Industry: Season 3 Episode 7

On Pierpoint’s 150th anniversary, it is hard to say whether it is a celebration or a wake as sharks circle the leaky ship and some try to secure life rafts before everything goes under.

Storyline Recap

Only Some Of Us Desire To Be Good People – Robert, Yasmin, Maxim, Rose, Denise

Hanani Publishing has a deal on the table for Yasmin – be the face of the corruption and take on all that her father did. In return, they’ll pay out all the victims, and everyone can clean their hands of all this. As you can imagine, Yasmin doesn’t take well to the idea of social suicide. Still, to Denise, this is better than the alternative of Hanani suing Yasmin and trying to get all the money it can from her while still blaming her for everything.

While thinking over her two terrible options, Robert has an interview in Wales, and he invites Yasmin to come with, and she does. This leads to their usual awkward dynamic where, with her at a low point, she uses what power she has over Robert to try to rebuild herself. But, with him knowing that game, he calls it out each time she talks down about someone or tries to make him feel less than. Thus, Yasmin is pushed to stay in her vulnerable state, which is immensely uncomfortable for her.

But, while staying vulnerable, Maxim calls her to let her know Hanani’s current board is far more culpable than they are letting on, and this gives Yasmin clarity. So, despite what it could do to her father’s victims, Yasmin decides to go scorched Earth and take down the company and the victims of her father to save herself. All the while, Robert didn’t get the job, but he has gained an opportunity that may lead to him working in America.

Preparing For The Bottom To Go Out – Rishi, Eric, Sweetpea, Anraj, Harper

It’s clear to Eric that on the 150^th anniversary of PierPoint, the business may see its last opening, and as the stock price drops to 35, PierPoint is in dire straits. This is noted to Rishi, who is told to get the balance sheet in order. Rishi tries to recruit Sweetpea and Anraj to do that. Originally, they were on board, even willing to join Rishi as he made plans to jump ship and join Harper.

However, both realize Rishi is full of it, and rightfully so. While she isn’t against insider trading, she can’t pick up three new staff members, and Rishi is more than willing to drop Anraj and Sweetpea. So, when he returns from whispering of who is coming into the building, and what little he knows, it is only right that Anraj and Sweetpea have decided to bring the party to the trading floor rather than do any work. Heck, Anraj even tells Rishi off since he is on something that has given him the courage to do so.

Et Tu Eric? – Bill, Eric, Wilhemina, Tom, Aurora, Alexander, Ali

With the newly appointed Tom in the building, his focus, as with many, is the survival of PierPoint and his job. Wilhemina is in line with this, especially since her belief in the ESG market is what caused all this. But, while she is trying to play that down, Bill is trying to hold her accountable, and Eric finds himself in the middle of Bill’s war against everyone.

Ultimately though, Eric chooses the side of the majority over Bill, even forcing Bill to reveal he has a tumor. With that, Tom, Wilhelmina, and the rest seem ready to put the blame over what is happening at Bill’s feet. Damn whether he is dying, and after all is said and done, Eric finds himself positioned to present Ali. His connections become Plan A as to how to save PierPoint, as Tom’s plan of having Barclays bail out PierPoint since the government won’t, become Plan B.

However, with Barclays putting something out there and seemingly having potential government support on the regulation side, Aurora and Alexander are ready to use that to mount her return to politics.

You’ve Lived In The Gray So Long, You Can’t Decipher Light From Darkness – Harper, Petra, Otto

Harper’s honesty with Petra ends up biting her in the behind. Petra may like Harper’s ambitions, but she doesn’t want to work in a morally gray area, and because of that, she calls Otto. After all, he would experience some blowback if what sounds like insider trading goes wrong. But, rather than just letting Petra dump Harper and let this all be over, Otto sends a car, in the most sus way imaginable, so that he can speak to Harper face to face.

New Character Descriptions

Justine Mitchell As Rose Winter

Rose is a representative of Hanani Publishing, tasked with getting Yasmin to fall on the sword so the company can quickly resolve her father’s wrongdoing and they can move on from the scandal, while Yasmin bears the weight of it all.

Harry Hadden-Paton As Tom Wolsey

Tom is the new head of PierPoint, who is tasked with getting its books back in order and saving it from financial collapse.

