23 years following Army of Darkness, the final chapter in the Evil Dead trilogy, the characters and situations returned via 2016’s Ash Vs. Evil Dead, a Starz series. Season Two comes to us here via its 10 episodes. The plot synopses appeared on the series’ official website.

Home: “The party is over when Ash (Bruce Campbell), Pablo (Ray Santiago), and Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo) are summoned by Ruby (Lucy Lawless) back to Ash's hometown to form an unlikely alliance. Ash's dad Brock (Lee Majors) and the local pub give a chilly welcome to the man who's come to save them from evil.”

At the end of S1, Ash and company entered into a truce that appeared to set them up with a Deadite-free life in Florida. That comes crashing down on them in this bloody, action-packed start to the year. “Home” kicks off matters with a bang.

The Morgue: “Pablo's grasp on reality is tested when Ruby reveals the Necronomicon has gifted him with premonitions. Meanwhile, in the morgue, Ash and Kelly discover Brock's date (Carmen Duncan) might not be the warm body he's banking on.”

S2’s use of Lee Majors as Ash’s dad acts as inspired casting, and their dynamic adds spark to the series. The scenes at the morgue seem too disgusting even by Evil Dead standards, but otherwise, the show offers a lively experience.

Last Call: “Local teens raise hell when they steal the Delta from Brock's house. Ash and his best buddy Chet (Ted Raimi) devise a plan to throw a party at the bar, lure the thieves in, and get the Delta and the Necronomicon back.”

While not packed with exposition, “Call” does manage to add some development to the characters. That brings a bit of depth to the episode and helps it move along the season’s overall narrative.

DUI: “Ash goes on the hunt for his beloved Delta, but becomes the hunted. Ruby and Kelly engage in a battle royale with the evil spawn while Pablo suffers from a new Necronomicon condition.”

The best parts of “DUI” focus on the Christine-like action of the possessed Delta. Other aspects of the show fare less well, but it still pushes along the season in a reasonably positive manner.

Confinement: “Deadites are no match for our hero, but the Sheriff is, when Ash is brought up on charges. Ruby, Kelly, and Pablo go to break him out, but they discover some people are not who they seem to be. There's a new evil in town.”

While “DUI” went down a Christine path, “Confinement” takes clear inspiration from The Thing. That’s not the most original choice but the episode exploits the theme in a lively way.

Trapped Inside: “An angry mob corners Ash and the team in Brock's house while Ruby tries to summon the spell to send Baal (Joel Tobeck) back to hell. Ash finally proves to the townsfolk he is not a murderer but a hero.”

As implied by the title, “Inside” keeps the crew stuck in one location against the odds again. That semi-derivative concept aside, “Inside” works as an ambush story, and the return of a cast member from the original Evil Dead adds intrigue.

Delusion: “Ash wakes up in an asylum and a seemingly helpful doctor tries desperately to get him to admit his acts so his healing can begin. Ash's world seems to crumble around him. Was this all in his head? Is he really Ashy Slashy?”

Like the prior few shows, “Delusion” lacks an original concept, but the series still manages to spin the plot in a clever way. “Delusion” deserves a look if just to watch Ash argue with a puppet.

Ashy Slashy: “Ruby, Kelly and Pablo go to look for Ash and Baal in an abandoned asylum and encounter some crazy characters. They are all players in Baal's attempt to break Ash and find the Necronomicon. But did his plan work?”

After the “is it real?” concept of the last show, “Slashy” goes for more of a haunted house vibe. This isn’t the most exciting concept, but like the other episodes, it offers enough warped action to succeed.

Home Again: “Ash, distraught about losing Pablo is determined to bring him back! Ruby and Kelly tag along to make sure Young Ash never sees the Necronomicon. But the butterfly effect they create is something no one can believe!”

Via time travel, Ash goes back to the cabin where his nightmare began. I would’ve liked more of the Back to the Future vibe connected to Ash’s return to 1982, but the antics in the woods still offer lots of entertainment.

Second Coming: “Ash, Ruby and Kelly battle the past to get to a future where Pablo is alive and the world is safe from evil, but the family from hell has other plans! Baal and Ash engage in an old fashion brawl to save humanity.”

