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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 02:37 AM PDT

The sixth season of Supernatural is as epic and emotionally engaging as its previous season.

TRUTH be told, I wasn't looking forward to the sixth season of Supernatural.

The little show that defied critics' expectations has come a long way since its debut in 2005. I had thought that the story of the Winchester brothers, who hunt demons and other creepy crawlies that haunt the night, had come to a neat and fitting conclusion at the end of the fifth season.

Sam (Jared Padalecki), who is possessed by Satan, dies a heroic death, throwing himself into Hell (and thus trapping Lucifer there) for the sake of all humanity.

His brother Dean (Jensen Ackles) is left devastated and grieving, but ready to start a new life with a woman he loves, and without the fate of the world on his shoulders.

Many had debated that season five was Supernatural's last as show creator Eric Kripke said that he wouldn't do another season. But the option for renewal was still there, so at the end of the last episode of that season, we saw Sam watching his brother settling in with his new family from the shadows.

The drama could have ended there and I'd be satisfied – Dean gets a new start, and so does Sam. The story that began with their mother's mysterious and violent death, which shattered their innocent childhood and ended their normal lives, is finally explained and solved. The brothers have fulfilled their destinies and would now have the "retirement" they so richly deserve.

But Supernatural was renewed for a sixth season.

Would the story become stale if it is continued after such a nice ending? And would Supernatural still be as epic and emotionally engaging with Kripke gone?

Concerns about the show sliding in quality were banished from the first episode.

The Kripke-less writers have managed to retain Supernatural's unique spirit and tone, and have also respected its complex, mythic arc, so it is almost as if Kripke had not left. (Actually, he makes a funny guest appearance in one of the episodes in the sixth season.)

In season six, the world may have continued to spin after the monumental battle at the end of season five, but it is no longer the same. With God missing in action, the angels are fighting for supremacy in Heaven. Meanwhile, on Earth, the creatures of the dark are behaving in odd ways that leave the Winchesters puzzled.

What's more surprising is that people from their past who are supposed to be dead have been resurrected. As Dean tries to choose between returning to the life of a hunter or having an "apple pie" life with his girlfriend, he has to deal with Sam who is behaving oddly. Is his brother just traumatised by the events of last season, or is this something more sinister?

Fun with the shadows

Supernatural may revolve around vampires, demons, angels and other otherworldly cretins, but the show's real heart is the relationship between the brothers, and season six retains this.

In season one, Dean and Sam had been estranged for a couple of years before they were forced to reunite to save their father. Since then, the boys have literally been to hell and back. The once-frayed brotherly bond has been tested, strained and almost annihilated by the trials that came along the way, especially after Dean died in season three and then returned from hell in season four.

In season six, we get a retread of season four as Dean begins to suspect Sam's true intentions again. Still, Sam and Dean's relationship continues to evolve as the brothers not only have to wrestle with trust issues, but with other family betrayals as well.

And while Supernatural may excel with the angst, what with the end-of-the-world issues and major family problems that the Winchesters have to deal with, it also has great comedic episodes and is also extremely good at making fun of itself. Season five may be the heaviest season in terms of tone, but it also has its funniest episode – Changing Channels – where Sam and Dean end up as characters in TV shows; the writers certainly used the chance to spoof shows like Grey's Anatomy and CSI.

I was concerned that with Kripke gone, this endearing trait would be gone as well. Thankfully, this has not happened.

In season six, we even get a "meta" episode, The French Mistake, where Sam and Dean are transported into an alternate dimension where they are actors Jared Padelecki and Jensen Ackles!

Angel to the rescue

However, this season's "War in Heaven" plot feels drawn out and stretched thin, and the Winchesters do not have a significant role to play in the events though I'm glad that it gives our favourite crusading angel Castiel (Mischa Collins) something to do.

But because the Winchesters are not directly involved with the war, Castiel only pops by once in a while when the brothers need help or land in some angel trouble.

The Winchesters being reduced to Castiel's sidekicks and mere side participants in season six's major plot is a negative point in an otherwise stellar season.

With all these elements in place, Supernatural manages to retain its brilliance, even if the the main story arc may not have the same urgency or emotional resonance before. What remains is that the bond between the Winchesters remains the heart of the show.

The sixth season of Supernatural airs on AXN Beyond HD (Astro Channel 720) from Mondays to Fridays at 9.50pm.

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Jessica Simpson joins NBC's 'Fashion Star'

Posted: 14 Jun 2011 02:14 AM PDT

LOS ANGELES (AP): Jessica Simpson is taking on the role of mentor to aspiring designers for a new NBC reality series.

The network said Monday that Simpson will help guide contestants in the series "Fashion Star" as they compete for a multimillion-dollar contract to launch their own brand.

Elle McPherson will host the show, which NBC promises to be a "true spectacle" taped in front of a studio audience and featuring music, dancers and models along with weekly challenges for the contestants.

Simpson, 30, ("The Dukes of Hazzard," TV's "The Price of Beauty") is a fashion mogul as well as entertainer, with a line that carries her name and includes 22 product categories.

"NBC is delighted to work with singer, designer, actress and pop culture icon Jessica Simpson," said Paul Telegdy, NBC and Universal Media Studios executive vice president. "With an almost billion-dollar lifestyle brand under her belt she is sure to be an excellent mentor to our up-and-coming designers."

The contestant who best combines fashion and business gets a contract to launch a line with three major retailers, which are yet to be announced. Buyers from each chain will serve as judges, keeping contestants in the competition by buying their designs.

Viewers won't have to wait to shop for what they see: Each week's winning design in categories ranging from suits to lingerie to accessories will be available for immediate online purchase.

Producers of "Fashion Star" include former NBC executive Ben Silverman, and Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz of Magical Elves, original producers of "Project Runway."

"Project Runway," hosted by Heidi Klum, was a hit for NBC Universal's Bravo channel before a legal clash ended with the series moving to Lifetime.

The debut date for "Fashion Star" was not announced.

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Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Selasa, 14 Jun 2011