always said he ran away from fights, a reference to Brock's lines in the Season Two episodes Home and Last Call.
- References to The Evil Dead:
- References to Evil Dead II:
- The Deadite that attacks Brandy at the Elk Lounge Bar shouts "Dead by dawn", a line first spoken by the Deadite Ed Getley in Evil Dead II.
- Upon presenting Brandy with the silver pendant necklace, Ash tells her he has carried it since the events at the cabin, thinking it would keep him safe. This is possibly a reference to Evil Dead II, where the sight of the necklace allowed Ash to break his own Deadite possession.
- References to Army of Darkness:
- After Brandy, Kelly, and Pablo ride away in the military caravan, Ash says "Come get some", a line he first used in the "S-Mart ending" of Army of Darkness.
- The episode's ending is an homage to the original ending of Army of Darkness, where Ash awakens in a post-apocalyptic London.
- The Oldmobile's steel plow has the phrase "Hail to the king" painted on it, which was a line spoken by Ash in the "S-Mart ending" of Army of Darkness.
- Brandy's remark that the "dead" Kelly looks like Iggy Pop is a possible allusion to Iggy Pop's performance at the Ash vs Evil Dead premiere party in Los Angles in 2015.
- This is the only episode in the series in which all of the licensed songs come from the same artist (Deep Purple), and have been previously used in other episodes.
- Stormbringer was previously heard in Judgement Day.
- Space Truckin' was previously used in El Jefe.
- The Mettle of Man is the third episode in the entire series in which the character of Ruby does not appear (excluding the opening recap), and the only episode Lucy Lawless is not listed in the credits.