S2 finishes with a bang, as the battle between Ash and Baal delivers a real kick in the pants. Of course, “Coming” leaves ample room for more adventures in Season Three, but it still concludes the year on a high note.

Ash Vs. Evil Dead appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.78:1 on these Blu-Ray Discs. Expect visuals similar to those seen in Season One.

Sharpness consistently looked solid, with only a smidgen of softness in occasional wider shots. This meant the majority of the episodes appeared accurate and well-defined.

No signs of jagged edges or shimmering occurred, and the shows lacked edge haloes. Source flaws remained absent as well.

Unsurprisingly, the programs opted for a fairly orange and teal palette, though Ash didn’t blast us with those hues. They remained low-key and looked fine given the production parameters.

Blacks seemed deep and dense, while low-light shots offered appealing clarity and smoothness. Across the board, the episodes looked positive.

In addition, the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 soundtrack of Ash fared nicely, with soundscapes that accentuated all the wild action. The series came with plenty of gruesome mayhem, and the audio managed to evoke these elements in a lively manner that used all the channels in an active, engrossing way.

Sound quality seemed consistent with expectations, as speech appeared distinctive and concise, without edginess or other issues. Music showed nice range and impact as well.

A dominant aspect of the tracks, effects came across as full and dynamic, with clear highs and deep bass. The audio of Ash suited the material and added punch to the proceedings.

Audio Commentaries accompany six episodes. We hear from the following participants:

“Home”: executive producer/actor Bruce Campbell and actors Dana DeLorenzo, Lucy Lawless and Ray Santiago;

“The Morgue”: Campbell, DeLorenzo, Lawless and Santiago;

“Last Call”: DeLorenzo, Lawless, and executive producer Robert Tapert;

“Trapped Inside”: Tapert, DeLorenzo and Lawless;

“Home Again”: Tapert, Campbell, DeLorenzo, Lawless, Santiago and director/co-executive producer Rick Jacobson;

“Second Coming”: Jacobson, Tapert, DeLorenzo, Campbell and Lawless.

Across these, we get info about story/character areas, cast and performances, stunts, sets and locations, effects and related domains.

Though never great, the commentaries consistently seem fun and enjoyable. We learn a reasonable amount about a good mix of topics, and the participants ensure matters progress in a lively manner. Don’t expect tons of great details from these tracks, but they’re still solid discussions of the series.

On Disc Two, we get some added material. Inside the World brings 10 clips that run a total of 16 minutes, 50 seconds and includes comments from Tapert, DeLorenzo, Lawless, Campbell, special effects supervisor Brendon Durey, prosthetics/makeup effects designer Roger Murray, property master Matt Cornelius, prosthetics workshop supervisor Dan Perry, production designer Nick Bassett, and actors Ellen Sandweiss and Lee Majors.

“Inside” looks at story/character areas, various effects, cast and performances, stunts and action, vehicles, sets and locations, and connected topics. “Inside” rushes through the season‘s 10 episodes in a hurry, but it gives us some good details.

A mix of short featurettes ensue. We find Season Two First Look (2:17), Up Your Ash (2:22), Women Who Kick Ash (2:08), Puppets Are Cute (1:09), Dawn of the Spawn (1:22), Bringing Henrietta Back (1:35), The Delta (2:13) and How to Kill a Deadite (2:18).

Across these, we hear from Campbell, Santiago, DeLorenzo, Tapert, Lawless, Murray, writer/executive producer Cameron Welch, and actors Michelle Hurd and Ted Raimi

We learn about story/characters, various effects, stunts and action, cast and performances, puppets, and vehicles. These clips tend to be too brief but they add some decent details.

Finally, we locate a Fatality Mash-Up. It runs a mere 49 seconds and presents a collection of violent sequences. It’s a lot of gore in one package.

Though not quite as delightful as the prior year, Season Two of Ash Vs. Evil Dead still musters a giddily gory combination of action, horror and comedy. Led by the inimitable Bruce Campbell, S2 chugs along well. The Blu-rays boast very good picture and audio along with a decent selection of supplements. S2 continues