WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Squid Game season 2, episode 1.
Squid Game season 2, episode 1 ends the Salesman and Gi-hun playing Russian Roulette as “Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman plays in the background. The decision to make Gong Yoo’s Salesman the focus of Squid Game season 2’s first episode was surprising, but it made a lot of sense. A scene-stealer in season 1, the recruiter finally got his time to shine.
The Salesman is one of the reasons why Gi-hun couldn’t just forget what happened and live a happy life in the United States. While at the airport in Squid Game season 1’s finale, Gi-hun saw the Salesman recruiting another desperate person and realized the games would continue unless someone did something. After two years of searching for the Salesman, Gi-hun finally got to sit face-to-face with the games’ recruiter. Naturally, the Salesman wanted to play a game, and he even had a soundtrack ready for it.
Why The Salesman Plays Time To Say Goodbye Before The Russian Roulette Game
“Time To Say Goodbye” Is The 1996 Version Of “Con te partirò”
Just as he was about to start playing Russian Roulette with Gi-hun, the Salesman used his phone to play “Time to Say Goodbye,” a version of Andrea Bocelli’s “Con te partirò” sung partly in English and featuring Sarah Brightman. Released in 1996, “Time to Say Goodbye” became even more popular than the original Italian recording from 1995 and is one of the most recognizable songs of all time. The Salesman choosing to play that song before entering a deadly game against Gi-hun speaks a lot about Gong Yoo’s character and perfectly demonstrates how he was not afraid to die.
The irony of playing a song called “Time to Say Goodbye” before entering a Russian Roulette game wasn’t lost on the Salesman, who wanted to create a somewhat elegant and self-aware atmosphere to the game. Having spent most of his life working for the Squid Games’ organizers, the Salesman believed that having miserable people playing deadly games was fair and the natural order of things. This is why the recruiter was not afraid of dying and even poked fun at Gi-hun by playing “Time to Say Goodbye.”
The Meaning Of Time To Say Goodbye Explained & How It Ties Into The Salesman
“Time To Say Goodbye” Set The Tone For The Salesman And Gi-hun’s Deadly Game
While there are multiple interpretations of the lyrics of “Time to Say Goodbye,” the song talks about bidding farewell to places that have never been seen or experienced with a particular someone. The song also talks about the memories of something or someone that are now far away, and how those can be revived.
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The Salesman was most likely not trying to be literal about the meaning of the song he picked, but “Time to Say Goodbye” perfectly set the tone for one of the most intense scenes of Squid Game season 2. Despite his short screen time, Gong Yoo was one of the highlights of the show in season 1 and deserved to go out with a memorable scene. Using a classic song while the Salesman faced Gi-hun in a game of Russian Roulette helped Squid Game season 2, episode 1 accomplish that.
In Squid Game, a mysterious invitation to join a competition is sent to people at risk who are in dire need of money. Four hundred fifty-six participants from all walks of life are locked into a secret location where they play games to win 45.6 billion won. Games are selected from traditional Korean children’s games, such as Red Light and Green Light, but the consequence of losing is death. To survive, competitors must choose their alliances carefully – but the further they go in the competition, the more likely betrayal will rear its ugly head.
- Release Date
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September 17, 2021
- Finale Year
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November 30, 2024
- Cast
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Wi Ha-joon
, Anupam Tripathi
, Oh Yeong-su
, Heo Sung-tae
, Park Hae-soo
, Jung Ho-yeon
, Lee Jung-jae
, Kim Joo-ryoung - Seasons
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2
- Writers
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Hwang Dong-hyuk
- Directors
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Hwang Dong-hyuk
- Showrunner
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Hwang Dong-hyuk
