By Joanna Orland
SPOILER WARNING: This article contains spoilers for ‘Industry’ Season 4
Industry is a show that has evolved over its four-season run. What started off as a dark satirical take on the finance industry has morphed into a high-octane Russian spy thriller. Through this evolution, the central characters too have evolved, or perhaps devolved is a better term for most of their arcs.
As characters such as Rishi (Sagar Radia), Eric (Ken Leung), and Yasmin (Marisa Abela) find themselves at their lowest points, there always seems to be a further level down to go. Some major characters have been spared the worst of it, but others, my God, others have dropped down to depths of hell no one could foresee. Just when you think things couldn’t get any darker on Industry, they always do.
Rishi Repeatedly Finds New Lows to Hit
Rishi Ramdani is a prime example of how Industry tortures its characters by finding new lows for them to hit. After Season 3’s literal mind-blowing finale, where Rishi’s wife Diana (Emily Barber) is murdered in front of him as retribution for the loans he owes in his gambling debt, it was really hard to imagine he could sink any lower. In Season 4, he’s doing odd and illicit jobs for Harper (Myha’la), all the while watching his son be raised by his in-laws who despise him.
On a night on the lash with reporter James Dycker (Charlie Heaton), he finds James dead from an overdose, as the police come knocking on the door. Instead of trying to find redemption or help, he tries to take his own life, or perhaps just foolishly escape the police, by jumping off the balcony. In a twist of fate, he survives the fall with his ankles shattered, as the police come and arrest him. Somehow this feels lower than causing and witnessing the death of his wife, or even actually dying after throwing himself off of a balcony. There was already nothing left of his dignity, yet he somehow finds himself with even less of it.
Oh Eric… What Have You Done!?
Rather than sinking lower and lower, Eric Tao has had his fair share of ups and downs. Losing his career at Pierpoint and setting sail to greener pastures in a well-funded retirement, he was never able to let go that he was oft bested by his protege Harper, for whom he has a genuine fatherly love and pride. Meanwhile, he struggles to find that same love and pride for his biological daughters.
As his relationship with Harper is in the best standing it has ever been in, and his career is on the up thanks to their joint venture, he finds himself at his lowest point to date. Not only does he unwittingly have sex with an underage prostitute, but it is all captured on video and being used to blackmail him. This does feel like the lowest point for a character like Eric, but as the show has proven time and time again, with their loose morals and appalling self-serving behaviour, there is always further that these characters could descend.
Yasmin Kara-Hanani Is Basically Ghislaine Maxwell!?
Case in point — Yasmin Kara-Hanani. Every season, every twist and turn in her story arc, she sinks lower and lower. Season 3 is a huge turning point for Yasmin, as she leaves her abusive father out at sea, freeing herself from his commanding and controlling presence. Covering up the circumstances of his death and putting the family scandals behind her, she sacrifices a chance at love with Robert Spearing (Harry Lawtey) for a comfortable life of wealth and power with Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington).
In Season 4, their marriage is on the rocks as Henry slips deeper and deeper into a dark depression. Yasmin is taken in by the enigmatic Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella), and bets her entire life and future on him and his company Tender. It feels like she’s hit her lowest point as she realizes that she and Henry are merely marks for Whitney, who is taking advantage of them to cover up for his crimes. Being told by her best friend Harper that she is a fool, makes it all hit harder. Henry has invested not only his name in the company, but most of their assets as well. The Mucks have everything riding on Tender, which has been a sham company from the start.
For someone who values being important, wealthy, and powerful, Yasmin takes this deception and loss particularly hard. Yet she doesn’t let her ego hit get in the way of saving herself, as she sees an opportunity to fill the scamming void that Whitney leaves behind when he flees the country. Somehow the ever-suffering Yasmin becomes a fully morally bankrupt, power-hungry power player, stand-in for Ghislaine Maxwell! The lowest of the low indeed.
Harper Stern and Henry Muck Are Somewhat Spared
Harper Stern and Henry Muck seem to be the only characters who have managed a bit of redemption in Season 4 of Industry. Henry starts off the season at his lowest point, after the demise of his Season 3 company Lumi and the failure of his brief political career. After contemplating suicide, he bounces back to become CEO of Tender. When he realizes that he is being used as a front to cover up Whitney’s crimes, he tries to do the right thing by calling out the Russian involvement in the company.
While some may see his taking the fall and subsequent house arrest as a step down from his high-flying lifestyle as CEO, spending time with his patriarchal uncle and godfather, fishing on a boat, forced to stay in place and cause no more harm to politics or the economy, is actually the best place for Henry to end up — for him and for British society.
Meanwhile, Harper realizes that she works better in a team. Learning why Eric had to cut and run hurts her, especially knowing of Yasmin’s involvement. But with Sweetpea (Miriam Petche) and Kwabena (Toheeb Jimoh) on her roster, she finally feels like she’s moved past the throw-everyone-under-the-bus attitude she begins the series with. Harper Stern a team player? Who knew.
As Industry finds new lows for most of its characters, sparing a few but hardly any, the show proves it can continually push new boundaries. With one more season to go, perhaps finally the only place these characters have left to go is up? (Yeah right…)
–
Industry is available on HBO Max