WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Squid Game Season 2, Episode 1.
squid game Season 2 Episode 1 ends with the Salesman and Gi-hun playing Russian Roulette while “Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman plays in the background. The decision to make Gong Yoo Salesman the focus of squid game the first episode of season 2 was surprising, but it made a lot of sense. A scene-stealer in the first season, 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 At the end of Season 1, Gi-hun saw Salesman recruiting another desperate person and realized that the games would continue unless someone did something. After two years of searching for the Salesman, Gi-hun finally managed to come face to face with the games' recruiter. Naturally, the Seller wanted to play a game and even had a soundtrack ready for it.
Why the salesman takes advantage of the time to say goodbye before playing Russian roulette
“Time To Say Goodbye” is the 1996 version of “Con te partirò”
When he was about to start playing Russian Roulette with Gi-hun, the Seller used his phone to play “Time to Say Goodbye”, a version of “Con te partirò” by Andrea Bocelli, sung partially in English and featuring Sarah Brightman. Released in 1996, “Time to Say Goodbye” became even more popular than the original 1995 Italian recording and is one of the most recognized songs of all time. Salesman's choice to play that song before entering into a deadly game against Gi-hun speaks volumes about Gong Yoo's character and perfectly demonstrates how he wasn't afraid to die.
The irony of playing a song called “Time to Say Goodbye” before entering a game of Russian Roulette was not lost on the Salesmanwho wanted to create a somewhat elegant and self-conscious atmosphere for the game. Having spent most of his life working for the squid gameof the organizers, Seller believed that having miserable people playing deadly games was fair and the natural order of things. That's why the recruiter wasn't afraid to die and even made fun of Gi-hun by playing “Time to Say Goodbye”.
The meaning of saying goodbye explained and how it relates to the seller
“Time to say goodbye” set the tone for the salesman and Gi-hun’s deadly game
While There are several interpretations of the lyrics of “Time to Say Goodbye”, the song talks about saying goodbye to places that have never been seen or experienced by a certain person. The song also talks about memories of something or someone that is distant and how they can be relived.
The Salesman probably wasn't trying to be literal about the meaning of the song he chose, but “Time to Say Goodbye” set the perfect tone for one of the most intense scenes in squid game 2nd season. Despite his limited screen time, Gong Yoo was one of the highlights of the show in season 1 and deserved to leave with a memorable scene. Using classical music while the Salesman faced Gi-hun in a game of Russian Roulette helped squid game Season 2, Episode 1 achieves this.