The Politician [1]'s second season is just as filled with political intrigue, relationship drama, and moral — or is it ethical? — ambiguity as its debut [2]. And just like last season, creator Ryan Murphy made sure to sneak in some time for Ben Platt to show off those angelic pipes [3] of his, even if no one ever expects a musical moment mixed in with their election theatrics.
Unlike last season, fans will have to wait until the very last episode to hear Platt sing, but it's absolutely worth it. The rest of the season has enough of Payton's shenanigans as he takes on incumbent Dede Standish (Judith Light) for a seat in the New York State Senate with his motley crew of schemers — which once again include Laura Dreyfuss as McAfee, Rahne Jones as Skye Leighton, Theo Germaine as James Sullivan, Julia Schlaepfer as Alice Charles, and Lucy Boynton as Astrid Sloan — to keep you satisfied. Scroll ahead for the two songs that Platt croons in the final episode and why they're so significant to Payton's story this go around.
What Is the First Song Payton Sings in The Politician Season 2?
Fans previously heard Platt's "Run Away" in season one, when Payton plays the tune on the piano to soothe himself, alongside the ghost of River. This time, Payton sings the song to a crowd at his favourite bar the night before the scheduled game of Roshambo to determine the New York State Senator-Elect. Though he's let go of River as his conscience at this point, his connection to the other man is still with him and that song still brings him a sense of peace. Dede and Hadassah Gold (Bette Midler) watch his performance and they both admit that he sounds beautiful. Almost like he could be on Broadway, right ladies?
What Is the Second Song Payton Sings in The Politician Season 2?
After his first performance, Payton takes a break to speak with Dede and Hadassah about the upcoming game of Roshambo, with each party complimenting the other on a battle well-fought. When Payton is called up for an encore, he performs "Corner of the Sky" from Pippin the musical. The song choice is no coincidence: the musical follows a mysterious performance troupe as they tell the story of the young prince Pippin on his search for meaning and significance.
Pippin sings "Corner of the Sky" to describe his quest to find where he belongs and lead an extraordinary life, which is pretty similar to everything Payton's been striving for since we first met him. His entire journey has been about struggling to figure out what he's meant to be and how to make his dream come true, and it's fitting that he sings "Corner in the Sky" right before the final leap that will determine his future. It's the perfect segue to the fateful game of Roshambo that seals his fate.
