Ben Platt’s Rendition Of “The River” Is One Of The Most Stirring Moments In “The Politician”

Once again, Netflix has captivated us all with a brand new series to binge, and The Politician is the latest show to get America buzzing. From an all star cast (including Ben Platt, Jessica Lange, and Gwyneth Paltrow) to appearances by Judith Light & Bette Midler that seem to (spoiler alert) tee up Season 2, fans are eagerly devouring every scene of this dark comedy. 

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Following the binge of this show (and the inevitable guesses we all have for Season 2) it’s the music from The Politician that is staying with viewers long after we have concluded watching Season 1. Predictably, it’s the cover versions of classic songs that Ben Platt performs, sprinkled throughout the series episodes. The most stirring cover is his rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “The River” (from her album Blue).

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 26: Ben Platt (L) and Bette Midler attend Netflix’s “The Politician” Season One Premiere at DGA Theater on September 26, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Netflix)

Spoiler Alert: In the episode, Payton Hobart (played by Platt) sings “The River” when River (played by David Corenswet) died by suicide in front of Payton (with whom he has a very complicated relationship, to put it mildly). The school holds a memorial service for River, where Payton sings the song in his honor. 

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Oprahmag broke down every single song featured on the Season 1 soundtrack of “The Politician”, and some gloriously vintage songs are mixed with some off the biggest divas in music, sprinkled in with some of the music of today, definitely offering something for every viewer of the show. For every classic Donna Summer or Shirley Bassey track, there is an LCD Soundsystem track as well. 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 26: Judith Light attends Netflix’s “The Politician” Season One Premiere at DGA Theater on September 26, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Netflix)

With quintessential Ryan Murphy storytelling, an all-star cast, and a stellar soundtrack throughout the show, we are eagerly anticipating Season 2 of The Politician already.

“The Politician” is currently airing on Netflix

Art Courtesy of Netflix

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