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Who’s Up and Who’s Down on Industry?

Aug 9, 2024

Who’s Up and Who’s Down on Industry?

As a seasoned banker myself, I must say, the cast of characters in this show is as intriguing as a high-stakes game of poker. Let me tell you about a few of them from my perspective.

You don’t need to know much about the world of finance to understand that it is inherently dramatic. It’s win or fail, collapse or prosper, live or die. It’s an arena, and traders are the gladiators. Such is why Mickey Down and Konrad Kay’s Industry set up shop in London’s business capital in 2020, following the young grads who enlist at the prestigious investment bank Pierpoint. A lot of the drama goes down on the trading floor, where characters bark jargon at each other to thrilling effect, setting up high-stakes trades worth millions of pounds. It’s frenetic, anxiety-inducing, and incredible to watch. You will not understand a single word of it. 

The intense competition requires bold actions that can dramatically shift one’s fate quickly. In the second season, no one experienced this more harshly than Harper, who invested eight episodes trying to gain Jesse Bloom’s favor, a tech billionaire, but was betrayed when he involved her in his live-TV stock manipulation scheme. Yasmin’s storyline during the same season also saw her attempting to get closer to a more influential person, but that move ended up backfiring on her. Poor Danny Van Deventer, or DVD as he is known, appeared to be a good man, yet found himself being stabbed in the back regardless.

In some instances, individuals sank, while others climbed up. After being demoted to Pierpoint’s monotonous client-relations department, Eric managed to regain his position at the top by using the threat of exposing Pierpoint’s callous attitude towards sexual misconduct as leverage to return to the trading floor. Kudos to Gus, who seemed to be the only character not wronged in this story, despite spending a significant amount of time with Bloom’s son. Robert’s season was a bit complex due to his growing odd relationship with Nicole, a wealthy client who manipulated him sexually and then used him as her broker, which elevated his status on the trading floor.

Similar to how the worth of a financial asset is influenced not only by its actions but also by external factors like economic, technological, and political changes, the value of our “coke-vacuuming horndog” group isn’t decided solely by their actions, but also by what befalls them. As we approach Sunday night’s season-three premiere, who is thriving, and who might be holding onto a questionable investment? Let’s assess the positions of our primary characters — along with a few strategic secondary ones — on the stock exchange floor, considering the consequences of season two’s events.

1.
Gus Sackey (David Jonsson)

In the second season of Industry, it seemed like everything was going Gus’s way. He made a shift into politics, securing a position in a constituency office for a moderate Tory MP, and even took on the role of tutoring Jesse’s son Leo for admission to Oxford. However, his tenure at the constituency office came to an end when he revealed that he had leaked confidential government information which Bloom used against him. Fortunately for Gus, Bloom offered him another job along with a £35,000 cash payment. The last scene shows Gus relaxing on Bloom’s private jet, looking pleased as he gazed down at the city lights below. Kudos to her! Upward and onwards, indeed! Unfortunately for the plot in season three, Gus’s rise to prominence at the end of the second season means that he won’t have a significant role this time around… but perhaps that just means his fortune will remain high?

2.
Eric Tao (Ken Leung)

In terms of overall performance, Eric might rank lower in power, but his recent promotion to Pierpoint partner and becoming the boss on the combined trading floor has him feeling quite confident. This is a significant shift from early season two when he was under immense stress, struggling with insomnia, and ended up being sent to Pierpoint’s retirement home, which was essentially client relations. To add to that, Harper outshone him during the Bloom saga, and he retaliated by exposing her falsified college degree used for her Pierpoint application. While some might say Eric showed a bit of Schadenfreude, it’s worth noting his protective instinct towards Harper. After all, she had unknowingly committed insider trading with Bloom, which could have potentially landed her in jail. Despite his current success, it’s important to remember that Eric has a history of being taken advantage of, so be cautious when the new season begins.

3.
Jesse Bloom (Jay Duplass)

It’s reasonable to conclude that Jesse dominated the entire series, earning significant profits by exposing FastAide’s wrongdoings and executing a strategic play against Rican. He managed to revive an investigation into FastAide’s acquisition by Amazon during an interview on CNN. Along the way, he imparted valuable lessons to his son who was accepted into Oxford University. Despite all this, he remains one of the world’s influential financiers. However, it seems he won’t be featured in season three as Kit Harington takes over the role of the financial influencer for this season.

