Dead Ringers — Murray Gold
Nothing else this year sounded quite like “Dead Ringers,” and that’s exactly as it should be. It also feels like the madcap, dark, and twisty score that Murray Gold spent over a decade of “Doctor Who” building towards. Even though Gold’s now been pulled back into the Doctor’s orbit, his work on “Dead Ringers” shows just how much atmosphere a great score can add to a series. The production design, cinematography, and performances on “Dead Ringers” are all unhinged (in a great way), but it’s the score that in large part acts as Beverly’s (Rachel Weitz) and Elliot’s (also Rachel Weitz) silent third partner, suckering us into the world they want to build and the fuck-up ways they want to play God. But it also always has an edge. And this music is fun! Whether Gold is working with offbeat choral arrangements, a coked-up piano, or dark and broody strings, the highest compliment we can pay the score of “Dead Ringers” is that it does a fantastic job of twisting the knife.