Paul F. Tompkins has finally given Halt And Catch Fire the theme song it always deserved
We eventually came to love Halt And Catch Fire, AMC’s examination of the rise of the internet age—and, more importantly, the human bonds, dysfunctional and otherwise, that made those techy connections possible. But while the show’s credit sequence has always lived up to those lofty ambitions, visually—offering up a dazzling visual metaphor for all sorts of red-tinted computer-y nonsense—we have to admit that its theme song has always lacked…something. Serviceable, certainly, even exciting in parts, but lacking a true flourish for the dramatic.
Luckily for us all, professional theme song critic—and also actor, podcaster, and stand-up comedian—Paul F. Tompkins is on hand to offer an alternate take. Much as he did for Netflix’s Mindhunter, Tompkins has now delivered his own version of the HACF theme today via Twitter, and it’s hard to deny that it’s a marked improvement:
For one thing, Tompkins’ version includes the’s show’s actual title—Halt And Catch Fire—not just one time, but three. (That’s in contrast the to the lyric-less original, which features it none.) It also implements a welcome dose of narrative, as Tompkins lustily posits that “this love is a virus,” and introduces a bold new character, “a silicon woman” who’s “swindling his heart.” We’re pretty sure that Joe MacMillan would agree: You can’t argue with results like this.