Industry: Season 4 Episode 5 – Recap and Review

As Industry focuses on the staff of SternTao, personal issues spill over in the pursuit of taking Tender down for profit.

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on

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Episode 5 “Eyes Without A Face” Recap and Details

  • Director(s): Luke Snellin
  • Writer(s): Joseph Charlton
  • Public Release Date (HBO Max): February 6, 2026
  • Check out more of our “Industry” coverage.

Desperate Times Call For F***** Up Measures: Harper, Kwabena, Eric, Sweetpea

SternTao is in a dangerous financial position, and when Harper gets desperate, she is willing to burn bridges. Case in point, she sells some of Kwabena’s holdings to gain some cash, which you know pisses him off. But, for Eric, who put a lot of money into this, it seems he sees the writing on the wall and is mentally closing up shop.

This leaves Sweetpea going to Accra as the only thing left to maybe make this short worth it. Originally, Harper was going to go with her, but after learning from her brother that their mom died, she was too stunned to make such a trip. So, Kwabena, who needs to get away from Harper and the nonsense, takes her seat.

Is The Blood Of The Covenant Thicker Than The Water Of The Womb?: Eric, Candace, Lily, Harper

With Lily getting expelled from school, due to a notable bullying incident, Eric finds himself questioning if being a financial provider is really not enough – to which Candace tells him no. So, as Eric often does to prove to himself that he has some sort of paternal instincts, he tries to be there for Harper. The problem is, Harper is like a cat. She only wants you close on her terms, and otherwise, she’ll go for the eyes and the jugular.

Case in point, when Eric tries to be let in regarding what Harper is going through, she vehemently pushes back, and we’re reminded that Harper is her mother’s daughter. Specifically, in she doesn’t know how to fight fair. For what begins as a conversation about what is going on with Harper switches to their roles in the business, and Harper, to be fair, is reinforcing the boundaries she asked for previously.

Yet, with no one to talk to, since Yasmin isn’t the best option, and Eric being there for both the highs and lows, even when he shouldn’t, she ultimately does open up to him. Be it about how her mother affected her only source of love, her brother, and how her mom died. There is also the issue that she never got to have her mom apologize or recognize her greatness. Which is perhaps what she is grieving most of all.

Eric also opens up about his situation with Lily, painting the idea that he feels an obligation towards his kids, rather than a natural connection. Saying this to Harper, naturally, doesn’t lead to coddling, but her pointing out that he is a man who has built his life in transactional relationships. Pushing the idea, it would only make sense for his relationship with his daughters to mirror his career.

Yet, despite that comment, by how the scene ends between the two, it seems, as much as Harper and Eric are in business together, what he seeks in a daughter and her in her mother is right in front of them.

Meanwhile, In Accra: Sweetpea, Kwabena, Tony, Ed, Harper, Eric

Sweetpea’s investment in Tender’s downfall isn’t personal, in the sense of her knowing Whitney, interviewing for a position, even Hayley’s, or something like that. Rather, she has something to prove. Rishi, in her mind, leaking her nudes, made it so she is almost as unemployable as he is/was. So, while Harper is a bit sketchy, she is taking a chance on her, really backing her words that she doesn’t care about what happened, and Sweetpea wants to honor that.

As for Kwabena? Honestly, he is a waste in Ghana, for the most part. He comes in the clutch when Sweetpea is lying to Tony, the CFO of Tender Africa, but he doesn’t stop a man from nearly sexually assaulting Sweetpea or breaking her nose. Also, he helps in connecting Sweetpea to someone with connections to SwiftGC, which Tender allegedly bought, to discover that the business doesn’t exist.

But a lot of the work Kwabena did required Sweetpea’s convincing. Heck, even them having sex required her to make more of an effort than you’d expect would be needed. Quickie aside, Sweetpea is rather proud of what she has done, is quick to tell Eric and Harper, and makes the move to seal things via getting Tony to whistleblow. Which, with Ed, from FinDigest, unable to offer much, if any, protection, may require some lying, but Sweetpea has come so far.

Sadly, though, like Harper, she has a limited number of people she could even potentially talk to about the highs and lows of Accra. Harper offers to be an ear, maybe blue the lines as Eric did with her, but Sweetpea rejects this so she can cry alone in her apartment. Potentially mourn her relationship with her mother, who is still alive, similar to how Harper mourns the relationship with her dead mother.

New Characters in Episode 5

Tony Day (Stephen Campbell Moore)

  • Character Summary: Tony Day is the CFO of Tender Africa, who has been in Accra for 15 years, seemingly to help Whitney mask the success of Tender is mostly a ruse.

Collected Quote(s)

  • Some things are only attractive because you can’t have them. — Sweetpea
  • Don’t mistake regret for love. — Candace

Review and Commentary

Highlights

Sweetpea [84/100]

While Sweetpea is undeniably supported by Harper’s precedent, there is something distinctly special about the character on her own. Like past episodes that temporarily shift focus away from the primary lead to spotlight a supporting figure, this episode proves Miriam Petche (Sweetpea’s actress) is more than capable of carrying scenes.

