Review Fix Exclusive: Jill Marie Jones Talks Ash vs. Evil Dead

“Ash vs Evil Dead” has been one of the year’s best new series. Bringing the cut icon Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) back in glorious fashion while adding something new to the “Evil Dead” canon.

One of the biggest reasons for the success of the show both with fans and critics is the strength of the series’ female characters with each one kicking ass in their own ways. Amanda Fisher played by Jill Marie Jones is the show’s most fascinating female character, well until she met her end in episode 108.

A determined detective, Fisher’s presence in the “Evil Dead” universe added an interesting dynamic that was missing from the films, a woman that can hang with Ash and that is due in large part to Jones’ performance.

Fisher in many ways is the audience thrown head first into this world of the undead after she is forced to kill her partner when he is possessed, learning as she goes while displaying her strength and perseverance, these qualities and the show’s female characters just resonated with Jones

“I only went off of Amanda and I just loved what she was saying and but then, it was a joyful surprise to see these women that aren’t waiting on a man to save them. They’re like, you know what? I’ve got this. I can do this on my own. Thank you very much,” said Jones. “And so, and they were strong and they’re smart and they’re scrappy and I just loved that.”

The scrappiness is not just some character quality that is in the series’ dialogue; it is shown in the fight scenes, which according to Jones was a fun experience.

“OK I don’t know if it’s crazy or not but I was actually quite surprised how much I loved blood and gore and how much I love the action stuff because that’s something that I’ve never done before as an actor and it’s just really beautiful to learn something new about yourself,” Jones said describing the series’ action scenes. “And I do come from a comedy background as well which was a shock to me because I didn’t know that I was funny. So it’s always great when you learn something new about yourself.”

The physicality and sincerity all come together in one scene for Fisher, her final one as a human. After having what she thinks is a heartfelt conversation with Ash, she quickly finds out the person she is talking to is just a deadite who has taken the form of Ash. After a quick squirmish, Fisher is impaled by a mantel, just like her partner.

As gruesome as this scene was it was a snapshot at how special Fisher was in the “Evil Dead” universe, an opportunity at a second chance for Ash, and an acting opportunity Jones relished in.

“I mean, it was awesome for me, I mean, you know, I’m an actor, you know, and so I like, I like great words on a page, you know what I mean and to me, it might sound odd but like thus far, this is my favorite episode. I just felt like it just told a full story,” said Jones. “I just really, you want to, you want to dig into something that’s good and meaty and great and if you’re going to go out, I’m like man, go out big, like I want to go out big, you know. I don’t want to slip on a banana to my death. You get what I’m saying? I want to go out big.”

No one stays dead in the world of the “Evil Dead,” as evidenced in literally every case of death in the series, however, Jones’ Fisher has left her mark on the series and in the world of horror she is sure to live on through the fans of the show.