Ash vs Evil Dead (TV Series) The Host (2015) User Reviews

A quiet character study?

[Fluke_Skywalker · 7/10 · 26 November 2016]

Plot; Ash, Pablo and Brujo attempt to free Kelly, who has been possessed by the wicked Eligos.

One of the things I like about the shorter, non traditional season schedules used by pay cable and net based networks is that there tends to be less filler. 10 episode runs are typically leaner and more focused without the treading of narrative water endemic to a 20 plus episode run. That said, "The Host" does feel a bit like filler in the larger sense of things, but it is very effective in fleshing out our characters. Pablo in particular gets to stand front and center and we see a side of him that shows the first stumbling steps of a hero's journey. And speaking of, Ash--heretofore full of snark and attitude, whatever the situation--gets to show his humanity here in a genuine moment of sympathy for the suffering Kelly. If this bit of character focus comes at the expense of the story at large, so be it.

Shoot first, think later. Or don't think at all. Yeah! Shoot first think never!

[tenshi_ippikiookami · 7/10 · 3 December 2015]

Which is kind of the problem with this episode. They didn't think much.

Filler. This is the feeling I got watching episode number 5 of the first season of Ash vs Evil Dead. Or let me correct myself. Episode 4 and 5 could have been condensed into one episode and it would have been an improvement.

If episode 4 was Ash in a post, episode 5 is kind of Kelly in a post. I like Eligos as an enemy; it is creepy, it is dangerous, it wants Ash to go through hell, it is menacing enough. But you just can't keep it tied to a post for almost the whole length of an episode, while all three men just look at it from a distance.

Oh, and there are not many jokes and Ash is kept to the sides.

Middle-of-the-road. Which we kind of are at, being this episode 5. More craziness, please.

Trust Yourself

[amongpixels · 8/10 · 27 May 2022]

The pacing almost drags in the middle of the episode (Ruby and Amanda's brief scene is just too disconnected from the rest of the plot to hold much weight), making it the weakest entry thus far, but it's still an entertaining time. Pablo's innocence makes for enjoyable humour, Ash and Eligos' final clash is satisfying, the soundtrack is strong, and the episode is noteworthy for being the first one to focus less on the humour and incorporate more emotional depth. Most crucially are the moments when Eligos tries to trick Ash into killing Kelly, and El Brujo's death, which not only ups the stakes of the deadite threat but also allows for Pablo's own growth as a character.

Best episode yet! (first time viewing)

[lukas-ingel · 10/10 · 17 June 2018]

So, I'm currently watching the show for the first time, and I couldn't help but notice the absurdity of how this episode got the lowest score so far? This is to me a turning point. I knew I liked the characters from the very start and that I wanted to keep watching it, but there were always a cheesy undertone mostly due to the dialogue. Here the one-liners seems way more in touch with the action and surroundings, it doesn't feel as off and cringeworthy. Actually I'd go as far as to say that the dialogue feels clever, which I wouldn't put on the first few episodes. The blood and gore are of course at the same high quality, the characters are still GREAT, but I found myself actually hardcore caring for what happened, which is really early on. Thank you!

Routine, but not without its virtues

[Mr-Fusion · 6/10 · 13 October 2016]

The ending of 'The Host' is my favorite scene thus far. The week's story's resolved, the gang's saddling up and Ash gets a new hand (Power Glove, baby!), all set to Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold". Something about that combination just puts the right finish on this episode. And aside from Ruby's severed hand GPS, this is all about Kelly's possession (and lengthy exorcism). I don't want to sound negative, but this one feels like space-filler, or at least as close to that as this show gets. I get that it's not all about Ash and that attention needs to be placed on the other characters; I'm all for that, especially Pablo and Kelly. And I like the Brujo, but I'm eager for the gang to get back on the road and put this behind them.

6/10

Not a great episode, but still agreeable entertainment.

[Hey_Sweden · 6/10 · 7 March 2018]

In this episode of 'Ash vs. Evil Dead', the action is mostly confined to one location, the Brujos' residence, as he, Ash, and Pablo must deal with the pesky demon Eligos that is presently residing within poor Kelly. At first, it is assumed that Ash is the possessed one, but the truth does come out. In the meantime, "Kelly" comes on to a nervous Pablo and even gets high, a pretty amusing thing for a demon to do. A scant minute or so is spent with Ruby and Amanda as they use Ashs' long lost severed hand to point them in the right direction.

I would agree that 'The Host' tends to function as filler, although it's understandable that cast & crew would want to give the supporting characters more to do. It does allow for some very sexy moments with Dana DeLorenzo, and a believable reaction from Ray Santiago. You know Pablo would like nothing better than to get together with Kelly, but he's smart to be uneasy about the situation. Santiago is also very good in the moment when Pablo is prepared to make a sacrifice to put this damn possession to an end. Bruce Campbell / Ash is kind of left in the sidelines until well into the episode, but at the end he's grateful to be presented with a badass new "power glove" sort of artificial hand.

We're all quite eager for the team to get back into motion and once again kick Deadite ass, so the set-up for the next episode is full of anticipation.

There are some amusing digital effects, a healthy amount of slime, and typically eclectic soundtrack choices (Alice Coopers' "Is It My Body", Ted Nugents' "Stranglehold").

Six out of 10.

Ash vs Possessed Kelly

[The-Social-Introvert · 2 December 2015]

A humorous start leads to a rather tame and unmemorable episode with The Host.

Our team try and extract the demon that's been with them for the past two episodes out of Kelly, and in doing so we are gifted with the worst CGI the series has had to offer, such as the puke and the hand popping out of Kelly's mouth.

Some of the interactions between the team and possessed Kelly were interesting (and actually resemble real-life Djinn-extracting processes), and this was also the first episode that I felt Campbell was required to portray a sense of helplessness for Ash, who is unable to help his friend for most of the run-time.

Unfortunately Pablo's uncle snuffs it in this episode but I was happy to see they didn't just treat his death as an inconvenience - a large portion of the episode was dedicated to his death and further building of Pablo's character as a result.

We'll see how Ash's new robot hand fares. An opportunity was missed for a trademark zoom in when he puts it on!

More of the same

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 24 April 2021]

Very similar to episode four and of almost identical quality. This possession sub-plot seems over laboured and over obvious and just there to fill up a couple of mid-season episode lengths. Not bad, but the earlier ones were a lot better.

Not groovy.

[BA_Harrison · 5/10 · 27 January 2019]

Pablo and Brujo are convinced that Ash is host to the demon Eligos, when in reality the creature is inhabiting the body of Kelly. When they realise their mistake, the men perform an exorcism on the young woman, with devastating results.

I didn't think much of the previous episode, and this follow up, also directed by David Frazee, isn't much better. There's not much in the way of quotable dialogue and the gore is limited. The whole thing lacks the energy and style of Sam Raimi's pilot, or the fun of Michael J. Bassett's subsequent episodes.

At this point, the series is in dire need of an injection of OTT craziness. Director Michael Hurst takes over the reins for episode six - let's hope he delivers the goods...