Industry: Season 2/ Episode 6 “Short to the Point of Pain” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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As Yasmin’s transition to PWM begins, Harper makes her final day interesting as she might be aiming to burn more than a bridge when it comes to Danny and her employment.

This content contains pertinent spoilers.

Recap

Where Your Loyalties Lay – Gus, Sadie, Leo, Jesse, Jamie

For most of Gus’ life, he has operated in the environment many children of immigrants do. He was expected to honor the sacrifices of his parents and surpass them. Now, Gus may not have been raised in an immigrant household where his family was poor and struggling, but the expectations were just the same.

So, when his older sister Sadie learns Gus would rather work with the people in the margins than join Aurore, she is confused. At first, she makes it seem noble, but as her son attends a notable ceremony and she sees the family together, she guilts Gus into seeking the promotion offered versus staying in his humble position.

And as all this happens, Jamie, who has grown fond of Gus, is stood up, and Leo, who is Gus’ lover, potentially his boyfriend at this point, is pushed to reveal to his dad he didn’t get into Oxford. Which may cause issues since Jesse knows Gus and Leo were messing around, and the question of if that was the focus more than his application could come up.

What Is Your Game Here? – Celeste, Yasmin, Venetia, Jackie, Kenny

Yasmin’s exit from the FX team is a bit awkward. Venetia, Jackie, and Kenny try to prank her on her way out, but Venetia can’t match Jackie’s energy and Kenny? He is just awkward. But, at the same time, he is very apologetic for all he has done, and it seems to continue to haunt him to this day. Which makes Yasmin uncomfortable, but she accepts his apology since it is genuine.

As for Celeste? Her affair with Yasmin begins, and honestly, it seems Yasmin gets off a bit on the idea of being a mistress. Though, with Celeste’s older partner making their marriage open, or polyamorous, as she prefers to call it, Yasmin isn’t necessarily a secret. Also, it isn’t necessarily clear how much Yasmin’s new job is reliant on her relationship with Celeste. So while things are good now, it should be interesting to see how they shift once Celeste starts creating boundaries and noting her expectations.

Breaking Out Of The Shell – Harper, Eric, Danny, Rishi, Jesse

With blowing off Jesse for a bit, he isn’t happy and Harper, knowing from Danny that he is the reason she may survive New York decimating London, finds herself on the ropes. This position is usually where she flourishes but between the FastAide and Ricon money he has invested, her making him a return is becoming a bigger issue. Especially since FastAide, like GameStop and other stocks, has become a darling to Reddit users and is making it so Jesse can’t short the market and make money.

Because of this, Harper is ready to screw over Rishi, who is pushed into submission, and this helps Danny see that Harper isn’t a team player. But, in conversation with Eric, she is reminded that there is no team. There is a department, but if you secure someone like Jesse, you are not beholden to any team or company. You are the star and can go wherever you want. So, Harper is trying her best to appeal to the worst in Jesse to maintain his loyalty, but it seems he is getting to the point of becoming disillusioned with Harper and her speeches. Which could spell the end of her career not only at Pierpoint but in finance.

Things To Note

Content Notes

• Dialog: Usual cursing
• Violence: N/A
• Sexual Content: Yasmin and Celeste sex scene and nudity on Celeste’s part
• Miscellaneous: The usual drinking and smoking

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. How long has Celeste had her eye on Yasmin?

What Could Happen Next

1. With Venetia thinking of Robert as a mentor, us seeing them grow closer
2. Harper getting into full desperation mode, and with getting on Rishi’s bad side again, and upsetting Danny, making it so she may not have her usual last-minute save
3. Yasmin realizing, while the sex with Celeste is good, everything else about being with her is less exciting

Collected Quote(s)

Future selves, pesky fuckers to please.
— Kenny

Review

Highlights

Sadie and Gus’ Relationship Giving You An Idea Of How Harper and JD Could Have Been

“Industry” is not the type of show, so far, that wants to do flashbacks. However, it does find ways, through other characters, to explore dynamics that are only talked about. In the case of Sadie and Gus, you can see their relationship mirroring Harper and JD. Sadie wants to be supportive of Gus, yet also wants to be encouraging and push him.

Also, from what it seems, when their parents weren’t the most supportive of Gus’ sexuality, she held the secret until it became common knowledge. Now, is this to say, like Harper and JD, both have issues with their parents, and she operates under the idea it is them against their mom and dad? No. Their family seems a little less dramatic. However, it’s easy to see that when it comes to blood relations, he is far closer to her, and like JD, Gus has fallen off the plan or destiny many saw for him and got into quite a bit of debauchery as he enjoyed being less than perfect.

The Need to Question Celeste’s Intentions

When it comes to any relationship which involves sex, while you could say Leo and Gus have a decent relationship, everyone else is struggling a bit. Yasmin the most of all because there is this thing about her and power when it comes to sex. From her boyfriend in season one, Robert, Maxim, and potentially others, as much as Yasmin likes to be in a dominant position, it seems she only does so when she knows she can conquer the other person. But, when given the opportunity to sub to someone good at being dominant, that is when she enjoys herself the most.

The problem is that Yasmin may not be looking for a relationship, but she is the type who likes consistency. Having a go-to person like Harper when she needs to be checked or Robert when she needs a friend or ego boost has allowed those relationships to remain. But with Celeste, things are complicated.

For one, Celeste’s relationship with Yasmin seems rooted in an ego boost. Her wife has a girlfriend outside of her marriage, so she wants one too. It makes her feel less replaceable and more desirable and gives her a distraction from whatever her wife is doing. Two, it allows her to regain power. Celeste having sex with an employee, who just transferred to her department, puts Yasmin in an odd place. Her father’s money just got transferred over, she does better in PWM than in FX, and so she has to keep Celeste happy.

But, there is a need to ask, when Celeste feels like Yasmin no longer scratches that itch, what can be done? It is likely that Yasmin will make a professional mistake or even usurp Celeste in some way, and it won’t be taken lightly. So when the power dynamic, even if just with a client, shifts, how will that be addressed?

Harper’s Dangerous Game

Harper doesn’t necessarily pursue tranquility. She might be the type who gets scared when things are quiet or going too good, hence her fears when it comes to Danny. But, it may not just be in her personal relationship. Chaos might be something she seeks at work as well, and that’s why she allows Jesse to feel snubbed while cooling down from her JD drama. Also, it could be why she is more than willing to burn almost every bridge someone was willing to build with or for her.

I mean, look at Eric. She still goes to him even though she put him out to pasture, and she won’t admit she did it, either. In a way, you can see a bit of why she and Yasmin are drawn to each other. Both like to take advantage of their relationships and not hold themselves accountable until they are on the brink of losing that person. The issue is, at least for Yasmin, she doesn’t get the grandeur wins Harper has had, so her ability to do as much or go as far isn’t there.

Also, Harper genuinely doesn’t give a damn about being liked. Heck, even being respected is something she doesn’t put her heart and soul into pursuing. She is her mother’s daughter, and with that in mind, her only goal in her professional life, maybe personal too, is results. So if the end result isn’t her getting paid or getting off, and you aren’t a necessary part of that, you are expendable and will be treated as such.

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