The Politician Season 2 ending explained: All roads lead to the White House

The Politician Season 2 paves the road towards the White House.

The Politician Season 2 is a wild ride, and personally, a more enjoyable watch than its first season.  It was tough to get into the story of Payton Hobart (Ben Platt), but something changed with the second installment. The time jump certainly helped, but the stakes did as well.

Suddenly, Payton’s journey took a shift towards a more adult world, one that most people watching could relate to. Of course, there is still the satirical aspect of the series, but it’s rooted within the subtle but profound Ryan Murphy nuances we’re accustomed to.

While attending NYU, Payton’s focus shifts towards the New York State Senate seat in The Politician Season 2, with the encouragement of some old high school friends. The focus of his campaign is strictly on climate control, and he uses it to work against his opponent, Dede Standish (Judith Light), especially having the support of the younger demographic.

By the time all is said and done, Payton wins the election as Dede ends up conceding to him, much to everyone’s surprise. But if you watched the first season then you’ll remember that this is the second time Payton has “won” an election in this manner.

So, what does it say about him? So much that we’d need another article to dive into that.

So, who actually won the State Senate election?

Well, this was unknown until the final few moments of The Politician Season 2. You see, a ballot box was stolen, and it was unclear whether that box of votes would have helped or hurt Payton. Before I reveal who was the true winner, I’d like to give a shoutout to the writers of this season. Dede decided to walk away from the race because she acknowledged that Payton made more sense and appealed to the causes that the younger generation fights for.

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I loved that she was able to walk away from it all, despite having devoted nearly 40 years of her life to the cause. But to add to Payton’s “victory” is that it was actually a true victory after all. It was revealed that the votes of the stolen ballot box would have tilted the election results in Payton’s favor!

So, he won fair and square by votes, something he didn’t have the luxury of during the student body election in the first season.

Let’s talk about that time jump!

The Politician loves their time jumps as both Season 1 and 2’s finales used them. While the first finale showed Payton living in New York City after graduating high school, the Season 2 finale gave us a more mature version of Payton.

During the time jump, Payton has completed his two-year term at the New York State Senate, gotten married to Alice, and has been busy raising their son, Archie. It’s quite an adorable family, if I do say so myself.

I think what makes this time jump even more pleasing is the fact that during Payton’s time with the New York State Senate, he’s done everything he promised he would do. Basically, New York City has gone green with solar panels and Payton’s plan for offshore wind power is even underway. And now, he’s looking ahead to the next campaign run.

He’s pretty content with where they’ve ended up, and his aspirations aren’t looking past that.

What’s next for Payton?

Well, if The Politician gets another season, it looks like we’ll be heading to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Throughout The Politician Season 2, not only did we witness Payton’s election run, but his mother Georgina’s transformation into a political figure. Eventually, that road leads her to the White House, and along the way, she asks Dede to join her as her Vice President.

And of course, just when Payton seems to have simmered his dark side down a bit, he’s given the offer of a lifetime–when his mother completes her first and only term as the President of the United States, Dede will run and wants Payton to be her VP when she does.

It’s a pretty amazing offer given it’s basically all Payton has ever really wanted and what he’s been working towards, whether he’s realized it or not. I do think that if there is a season 3, then we’re likely going to see a very dark, manipulative version of Payton. Perhaps, even darker than how we’ve seen him over the past two seasons.

Will Payton take Dede’s offer? Well, we don’t actually hear or see him accept it, but we do see a vision of River (David Corenswet) jogging by as Payton contemplates it. I think it’s safe to assume that Payton imagining the deceased River smiling at him is an indication that his consciousness approves.

Personally, I’m super pumped for a potential third season because the White House, the presidency, and Payton in the midst of all that is what the series has been working towards. As fans, we deserve at least one more season out of the series, if only to see Payton channel his inner Frank Underwood.

Vote yes for The Politician Season 3!

Did you enjoy The Politician’s Season 2 ending and that perfect segue into a (potential) Season 3? Let’s talk in the comments below!