Industry Power Rankings: “Are You Talking Hypothetically Or "Hypothetically"?
Ranking Pierpoint’s gentry after episode 208.
Tonight’s post is a day late because my head is still recovering from a concussion…But—and that is a big but—for my version of bed rest, I’m attempting to catch up on history:cinema and television!
Major spoilers for Industry’s “Jerusalem.”
E.O Wilson once said “Let us see how high we can fly before the sun melts the wax in our wings.”,—but this week I’m afraid London’s beloved crew had no more than one dollar, three pounds of cocaine, and a dream before the takeoff. Anyway, let’s get into it(yuh):
Jesse Bloom
What a mighty good man he is! It’s undisguised that even with his money, Jesse does not give up his morals yet his warmth can surely trickle down. When Harper shows up at his house to tell him to stop out of FastAide, Bloom embraces Harper then he pats her down, checking to see if she’s wearing a wire. The reason for this is because Harper mainly advises Jesse to change his position based on privileged government information. Bloom realizes that Harper is nothing close to Adriana La Cerva—and still opts not to thank her, baffling Harper ahead of her departure.
Later on, Jesse makes an appearance on CNN. Amid responding to questions about his pandemic triumph, he simultaneously texts Harper, instructing her to acquire as many remaining shares of Rican as possible. When the CNN presenters address his distraction, Bloom says it’s his kid and they’re “very close” and briefly stares into the camera since he knows Harper’s watching. (This was badass to me….) You’d think his remark slips because of his drollness; but it’s a jab at the warped relationship that Jesse has with Harper. Once Harper gets Rishi to buy what Jesse wants, it reveals that Bloom is making money on both of the trade. In other words, killing FastAide's acquisition chances and placing the NHS contracts’ residence in Rican. Almost everyone thought Jesse was going to take advantage of Harper but he has done it differently. Through their previous talk, Harper told Bloom that he had just enough power to speak things into irrelevancy just by being who is and that’s exactly what he did.
Having that said, I like to think that Jesse is somehow related to Orlando Bloom. I also believe he deserves a fancam—preferably, to that one Megan Thee Stallion song….You know something fun, something for the summertime...Something for the girls to get ready and party to.
Augustus (Gus) Sackey
Three days ago, Cardi B asked the world if it was worth being a good person and Gus proved her right. Gus’ boss, Aurore, sends him home from his job because the anti-competition inquiry that Gus was supposed to assist in has been put to an end. When he gets inside, Harper attempts to lure information out of Gus to gain some form of leverage towards winning Jesse over. The query becomes a scary interrogation and Gus reaches his limit, shouting that Amazon is being allowed to acquire FastAide. When he goes back to Aurore’s office to drink whiskey as they celebrate FastAid’s reintroduction along with her promotion to Health Secretary, Gus blows the guaff: telling her that he did pass on the news about FastAid.
Promptly, Aurore fires him in a nonchalant manner. Turns out, the whole “Irish-ing it” thing was just a setup for him to walk into. (I mean, the Margret Thatcher photo near her storage drawer told me everything!) Following this, Gus tells Jesse that he’s unemployed while they actually celebrate something: Leopold’s acceptance into Oxford. Instead of reacting like Kendall Roy when Greg thought he bought him a Rolex, Bloom is tempted by this and hires Gus as his assistant. Ever since meeting Jesse, all Gus has done is provide a good influence on both him and his son, Leo, by being righteous and now he gets to work the same way he grew up: in some form of luxury.
Gus also finally got rid of that patch of blue hair….bellissima!
Eric Tao
I will be gallant enough to say it: Take a minute and think of every single evil thing….a short man was likely behind it, huh? Well, seemingly, Eric is taking part in that cycle.
Eric first appears to be passing the torch to Harper, asking her to tell him what to do once they realize moving to New York and taking jobs at Shogan will not personally suffice for them. Back at the office, Eric does try to continue his mentorship, though: guides Harper through her choices after Jesse involves her in a crime on national television, offers to retire if she decides on cutting off Jesse and going back to New York, bullies Adler into making a new team for Pierpoint, and throws Danny and Rishi under the bus. When they return to the trading desk, Eric asks Harper to talk with him upstairs. All seems to be well and believe it or not, Eric tells her that he paid for her earlier hotel-stay. He then makes his ultimate chess move, bringing her into a room where he fires Harper after telling Pierpoint’s higher-ups that her college diploma is forged.