Review

Highlights

The Many Betrayals

From Eric betraying Bill, Rishi ready to turn on Eric, Petra snitching on Harper, and Yasmin ready to throw dozens of women under the bus since Hanani was willing to end her life and career, this was a top-level penultimate episode. For we’re at a point where Eric’s survival tactics almost seem in line with Harper’s, in terms of his willingness to do what it takes to save his own skin, and pushing the idea that Rishi’s words from episode four, “[…] money heals antipathy as fast as it creates it” is how many live their lives.

But, of the betrayals, though some may not call this scenario that, I find myself most drawn to Harper losing Petra’s loyalty. Now, granted, Petra is loyal to the business and the money it brings more than Harper, but it isn’t like Harper hasn’t shown her hand many times. So her calling Otto, like a snitch of a younger sibling, was almost comical. But, what may or may not be funny is how Otto and Harper act and whether this leads to Harper ending up back into square one or, like Aurora, being invited into the Boy’s Club, since her ambition and ability to be morally grey could be seen as useful.

Second to Harper’s situation, as usual, is Yasmin’s, but that deserves a topic of its own.

Yasmin Embracing Her Darkness

Yasmin has longed to prove she is different from her father, while seemingly taking the occasional page from his playbook. The primary example of this is using sex as a means to gain power, even if just the possibility of it. But, despite how she would play games with Robert and others, she always tried to hold the high ground and push the idea, no matter what she did, at least she wasn’t like her father.

I think that with him now dead, she has relinquished the hold of being compared, and Rose may have pushed her over by making it clear that no matter what, she will forever be tied to who her father is. So, rather than continue to reject her father, while flirting with her father’s methods to maintain or appear powerful, she is going to embrace her darkness.

The thing is, it is likely to go beyond what Charlie has ever done, and Yasmin might become all Harper has ever said or seen. Which means a very unhinged Yasmin for, as shown throughout this season, she has nothing to lose nor much to gain, so why not go all out and burn the world down?

Robert’s Next Chapter

Generally speaking, when it comes to characters being written off, it is desired because the character has either run the course or struggles to present a reason they should exist. For Rob, you could submit his character has done all it could. In a subtle way, he has gone on his own journey from a kid trying to find validation from all the wrong type of people to now wanting to pursue something he loves and believes in, without the approval of a mentor attached.

Also consider this: Robert has wanted Yasmin for a long time, and the spell may have broken. Granted, he isn’t the type to take advantage of anyone the same way most of the cast is, but we’ve seen how low many are willing to go in this episode alone, and yet Robert has held strong. So, rather than hold onto the character and see who could tempt her to go to the dark side, it seems like a fitting end for him to maybe join Gus in the States, work towards a better future, and have him leave the cesspool while he can still watch the blood, sweat and other bodily fluids off of himself.

The Gist

The TLDR Recap/ Review

With it seeming like the **** is hitting the fan, the big wigs at PierPoint are focusing on how to keep their jobs, even if it means PierPoint no longer existing as it currently does.
As they handle that, by inviting Mitsubishi and Barclays into meetings, Rishi is making deals with Harper and trying to use Sweetpea and Anraj to squeeze whatever money he can before things become unmanageable.
But, with the stock not hitting 0 quick enough and Rishi giving insider trading quips, Harper comes closer and closer to doing something illegal and getting caught, and being that Petra refuses to go down for anyone, she tells Otto.
Thus leaving us with Otto having a strange setup to meet Harper, as Eric betrays Bill and uses Ali’s Egyptian and Gulf connections in order to save PierPoint.
Oh, and as all that happens, Yasmin and Robert go on a road trip where Yasmin is forced to recognize who she truly is as she decides to put herself first rather than fall on the sword for her father and his victims.
In its penultimate episode, “Industry” does not disappoint, as Yasmin embraces her villainous side and Eric’s betrayal of Bill in order to move past him on the corporate ladder.
Add in Harper continuing to be a character who loves the burn from flying too close to the sun, and always flirting with the potential of jail time, and it makes you wonder, is that the future for that character?
Altogether, I find myself missing when HBO had previews for their next episode because the finale is geared up to be something major!

General Information

Episode Title

Useful Idiot

Release Date

September 22, 2024

Network

HBO/ Max

Director(s)

Mickey Down, Konrad Kay

Writer(s)