Clever ‘Incredibles 2’ emotionally fulfilling
Pixar has another poignant, family-oriented offering in “Bao,” the short film preceding the feature. Kids might not understand what it’s really saying — a woman mourns the idea of becoming an empty nester, in fantastic fashion — but it has a cute little dumpling of a lead character.
Stay for the closing credits. Even though there are no “surprise” scenes embedded, they’re just so pretty. Composer Michael Giacchino’s score, all brass and jazz James Bond 007 swagger, is another winner.
Turns out that back in the day, “Supers” had their own theme songs and the credits serve these up, too. Among them are the R&B-infused tribute to Frozone (“Who’s the cat who’s always chill?”) and an upbeat song for Elastigirl (“No one’s beyond her reach”).
This Father’s Day weekend, come for the adventure, stay for the family drama. There are many ways a parent can save the world and most of them don’t involve superpowers.
For viewers still mourning the loss of ABC’s “Castle” (or more recently, ABC’s “Deception,” another attempt to recapture the light drama, procedural appeal of “Castle”), ABC’s “Take Two” (10 p.m. Thursday, WTAE) fits the bill. It’s even co-created by Andrew Marlowe, creator of “Castle.”
The always-winning Rachel Bilson (“The O.C.”) stars as Sam Swift, a Hollywood actress who played a cop on the prime-time drama “Hot Suspect” for eight years before a meltdown sent her to rehab. Now she wants to try out for a new role as a private investigator and tags along with real-life P.I. Eddie Valetik (Eddie Cibrian) to do research before her audition. She’s a buttinski; he’s perpetually annoyed with her.
That researching-a-role premise would seem like a time-limited arrangement, but by the end of the pilot, Mr. Marlowe and co-creator Terri Edda Miller find an excuse to draw out the mismatched partnership, allowing the series to continue.
Green Tree native Zachary Quinto’s reboot of “In Search Of” debuts at 10 p.m. July 20. ... ABC docuseries “The Last Defense” (10 p.m. Tuesdays, WTAE) explores the case of Altoona native Darlie Routier, who was convicted in the 1996 stabbing deaths of her two sons in Dallas while she claimed an intruder was the killer.
Tuned In online
Today’s TV Q&A column responds to questions about “Nashville,” “Queen of the South” and “Deception.” This week’s Tuned In Journal includes posts on “Goliath” and “Man in an Orange Shirt.” Read online-only TV content at http://communityvoices.post-gazette.com/ arts-entertainment-living/ tuned-in.
This week’s podcast includes conversation about the Tony Awards and Amazon’s “Picnic at Hanging Rock.” Subscribe or listen to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette podcasts at iTunes or at https://soundcloud.com/pittsburghpg.