As a seasoned observer of the high-stakes world of finance and media, I must say that this narrative is as intriguing as it is complex. Yasmin, a woman who moves effortlessly among the elite circles, finds herself entangled in a web of power plays and personal dynamics. Her actions are reminiscent of the cunning Harper, but with an undercurrent of vulnerability that makes her character all the more compelling.
A great method to understand a person’s true nature is by observing them during challenging situations, as it reveals their weaknesses and resilience in the face of adversity. This aspect was particularly intriguing about Harper – her proficiency in making high-stakes trades within ethically questionable grounds, combined with her vulnerability that prevented her from completing her college education due to panic attacks. With three seasons underway, the tension has reached an unbearable peak. By examining our characters during times of collapse, “Smoke and Mirrors” serves as a trial by fire for all our beloved stock traders, revealing their true identities beneath the surface.
1. Following a brief power interruption, Lumi’s trading value is lower than the promised level by Pierpoint. The power failure coincided with Lumi’s IPO launch, causing confusion among investors about their stock ownership or whether the IPO even occurred. Harper seizes this opportunity to stir things up. FutureDawn, a significant investor in Lumi, finds its founder, Anna, facing scrutiny from the board of directors. Harper approaches Petra, Anna’s discontented right-hand woman, and proposes a plan for FutureDawn to offset their Lumi risk by purchasing natural gas futures and selling short the British Pound. This move contradicts FutureDawn’s ethical principles, but Petra doesn’t mind. She’s grown weary of her investments being linked to Anna’s philosophies. Harper leverages his knowledge of Pierpoint’s operations to offer Petra a highly favorable deal, which benefits FutureDawn financially but infuriates Anna with Petra’s betrayal.
Is Petra the calm-tempered shark who Harper has been eager to collaborate with all along? In many ways, Petra resembles Eric, minus the tumultuousness. Was it a maternal figure Harper needed instead of a paternal one, as it seemed? Eric never confused friendship for mentorship, and their relationship was not entirely professional either. Perhaps Petra, with her composed demeanor, could be instrumental in helping Harper truly grow up. This is especially true after she scolded Harper at the end of the episode, advising her to leave her personal grudge against Eric behind if she aspires to succeed. While Petra may have a point, what becomes of Harper without her contentious rivalry with Eric?
On Pierpoint’s floor, Eric struggles without Harper, remaining in a state of disarray. The Lumi IPO seems to be spiraling out of control, and Eric appears to be struggling under the pressure. Phones keep ringing non-stop, and the share price keeps plummeting; meanwhile, Eric is still recovering from a massive hangover, barely managing to stay afloat. Bill Adler arrives and attempts to address some of the phone issues, providing a brief respite. However, things quickly unravel once again due to Kit Harrington’s erratic behavior.
Prior to moving on, I’d like to make it clear that Harrington is giving an outstanding portrayal of Sir Henry Muck, Lumi’s CEO. His voice work is remarkable, shifting seamlessly between soft, menacing, whiny, and pitiful tones. Remarkably, this vocal quality mirrors Charles Hanani’s pleas for mercy followed by harsh criticism towards Yasmin. Now, I don’t want to speculate too much, but it’s plausible that Kit is delivering such a stellar performance because he may have personal experience with people like Henry Muck, given his background from the aristocracy. In any case, well done, Kit!
To summarize: After the IPO, Henry Muck opted to shape public opinion by setting up interviews with journalists, despite Robert’s stern advice against it. Robert warned him that such actions could be illegal and unwise, but Henry disregarded his counsel. Unfortunately, this led Henry to spark a rumor that all smart money – influential institutional investors – had abandoned Lumi, causing the stock price to drop significantly. The Lumi board convened to dismiss Henry, but their efforts were unsuccessful as he claimed that their reservations were baseless. I can’t say it’s unusual for men to falter by dismissing valid criticisms, but let me move on… (Digression added)
All of this culminates in a literal wrestling match between Robert and Henry Muck, which caused me to guffaw. I cannot claim to understand the intricacies of the British class, but one of Robert’s central anxieties has been his working-class background clashing with his white-collar job. This is why it’s particularly cathartic to watch him tackle Muck and tumble around in the Lumi nursery ball pit, not to mention continuing to prod at that central question of how good ESGs can be. Sure, Lumi cares enough about its employees to build a play area for children, ostensibly for working parents, but if it’s being used for its wealthy CEO’s temper tantrum, how good can the company be?
In a turn of events, I’m not just interacting with Henry; I’ve also got the shock of losing Nicole to contend with. A call from my sometimes-irritating girlfriend Venetia jolted me into realization that I left her precious necklace at Nicole’s place. Panicking, I found myself stealthily entering Nicole’s home, only to stumble upon an unexpected truth: Nicole had a daughter who was there at the time. Trying to justify my presence with a tale about needing signed documents, I was quickly seen through by Nicole’s sharp-eyed child, who identified me as one of Nicole’s many beaus. Wow, that changes things! I might have thought they were in a healthy relationship, but now… well, let’s just say it doesn’t seem so loving anymore.
In a similar fashion to how Nicole acted towards Robert at the start, her daughter suddenly gets close to him, attempting to kiss him. However, unlike Nicole, Robert shows clear signs of discomfort and rejection. Fortunately, this is for the best since it’s revealed she’s only 15 years old. Admittedly, I found it surprising that Robert didn’t recognize her age as quickly as I did, making the situation a bit perplexing to me.