Her journey through Accra, whether it’s how she handles Tony Day, the bathroom scene, or her confrontation with Kwabena, reflects a genuine investment in the actor and the character. The show isn’t simply casting people to fill space or orbit its leads; it’s clearly interested in showcasing performers who could plausibly take the reins of future projects.

What further makes Sweetpea compelling is that, while echoes of Harper’s story are present, she never feels like a retread. Yes, she shares familiar traits like being an underdog and the complicated relationship with her mother, but the way those issues manifest is different. Harper’s relationship with her mother has been presented as traumatic and abusive, and has made her distrustful. Sweetpea presented her mother as her best friend, and there is a softness that makes it seem, if they can ever get past her nude scandal, there could be reconciliation.

Similarly, Harper’s investment in Sweetpea partially mirrors her own dynamic with Eric, but with important distinctions. Harper isn’t positioning herself as a mentor or parental figure; if anything, she’s attempting to be a friend — something Sweetpea appears to recognize as both well-intentioned and flawed. Harper wants to guide without controlling, even if that’s not entirely in her wheelhouse.

But where Sweetpea truly differentiates herself, however, is in how she moves through the world. Her analytical mind is always at work, particularly in how she uses femininity as a strategic tool. She allows men to lower their guard, offering little more than her time and attention, while extracting exactly what she needs. Unlike Harper, whose power often comes through confrontation and force of will, Sweetpea operates with patience and precision. She’s also a capable researcher in her own right, even if Harper helped fund and facilitate the work, Sweetpea’s intelligence and discipline are clearly her own.

Together, these elements make Sweetpea feel like more than a reflection of Harper’s past or a setup for her future. She stands as a character with her own instincts, strengths, and unresolved tensions. Someone who feels fully formed, even as she’s still figuring herself out. That confidence in characterization is what elevates the episode and justifies its high mark.

The Love/Hate Relationship Between Eric and Harper [82/100]

Eric and Harper’s relationship is perplexing to outsiders, but it makes sense since we’ve seen the intensity of it and the love between the two. Harper, with no real relationship with her father, and mom being the type whose influence is more in spite of than because of, doesn’t have a paternal figure. Also, because her brother has his own struggles with love, Eric feels like a lot to the point that, understandably, Harper sometimes feels the need to pushback and establish boundaries.

Yet, you can see, while Eric may not be her ideal, she would rather her brother and mother put in the time and effort to get to know her as Eric does; he is there. Hence, a day after blowing up at him, she is still going to him. Then, with Eric, you see he is both carrying the baggage from his own upbringing and his failure to be a present father. And being that he has twins, Harper ends up being that second chance for him to do things right, even if she isn’t biologically his kid or even a stepchild.

Which perhaps leads to the crux of their problems: Harper sees success and money as a core to how she can prove her mother wrong. Hence, her ability and willingness to cut corners, be unethical, and backstab if necessary, for all she cares about is the end goal, not necessarily what it takes to get there. Eric has seen it and likely has treated it as Harper being a rebellious teenager, not too different from how Lily is said to have acted in this episode. But, again, because Eric is involved in what Harper uses to make herself feel secure, and she knows he will endure most of what she says, and even could do to him, it leads to them having a relationship which, externally, looks very toxic.

But, in many ways, they have a trauma bond where, even though they didn’t cause each other’s core trauma, or grew up in the exact same circumstances, there is an understanding there. One that has Eric’s patience match Harper’s quiet need, and even though Harper isn’t good at being vulnerable beyond sex, I’d like to think the grace she is given by Eric is leading her to learn.

Wondering How Whitney Will Handle This Secret Coming Out [81/100]

While Tony did not seem scared of Whitney, I think there is an awareness of what Whitney is capable of. The thing is, we don’t know what that extent is beyond how he handled his former business partner. After all, was that man someone sent after Sweetpea by Tony, Whitney, or someone who watches over Tony? It is hard to say.

But, with Whitney’s frequent visits to Accra, and the push that there is corruption, who is to say Whitney doesn’t have an active defense and offense when people like Sweetpea ask more questions than they should? Who is to say that, Whitney, despite his efforts to keep his nose clean, may not owe someone, and their interests led to Sweetpea’s attack? There is so much that could come out of this, and with this season leaning a bit more into how politics plays a role in finance, anything could be possible.

Overall

Our Overall Rating [82/100]

By utilizing its resources well, Industry starts the second half of the season strong. Also, it continues to remind us of not only the talent of its lead actors, but also the supporting actors who are just as good, just not expected to carry the weight of the show.

What To Check Out Next

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Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been writing reviews since 2010, with a focus on dramas and comedies.