'Black Lightning' Composer Kurt Farquhar on the Show's Musical Influence

Black Lightning's season finale was tonight, and while the episode was packed with action and drama, there was also another very important element to the episode and the series overall: the music.

Music is a huge part of any television show or movie. It sets the tone, the mood, and, when done right, reinforces the story -- and sometimes tells a story within a story itself. That means that a composer has an important job in building that musical world. It's a job that, for a show as unique as Black Lightning, that requires a lot of diverse influences.

Black Lightning composer Kurt Farquhar spoke with ComicBook.com ahead of tonight's season finale and explained that when it comes to building the music of the series, there are elements and influences one might not expect for a superhero show.

"We were confronted with the issue that this was going to be a different show with a different vision, and a different look, and a different feel," Farquhar said. "They wanted the music to be a very powerful element in the show. They wanted it to be different. And that doesn't mean throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Look, I'm doing the scoring, bridge forms, doing the hero themes just like anybody else. But at the same time, you're combining all kinds of different elements into my score. You hear everything from EDM and dubstep to trap, trap music to orchestral."

An example of this can most clearly be heard in a scene from last week's episode. In the scene where Khalil Payne/Painkiller (Jordan Calloway) attacks Garfield High as part of Tobias Whale's (Marvin "Krondon" Jones III) plan to take down Black Lightning. According to Farquhar, there's a lot of musical influences packed into the scene, including a surprising variation of a Miles Davis trumpet solo.

"I mean, you hear everything from there's totally like a dubstep, there's totally a trap beat when he's walking to the school and with the orchestral and sound-design stuff happening," he said. "And the melody to the strings after he jumps up to the second floor and starts shooting all the kids, that's like a Miles Davis trumpet solo. And the inspiration from that is a late '70s, early '80s Miles Davis trumpet solo, but done on strings. Listen to it. Pull up some old Miles and listen to the rhythmic feel."

The score also serves to ground the show, as well. With Black Lightning having a predominantly black cast and crew, the music helps remind viewers of the show's roots without the story always having to make race directly an issue.

"With a score, I try to give you things that will subtly cue you in that there's an African American cast that you're seeing without always having to drop in on... with a beat, when there's enough songs and things like that," he explained.

"We just kinda mix it up," he elaborated. "And it's a subtle thing, it's a thing that isn't screaming at you but you're like, 'Oh!' After a while you can say, 'Hey, this does feel a little different.'"

Black Lightning's season finale aired tonight. The show has been renewed for a second season and will return to The CW for 2018-2019.

Did you catch the Miles Davis influence in last week's episode? Let us know what you hear in the music in comments below.