Category: Battlestar Galactica Episodes

BG4: “Six Of One”

     As Always, SPOILERS AHEAD: This week’s episode had many great musical moments, but the one I lavished the most time and attention on was Baltar’s conversation with himself in the lunchroom.  This scene was the culmination in a series of bizarre twists and turns going all the way back to the miniseries, and the score had to be fresh and interesting.

     In the miniseries, Richard Gibbs scored the Baltar and 6 scenes with a simple gamelan motive that I continued to use throughout their scenes together in the series.  In season 2, when 6 sees a Baltar in her head, I represented the turn of the tables by taking the theme and physically retrograding it, playing samples of it backwards.

     In Six of One, the tables are turned yet again, as Baltar is now speaking to himself!  Playing the original 6 theme, or playing backward elements as I had in Season 2 would seem too familiar now.  I needed to raise the musical stakes here, and help take the scene into trippy, new territory.  So, instead of reversing individual musical elements within the cue… I reversed the entire the cue.  This 3-minute scene is, in fact, a musical palindrome.  It sounds precisely the same whether played forwards or backwards.  Take a look at the wave form, and you can see that it is a mirror image of itself, reflecting across the mid-point marked in red:

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BG4: “He That Believeth…”

The long awaited Season 4 premiere is finally here!

     Before I begin, I should warn you all my entries about Season 4 episodes are going to get very detailed.  In the past, I’ve gone into meticulous detail and nobody seems to mind. So in honor of this being the last season, I will be as thorough as I can.  I’ll still keep it as entertaining as possible, but some musical jargon is inevitable.  Also, it’s safe to assume that all posts should be considered SPOILERS.  If you haven’t watched the episode yet, catch up before you read on.  And, since this blog is a bit more interactive than my previous one, feel free to leave a comment below and ask about anything I don’t get to.  On to He That Believeth…

     Season 3 concluded before a hypnotic, rock-inspired “All Along the Watchtower” backdrop, but Season 4 begins with a cold snap back to reality.  So the score enters simply, with the strains of a solo erhu, playing Kara’s Destiny Theme as we return to Kara and Lee, flying side by side.  The oddly serene moment is not too last, however, and we’re almost immediately thrown into one of the biggest battle scenes I’ve ever had to score for Battlestar Galactica.  

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BG3: “Crossroads, Part II”

“‘There must be some way out of here,’

Said the joker to the thief.

‘There’s too much confusion,

I can’t get no relief.'” 

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD: 

     Battlestar Galactica‘s epic third season cliffhanger is among the most daring episodes I’ve seen for any television series. Baltar’s verdict, Roslin’s returning cancer and cryptic Opera House visions, vipers racing towards a battle against staggering odds… all of this would have been more than enough for any typical “cliffhanger.” However, Ron Moore and the other writers also incorporated stunning revelations that have cataclysmic implications for the rest of the series. Season 3 answered many of the series’ long-standing questions, but this final episode introduces countless more.

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BG3: “Crossroads, Part I”

     The last three episodes function as a trilogy, however the first two installments are more important for what they set up, rather than what actually happens. Regardless, this week’s “Crossroads, Pt. I” still had plenty of exciting musical opportunities. The long-awaited trial of Gaius Baltar finally begins, but rather than focusing entirely on legal proceedings, we are given fascinating glimpses into the lives of various characters, including Laura Roslin, Col. Tigh and Tory. 

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BG3: “Maelstrom”

I realize that I’m several days late getting this entry together. I apologize, but I’ve been busy scoring the season finale, which seriously rocks, by the way. More on that later.

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD:

I first learned of Starbuck’s death months ago, while I was scoring Torn and A Measure of Salvation. Since that time, I knew that Maelstrom would be an incredibly difficult and tense episode to write music for. Because Season 3 has been the most difficult and creatively exhausting season yet, I was honestly afraid I wouldn’t have the emotional energy to do this episode justice.

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