There are a couple of gimmicks that I need to stay far away from my beloved franchises. I'm not a fan of the "parent coming back and tries to kill their children" thing that they've done in a lot of properties (most notably "24"; "Star Wars" is obviously an exception because it's legendary and awesome), and the "long lost child" that suddenly gets introduced in the later seasons of a show. It's gimmicky and only there to create new conflict for our lead character, and most of the time it doesn't amount to anything. They did the douchy parent trope in the previous season, but that worked for me, so maybe this is also going to work. I'm certainly not going to be prematurely mad about it before I've actually seen what they decide to do with it. For now, I'm going to bury my preconceived notions and see what happens; this show has found ways to make every decision they've made so far work, so I'm not going to doubt that this is going to lead to magic down the line. And if it doesn't, I'm probably still going to love what they do with her and the show. This opener for the third season may actually be the best one so far. While it's not as emotionally satisfying as the premiere episode, it continues off of the good will that the show has garnered so far and brings us a bloody return to Elk Grove and the heroes that we know and love.
The opening of this episode was pretty hilarious. The idea of Ash Williams opening a hardware store seems too perfect to actually be something that happens, but these writers are good at grabbing an opportunity and running with it. Whether or not we're actually going to see any more of it going forward is up for debate, but the simple idea of Ash owning his own store almost nourishes the ego that has only grown larger and larger as the seasons have progressed. We seem to have reached peak narcissistic Ash, but as usual, we can't help but love him.
So, I mentioned the whole lost daughter trope in the beginning, and I'm still a little skeptical about introducing a character like that, mostly because it seems to contradict with a lot of Ash's character to even be anything that resembles a father. However, I already like the dynamic between the two, and despite it being very antagonistic at the moment, that'll no doubt change as the season goes on. If it can end up becoming organic and make sense, I'll eat my words and once again proclaim this show as one of the best of its genre on TV.
They definitely haven't lost their creativity. Earlier this summer, we saw Sam Raimi utilize music as a weapon in his "Doctor Strange" film, so it seems perfect that I would stumble over these episodes now, as musical instruments were turned into lethal weapons. I don't think I ever thought that seeing someone being beheaded with a hi-hat would be so satisfying, but funnily enough, it was very cathartic. Will this happen again? I doubt it, but I also know that they'll find other ways to keep unfolding themselves creatively and will maybe even go beyond this awesome method of killing.
Another thing that I'm a little worried about but will leave at the door is the return of Ruby. She's now been the antagonist for two seasons (in the previous one, she served most of a protagonistic role), and I don't know if there's a lot more to this character to explore. I love Lucy Lawless, and I'm never going to complain about having her on the show, but I'm worried about them keeping her around for too long, simply because they love Lawless as well. But, again, I'll wait before I pass judgment. She probably hasn't even peaked yet.
With "Family," this show starts up the engines again and drives towards their most ambitious season yet, with results that we'll have to wait for. There's a lot to be desired, and they show that they're able to still unfold the universe in a fascinating way, but let's see if they can keep it going.
The opening of this episode was pretty hilarious. The idea of Ash Williams opening a hardware store seems too perfect to actually be something that happens, but these writers are good at grabbing an opportunity and running with it. Whether or not we're actually going to see any more of it going forward is up for debate, but the simple idea of Ash owning his own store almost nourishes the ego that has only grown larger and larger as the seasons have progressed. We seem to have reached peak narcissistic Ash, but as usual, we can't help but love him.
So, I mentioned the whole lost daughter trope in the beginning, and I'm still a little skeptical about introducing a character like that, mostly because it seems to contradict with a lot of Ash's character to even be anything that resembles a father. However, I already like the dynamic between the two, and despite it being very antagonistic at the moment, that'll no doubt change as the season goes on. If it can end up becoming organic and make sense, I'll eat my words and once again proclaim this show as one of the best of its genre on TV.
They definitely haven't lost their creativity. Earlier this summer, we saw Sam Raimi utilize music as a weapon in his "Doctor Strange" film, so it seems perfect that I would stumble over these episodes now, as musical instruments were turned into lethal weapons. I don't think I ever thought that seeing someone being beheaded with a hi-hat would be so satisfying, but funnily enough, it was very cathartic. Will this happen again? I doubt it, but I also know that they'll find other ways to keep unfolding themselves creatively and will maybe even go beyond this awesome method of killing.
Another thing that I'm a little worried about but will leave at the door is the return of Ruby. She's now been the antagonist for two seasons (in the previous one, she served most of a protagonistic role), and I don't know if there's a lot more to this character to explore. I love Lucy Lawless, and I'm never going to complain about having her on the show, but I'm worried about them keeping her around for too long, simply because they love Lawless as well. But, again, I'll wait before I pass judgment. She probably hasn't even peaked yet.
With "Family," this show starts up the engines again and drives towards their most ambitious season yet, with results that we'll have to wait for. There's a lot to be desired, and they show that they're able to still unfold the universe in a fascinating way, but let's see if they can keep it going.