4.
Nicole Craig (Sarah Parish)

In the world of Industry, Nicole serves not only to illustrate how money can taint one’s morals and allow sexual predators in influential positions to evade justice, but also how her actions, such as manipulating Robert and assaulting Venetia and Harper, were overlooked by Pierpoint. Her placement within the hierarchy is not intended as a moral evaluation of her character, given her evidently deplorable nature, even amidst her rags-to-riches narrative — it’s more about acknowledging the power she wields, which, if disregarded, would overlook the very message being conveyed.

5.
Robert Spearing (Harry Lawtey)

Ah, here we have Mr. Mommy Issues himself, Robert, who finds himself entangled in an intricate dance with Nicole, a woman who views him as an adorable toy to manipulate or use. Despite his persistent unease, neuroses, and undeniable charm, Robert’s story unfolds in season two. We also encounter his pub-owning father, a man who appears to be hard to reach, offer comfort, or show any signs of affection.

6.
Rishi Ramdani (Sagar Radia)

In the second season, Rishi assumed a more prominent position due to his popularity among fans. This could be attributed to the witty, often profane and shady remarks he exchanged with Down and Kay. He tied the knot during season two, but before that, he had an encounter with Harper in a pub restroom which could potentially cause him trouble. In the same season, Harper reneged on a deal with Bloom at the halfway point, leading Rishi to reluctantly join forces with Harper and Eric, later adding DVD to the team. Their goal was to sell themselves as a group to a rival bank facing massive strategic layoffs under Pierpoint. This plan didn’t quite succeed, but Rishi managed to outsmart Harper by keeping his job at Pierpoint instead of hers. With more of Rishi in season three, the show promises to be even more enjoyable.

7.
Kenny Kilbane (Conor MacNeill)

In season two, it’s likely that Yasmin found Kenny to be excessively harsh due to his behavior towards her in the first season, where he was rather obnoxious and intoxicated. However, he showed remorse after giving up alcohol, making him somewhat pitiful and awkward instead of genuinely offensive. He lacked the self-awareness that might have made him more appealing, and came off as a bit ordinary – let’s say, “just okay.” It seems likely that he’ll persist in the series, remaining an unattractive character who is, however, relatively harmless. He resembles a low-risk investment in a conservative portfolio, providing modest and consistent returns.

8.
Harper Stern (Myha’la Herrold)

Following the pursuit (more appropriately put as developing a connection) with tech magnate Jesse Bloom, who amassed his fortune ethically during COVID by investing in the health sector, Harper utilized their relationship to advance her career within Pierpoint’s hierarchy. It wasn’t much of a shock when it was discovered that Bloom had been manipulating her all along. However, the real blow came at the end of the series finale, as Eric dobbed her in to HR for falsifying her college degree, which she never completed, on her Pierpoint application. Yet, there’s little chance that Harper will be out of the game permanently; given her frequent demonstrations of adaptability and cunning, it seems almost certain that she’ll bounce back during season three. The question remains whether she would even consider returning to Pierpoint. It’s intriguing to ponder if she might even want to.

9.
Yasmin Kara-Hanani (Marisa Abela)

In the second season, Yasmin spent a significant amount of time attempting to transfer from her position at the FX desk to work under Celeste Pacquet (Katrine de Candole) in Pierpoint’s elite private wealth division. This transition involved numerous dinner meetings with charming Europeans. However, after taking Celeste’s guidance, Yasmin found that her father, who was not very receptive to the idea of moving his business to Pierpoint, seemed to act somewhat immaturely. Consequently, she decided to distance herself from him.

10.
Danny Van Deventer, a.k.a. DVD (Alex Alomar Akpobome)

In the second season, DVD effectively replaced Eric on the trading floor; while he didn’t formally receive a promotion, given his seniority, I found myself managing the CPS desk unofficially. Things seemed to be going well with Harper, but it all came crashing down in the finale when I was betrayed and let go as one of Pierpoint’s unexpected layoffs. Frankly, I wasn’t a fan of him to begin with. Farewell!

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2024-08-09 22:54