Music is everywhere. Recommendations may come from friends or family or celebrities. Sometimes express, sometimes implied. One source of music recommendation that is very underrated is TV shows. Of course not all TV shows have good music but when it does, a good TV moment becomes perfect. For this edition of Quintet, I give you five TV shows whose moments/scenes were greatly improved by good songs it used at background music. To level the playing field, I won't include musicals like Glee or Smash.
Community rarely uses music but whenever they use Ludwig Gorannson's Greendale Is Where I Belong, the feeling of familiarity and longing is instantaneous. Whatever crappy or ridiculous situation the group is in I feel, whenever this song is played, that everything will be okay. Case in point: Take a look at a scene from the season 4 finale episode, "Advanced Introduction to Finality", as the camera panned out on the study group and Dean Pelton right after Jeff's graduation party. Jeff (and Pierce) may have graduated but I am assured that they will not outgrow each other.
Warehouse 13 always has eventful finales--hello, Walter Sykes and Paracelsus--but the use of Florence + The Machine's No Light, No Light in the season 4 finale episode "The Truth Hurts" made everything seemed more intense. Another good finale-ish moment was in season 3's "Emily Lake" when we find out that Steve Jinks is dead while Placebo's Running Up That Hill plays in the background. It was so devastating and Placebo made the feeling worse.
And of course, there's the HG/Myka moment in the season 4 episode "Instinct" where we see HG watch Myka drive away after wishing Myka wished her good luck in her pursuit of a normal life, away from endless wonder. Everything the show can't or is not saying when it comes to HG and Myka was successfully conveyed through Ellie Goulding's Atlantis:
This is new
Feels unused
I've never met anyone like you
Frightened
Feeling naked
Sense in searching something sacred
I'll forget you not
I'll wait for you, maybe
Where did you go?
I'm exhausted with loving
No fight in me - I'm defeated
I'm fooled, I can't help it
You make my heart so helpless
I mentioned before that one of the reasons I like Mistresses (US) is its good music, and Odessa Rose's Mountains and POLIÇA's Lay Your Cards Out proved me right. The scene where Karen was making up notes on her sessions with Thomas Gray and Joss and Alex sexy shower scene were ordinary moments (Ok fine, the shower thing was a little over the ordinary) improved by the use of these songs. Try watching these scenes on mute and you'll realize what I mean.
How I Met Your Mother has always been a reliable source of good music for the past eight years. In fact, it was this show which introduced me to the possibility and reality that good music can come from TV shows. Being a Barney and Robin fan, I always found A. C. Newman's Prophets a magnificent song choice for that take-the-leap moment in season 4 finale episode "The Leap". I know the part of the forest where you shouldn't go, said the song. And yet, Barney and Robin went there, and here we are four years later, on the day of their wedding.
The Head and The Heart's Rivers and Roads was also used in How I Met Your Mother (I think when Ted was in the rooftop) but I felt it was more perfect for Chuck and Sarah's moment at the beach at the end of Chuck's series finale episode "Chuck Versus the Goodbye." Words are not enough to describe how apt this song was for that special moment. Please do watch it here so you have an idea. (AND BTW, WHY HAVEN'T YOU WATCHED CHUCK?!)
Scrubs deserve a special mention for introducing me to Joshua Radin, Alexi Murdoch, Colin Hay, Hooch, Josh Verdes, Mat Kearney and Pete Yorn. I remember, in college, I listened to Howie Day's Collide ALL. THE. TIME.
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