Previously, we’ve hinted at it but the connection between Industry and sexual assault is complex and conflicted. For instance, Harper exploited Nicole’s assault for emotional and real manipulation against individuals like Bill Adler, DVD, and Daria. Robert, on the other hand, saw Nicole’s assault as a means to advance, leaving Venetia vulnerable, which raises questions about the authenticity of their relationship – is it based on true affection or a subconscious bond stemming from trauma? Yasmin’s encounters with Kenny in season one, her unwillingness to aid Venetia last season, and her vivid, distressing flashbacks to her father’s private parts present three starkly contrasting reactions and attitudes towards boundary-crossing sexual behavior.
At first, I pondered if the portrayal of sex in this series might be problematic, as it seemed to trivialize potentially distressing situations with a casual humor. However, I dislike media that solely portrays individuals subjected to sexual assault as only martyrs or victims. As the season unfolds, I’m still mulling over this observation. Nevertheless, I can confidently assert that the show implies that sex is synonymous with power, not because wealth is alluring but because power is what our characters persistently pursue, manipulate, and trade. Robert’s affair with Nicole was less about his attraction to her as an individual and more about what she embodied in the financial world. This explains his confusion regarding her daughter, who lacked influence over him yet symbolized the one who did. This dynamic can be traced back to his fascination with Yasmin during the first season, who was often unattainable, cruel, and dominant.
Stepping into the cinematic spotlight this season is none other than Yasmin, our leading lady. The weight of the Lumi IPO has left her teetering on the brink of collapse, struggling to maintain her composure amidst the storm. Her camaraderie with Eric, following their wild night out, seemed to be fading rapidly. The incessant chatter of Sweetpea, the fresh-faced intern seated beside her, was almost too much to bear. In truth, I found myself questioning whether she might face dismissal. However, against all odds, Yasmin rises to the challenge and manages to rescue not only herself but also the entire IPO.
In the latest episode, Yasmin encountered a minor issue with Sir Henry Muck, who invited her to observe him play squash and seek confirmation regarding the IPO. It was revealed during this encounter that Muck’s squash companions, Otto Mostyn, an investor, and Lord Norton, a media tycoon, were acquainted with Yasmin’s father, Charlie Hanani. In other words, Yasmin is familiar with these individuals and the spheres they move in.
When Robert informs Yasmin that Henry is trapped in a bathroom due to consuming a large amount of mushrooms, she swiftly goes to Lumi’s location. Using both her comforting maternal voice and assertive dominatrix tone, she manages to persuade the intoxicated CEO, Henry, out of the bathroom and towards a gentleman’s club where he can be seen with Otto and Gregory Clark, an investor who has been speculated to have previously sought to acquire Lumi. Yasmin skillfully leverages the media’s fascination with her to boost Lumi’s profile, manipulating them into taking pictures of Muck and Clark exiting the gentleman’s club. This generates acquisition rumors and escalates Lumi’s IPO price to a level that saves the company from financial trouble.
It’s a move reminiscent of Harper, and I think Yas was hoping to get the hero’s welcome that Harper might have. But when she returns to Pierpoint to tell Eric what she’s done, he takes her down a peg, telling her not to take credit. He also tells her she “[doesn’t] have to compromise or degrade [herself] to prove your value to [him].” This is not something I think he would have ever said to Harper. If anything, he was all about Harper compromising herself. I continue to dislike the Eric/Yasmin pairing. I get it— Yasmin has daddy issues on a Biblical scale, and Eric is always looking for a protégé to crush. But there’s a sexual, incestuous undertone here that slicks the whole scene with ick.
Later on, Henry extends an invitation to dinner to Yasmin as a token of gratitude for her work that day. In addition, he’s made arrangements with his uncle, Lord Norton – the proprietor of a tabloid (a distinctly British touch), who removed the photo of Yasmin from the Lady Yasmin publication. This act serves both as a thank you and a romantic gesture. In response, Yasmin seems to understand his intentions and gestures for him to follow her to the bathroom. There, she tactfully declines him but also relieves herself in a stall, hinted at by the rumor about Muck’s peculiar tastes. I was shocked! Some might argue that this exposes my own preferences, but I must admit, I have never seen a show tackle someone’s affinity for golden showers so directly. Upon returning to her seat, Yasmin is presented with an expensive bottle of wine as another gift from Muck. The sommelier looks on in dismay as Yasmin drinks the entire bottle without ceremony and boards the bus home. This moment feels victorious, yet I can’t help but feel a sense of weariness. Is it really plausible that Yasmin believes another man can resolve her issues? Sweetheart, it’s time to mature up.
Loose Change
There seems to be some unusual activity surrounding Rishi and his book. His actions are raising eyebrows, and he appears to have an irritating back issue – keep an eye on the developments.
1. Anraj is incredibly affectionate and completely contrasts Rishi. As for Sweetpea, I’ve been saving my words about them due to the word limit, but they are an adorable Gen Z addition to the scene. These two seem to symbolize a shifting external environment where the significance of work is evolving, moving away from being a direct extension of one’s identity. It’s possible that Sweet Pea, being a literal social media influencer and content creator, represents a new perspective on how one’s identity can be tied to employment.
In my hometown in Japan, which has the highest concentration of Yakuza, many of whom are financially criminal, there’s a chilling resemblance to Otto Mostyn, the menacing hedge fund owner who intimidates Yasmin. I’ve seen individuals like him, whose piercing gaze gives an unsettling, relentless impression – truly terrifying!
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2024-08-19 05:55