The Politician Only Has 2 Musical Moments This Season, but They're Both Pretty Meaningful

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?

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.