Industry Recap: Father, Partner, Mentor, Foe

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This week’s episode of Industry premiered early and is currently streaming on HBO Max.

Let me tell you, when a show really grabs me, it doesn’t just hold my attention, it makes me forget I even have a phone. That’s how it is with Industry most of the time – I’m completely sucked into its world. But here’s the thing: the impact doesn’t always last. I’ll be yelling at the screen one minute – ‘Oh no!’ or ‘Hell yes!’ – and then completely forget what just happened. Honestly, it doesn’t even matter! Because you know someone’s about to do something even more shocking next week. It just makes you wonder… what is wrong with these people?

Some TV episodes just stick with you, and this one, “Eyes Without a Face,” really did. It made me think about my own beliefs, even after it was over. There’s a scene where Eric, after checking on his sleeping daughter, asks a sex worker for intimacy, seemingly hoping it’ll change something within him. He looks at himself in the mirror during it, almost searching for a different person to appear. It wasn’t about shocking acts, but it was incredibly difficult to watch. I guess I foolishly expected him to suddenly step into a more caring, fatherly role. It made me realize how much I assume people will do the right thing, and how naive that can be.

I adore Harper, even when she’s being difficult and self-centered – I’m always rooting for her! But when her mother unexpectedly passed away, Myha’la’s portrayal completely shifted, and honestly, it threw me. Her voice became so gentle and delicate, it was almost too sweet. It felt… unsettling, and I found myself strangely bothered by her vulnerability. I initially wondered what was happening with the character, but then it hit me: I wasn’t prepared to see this side of Harper, and maybe that says more about me than her.

Things are really falling apart for Stern Tao. The Jim Dycker deal, and everything surrounding Sunderland, completely flopped, but strangely, Tender is doing incredibly well after changing its strategy. Kenny, to his credit, is giving his friends a heads-up that a margin call is coming in three days, but honestly, there’s no way they’ll be able to cover it. Harper’s already sold off everything the fund owned, so this margin call is basically the end of the line for them.

Sweetpea, driven and with little to lose, and her reluctant partner Kwabena are sent to Accra to dig up dirt on the company Tender – something beyond just their terrible customer service. Sweetpea immediately heads to SwiftGC, a payment processor recently bought by Tender, leaving Kwabena at the hotel. However, the address for SwiftGC turns out to be just a PO Box in a shared office space. After paying the receptionist for the phone number, she’s connected to Tender’s call center in Dublin. Sweetpea believes this is a significant clue, but Kwabena remains skeptical. He questions whether using a PO Box is actually illegal or if it’s simply a common practice for companies to combine operations. Sweetpea, focused on finding fraud, seems to be interpreting everything as suspicious.

It was strange that Tony Day, Tender’s finance chief in Africa, kept the team waiting for two hours. When they finally met, he was uncooperative with Sweetpea, even though she was only asking simple questions – it seemed like he was deliberately avoiding answering anything. Sweetpea, sensing this, subtly gave him her phone number. I wasn’t sure if she was trying to flirt, but I started to wonder if Tony had seen some private photos of Sweetpea before their meeting. And then I wondered if Sweetpea herself had considered that possibility, and if it was something she often thought about.

Their meeting with the lawyer involved in the Swift deal goes terribly, with Sweetpea largely responsible for the harsh accusations. The core issue is Tender’s decision to spend $50 million on a company that doesn’t seem to have any real presence in Accra. They also question why they relied on a relatively unknown lawyer and his tax advisor for such a large purchase. Kwabena points out that doing business here isn’t as honest as it is in Europe – it relies more on bribes and informal agreements than on official documentation, which he sums up with the local saying, T.I.A. (This Is Africa).

Honestly, watching Sweetpea and Kwabena hit this karaoke bar after all their leads fizzled out felt so real – they were clearly just trying to numb the disappointment and bickering was their way of doing it. It got me thinking about Kwabena’s background; he used to spend every year in Accra as a kid, but it’s been ages since he’s been back. What struck me wasn’t that he knew Ghana so well and was therefore pessimistic, but that his negativity felt…easy. It seemed like a byproduct of always having options, a kind of privileged exhaustion. He’s just not invested in solving this case the way Sweetpea is. I kept thinking, this short film, this competition…it’s not crucial for him. Something else will always come along, and he’ll be fine. He’s got that safety net.

Sweetpea is in a tough spot. While she easily gets interviews now because of the leaked ‘Siren’ information, she never makes it past the first stage. Harper is the only one advocating for her, so if Stern Tao falls, Sweetpea will too. She made a mistake at 19 by posting those photos online, and she’s still facing the consequences. It’s already damaged her relationship with her mother, who is aware of the leak but pretends it didn’t happen – a kind of denial disguised as concern.

When Kwabena brings up the outlandish pornographic stunt Jim discussed last episode, Sweetpea responds dismissively with a simple, “Good for her.” While it’s not surprising that Industry suggests internet porn has negatively impacted this generation’s views on sex, the show’s discussion on the topic feels stuck. The show uses talk of porn as a way to be current and shock viewers, but avoids any genuine or honest conversation. Instead, it’s just a way for characters to hint at their own desires. For example, when Kwabena pretends to be embarrassed while admitting he’s attracted to a specific type of woman he’s seen in porn, it’s essentially a way of flirting and expressing his interest.