To celebrate his victory, Eric now can quote Logan Roy’s “Because it works. I fucking win.”—however, this season has also shown us his loses: no longer operating well on the CPS desk, losing Felim not once but TWICE, his daughters growing sick of him at home, trying to go over Danny’s head then failing, and having to suffer through a promotion he abhorred. Plus if you think about it Harper still has Jesse, the same client Pierpoint relies so heavily on. Without her, he might pull away, too. Harvey Specter will never backstab Mike like this- What happened to LOYALTY?!
Rishi Ramdani
Although he was extremely close to losing his job, I think Rishi knew that putting his faith in Harper was going to lead him into the bloodletting. Unlike studying moves, he keeps an eye on his peers’ flaws. Remember when he told Eric that he couldn’t understand why they brought him since Eric’s improbable? Rishi also pointed out Harper’s defect.(“Oh, you can fuck off and all.” Rishi said to Harper in 207. “You’re a total catastrophe.”) And Rishi’s eye on Harper heightens. When she tries to hide Eric’s call about firing him, instead of accepting her empathic, attentive facade, Rishi sees through it. This evinces how he saves himself in the end. He’s in Tom Wambsgans era, I reckon.
Yasmin Yazdani
Yasmin pulls through the slaughter but this time she’s got a few wounds to bear. While she attempts to no longer work with her father (Charles), Celeste laughs in Yasmin’s face. Afterward, Yasmin meets Charles at a bar to confront him about his past with her old nanny, Theresa, finally accusing him of grooming her. Charles tries to undermine it, saying that he was attracted to her when she finally “looked like a woman.” Yasmin understands he does not mean that in age and tells him she wants nothing to do with him. Later on, at Celeste’s party, she tries to deny Charles’ access again but Celeste declares that Yasmin’s value to her is in Charles’ wealth. When Yasmin goes back home, she finds out that Charles has changed the locks, leaving her high and dry, nearly as if she’s a Roy sibling in episode 308 then seeking comfort from Robert. She’s so poor now, the girl can’t pay for cab she took to get there or even listen to Renaissance since her Spotify subscription is due. As she stands next to Harper during Rishi’s wedding, they have another heart-to-heart but it seems like something they’d have in Season 1. Still with no money, Yasmin tries to make up for her previous mistake: taking Venetia out for brunch and apologize for her behavior.
I like to think that although she’s left with nothing, Yasmin does exit this season with her dignity. I rather see Yasmin broke than letting Charles turn her into someone she’s not.
Robert Spearing
Despite Rob’s actions throughout the season, he also surprisingly gets to keep his job. Perhaps this is another example of how being a good person is worth it. Rob spends his time being the shoulder Yasmin cries on regardless of their past. He even gets himself thrown in jail after picking up some coke for her as a favor. And just when Nicole(derogatory) feels special about Rob calling her for his one phone call, he immediately shuts her down, calling Nicole a “predator” and comparing her to his mother(😟). Aside from her touching him again, I do think Rob was able to get under her skin, which is frankly something Nicole deserved.
Daniel Van Deventer
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It’s not funny, it’s not funny….but it is! I believe Danny’s arrival did unsettle the power dynamic of the trading desk like Adler had previously wanted. He changed the game and inserted new rules but I don’t think he fought hard enough to ensure his spot, particularly regarding his past with Eric. Danny (DVD, VCR, Blockbuster, Netflix, Plastic—Hear Me Out—Off The Sofa) is let go….yet unencumbered by Pierpoint’s toxicity and that’s honestly what Van Deventer needs. He was under extreme amounts of pressure and sometimes it’s okay to survive the battle, not the war.
Harper Stern
Our Icarus may want to cite that one Charli XCX song to Eric soon but I have to say: She reaped what she sow!
From not undertaking her trauma, causing Gus to tell her classified information without thinking of his job, going along with Jesse’s illegal manipulations to avoid any chance of returning to NY, making Danny and Rishi sacrificial lambs, and not being truthful from the start is why Harper is in the plight she’s in. All this time she had assumed egotism is what takes you to the top and saves you…but occasionally it’s also what brings you down. Harper no longer has a job, but she’s smart and still kinda has Jesse in her pocket. If Harper wants to continue being grimy to win, I suggest she takes the one billionaire Pierpoint values the most with her. (Don Blair Harper Stern, it’s time to make her-story.)
Jesse’s bisexuality
The most unrealistic thing happening is a twink not wanting to get down with Jesse until the room STANK. Like be for real! I need updates.
That’s it. Thank you so much for reading my little rankings. I apologize if there’s errors, we’ll be back next season!