Tony, possibly warned by his lawyer, calls Sweetpea and tells her Jim Dycker was planning to visit him. The reporter hinted at possible solutions to his problems, though Tony doesn’t specify what those are. Sweetpea tells Tony where she and Kwabena are at a bar, but instead of coming himself, Tony sends a thug. This man follows Sweetpea into the restroom, where he assaults her, licking her face and breaking her nose. Later, still covered in blood, she surprisingly asks Kwabena to be more rough during sex, and they end up laughing and embracing. I’m not questioning whether this is realistic; I accept the show’s portrayal of Sweetpea’s reaction to the attack. However, I’m confused about how these seemingly enjoyable sexual encounters connect to the season’s overall theme of pornography being harmful.

Sweetpea finally slept in, likely thanks to the drinks from the night before, giving Kwabena a chance to focus on work. He found out he had a connection to SwiftGC and scheduled a meeting with Mrs. Mensah, a former classmate of his aunt’s and the daughter of Swift’s old CEO. He quickly realized that personal connections were far more valuable than any amount of cold-calling or networking. Mrs. Mensah revealed that Tender didn’t actually pay anywhere near 50 million for her father’s company. Those large checks were mostly for show; the real price Tender paid was very small – essentially just the cost of a good PR photo of Tony Day making it look like a major deal.

Kwabena and Sweetpea took a taxi to Swift’s actual address, only to find a nearly empty office guarded by two security personnel who didn’t recognize the name “Tender.” Their job was simply to prevent squatters and forward calls to the Dublin office. They immediately called their superiors with surprising news: the situation was far less complicated—and much worse—than Jim had thought. Tender wasn’t hiding money by laundering gambling profits; it was concealing how little money the company actually made. They’d been faking profits, then diverting auditors by claiming the money had been spent on investments in developing countries. While it looked like the company was growing, Tender had actually purchased almost nothing and paid next to nothing for it. They’d even bribed Ghanaian officials to pose with fake checks, creating the illusion of success for market analysts who didn’t have the time or resources to investigate further in Accra. As they say, This Is Africa—things aren’t always what they seem.

Most of the episode focuses on difficult news. Beyond their work troubles, Eric and Harper are each dealing with personal issues. They’ve both neglected their personal lives for so long that they’re surprised to realize people still rely on them, and events outside of their immediate world can still affect them deeply. It’s a rather sad, yet compelling, experience as they rediscover the feeling of realizing everyone has a complex life of their own.

Eric’s daughter, Lily, got kicked out of school after leading her friends in a cruel prank where they pretended to be someone else online and lured another student into a compromising situation. They took pictures of the victim, who was left vulnerable and feeling exposed. Eric is devastated and feels like he’s failed as a father. What’s worse, he doesn’t want to repair their relationship – he actively avoids wanting to be involved in her life, even simple things like school events. He’d rather escape into his own world, finding solace in looking at explicit photos on his phone.

Just as Harper receives the margin call, she learns of her mother’s sudden death – a strange accident while rushing to meet a delivery driver. Despite a deeply strained relationship, Harper isn’t mourning the loss of her mother as much as an idealized version of the relationship she always wished they’d had. Her mother would never have been able to give her the acceptance she craved, even in life, and now Harper is forced to face that painful reality.

Throughout the season, Harper has consistently rejected Eric’s attempts to get closer, dismissing them as overly sentimental and desperate. She believes Eric has missed his chance to create a meaningful life, connect with his children, or build strong relationships, and insists she doesn’t need friends herself. Harper seems to thrive on convenience and unwavering self-assurance, as shown by one of her first actions this season: immediately shredding a birthday card from her mother without even reading it.

Sitting at the edge of the bed, facing a serious financial crisis, she finally spoke to Eric calmly, without yelling or scolding. He told her she was amazing, and she started to cry. He held her hand, acting as a father figure to their child, who didn’t have one. If someone tried to send Eric compromising photos of Harper, he’d likely think twice before looking at them.

It’s puzzling to him that Harper captivates Eric when his own daughters don’t seem to. While he feels bad for his daughters, he mostly feels sorry for himself – like he’s failed as a father and missed out on something essential. It’s not that he fears for his daughters’ well-being – they’re financially secure and will be okay. What truly bothers him is that Eric will never experience a certain kind of masculine strength and instinct that he feels is a vital part of being a man.

It’s fitting that Eric gambled the entire Lily Lara Fund on Stern Tao – it reveals a lot about his character. He and Harper share a similar, cutthroat nature, instantly recognizing in each other that a willingness to do anything to win is who they are. They’re classic American underdogs, outsiders who will push themselves and others to prove their resolve. Don’t expect any compassion from these two, Kwabena. They’re a self-destructive force, constantly consuming themselves – like the ouroboros.

Harper has played many roles in Eric’s life – father figure, guide, ally, and even adversary. She’d dislike the idea of analyzing her upbringing, but her connection to Eric feels deeply personal. Only Eric has the power to truly let her down. The more important he is to her, the more unsettling his attempts to get closer feel. When Eric looks at Harper, he’s drawn to qualities he admires in himself – her determination, boldness, and confidence. Perhaps she’s relying on him to overcome a sense of emptiness, and maybe he’s hoping to find a missing part of himself that he doesn’t see in his own children.

By the end of the episode, with Sweetpea’s good news from Accra, Stern Tao seems to be gaining momentum. Harper is even preparing to reveal their important findings at Pierre’s finance event. However, those who have been following Eric and Harper’s complicated relationship don’t anticipate a positive resolution. They’ve consistently betrayed each other more than they’ve supported one another, and have been distant more often than united. It seems crazy that they’d team up again, but somehow their partnership works within the story. Despite all their talking, what truly keeps Harper and Eric together is something difficult to explain, yet feels undeniably real.

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2026-02-06 12:00