Spoiler Alert: This story contains plot details for HBO’s “Industry” Season 4, Episode 1, “PayPal of Bukkake,” currently streaming on HBO Max.
The opening episode of “Industry” Season 4 essentially serves as a mini-reboot of the hit financial drama from creators Mickey Down and Conrad Kaye, introducing several new characters following the closure of Central Bank Pierpoint at the end of Season 3, but most of the returning faces don’t seem to have much luck.
Despite her newly upgraded wardrobe and dramatic office entrance, Harper (Myhara) struggles at the head of a hedge fund (eventually culminating in one angry investor suffering a stroke and burying his face in the glass desk in her office). Meanwhile, Yasmine (Marisa Abella) is settling into her career as a chatty networker with the rich and powerful, but her return to the mansion with her aristocratic husband Henry (Kit Harington) proves problematic, and their honeymoon short-lived. Meanwhile, Rishi (Sagar Radia), who was last seen dealing with the shockingly brutal murder of his wife in front of his eyes, decides to steal a mobile phone in a pub to get inside information and flog him.
Eric (Ken Leon) is the only one who seems to be having fun.
The former sales manager, who left Pierpoint with a huge bank balance, can be seen smoking a cigar while playing golf with some retired financial industry employees (and waving to a golfer in the distance wearing a red hat, who appears to be Donald Trump). After the game, he returns to his stuffed digs and is served by a young woman in hot pants as he relaxes in the garden doing a crossword puzzle. She obviously does more than just serve beer. The trading floor doesn’t seem that far away.
Provided by Simon Ridgway/HBO
But with one phone call from Harper, Eric is able to abandon his life as Riley, fly across the Atlantic, return to the money-making world, and start a new fund with his former intern (who, remember, he betrayed in the third season). But this time she has a big responsibility.
Leon told Variety that the “power play” had been “reversed.” But as he points out, it’s not just an addiction that draws Eric back into the world of finance.
Harper and Eric’s relationship has been such a central element of the show since its inception. What is their trajectory and what has brought them to this moment where she can bring him back from retirement?
Yes, he suddenly needs her more than she needs him. Sometimes it’s obvious, but sometimes it’s not so obvious. I think she represents a way for him to understand his daughter. There are young women in his life that he sleeps with, but there’s really no one he can talk to, get to know, understand, trust, or make him trust. He doesn’t have anyone like that, except Harper. And suddenly Harper reappeared in his life. They have a history of ups and downs. And when it came to the power play, it was reversed. He may see her as a younger version of himself.
But I think he has some sort of underlying agenda that has nothing to do with starting the business again, and has to do with his daughter. It is unclear to what extent he is aware of it. But he starts the season on the other side of the pond, running away from everything on the pond, hiding from the shadow of (former boss) Bill and everything, pretending to live a comfortable and cozy life there. And it won’t take long to bring him back soon. So, yeah, I think he has a surface agenda and an under-the-surface agenda going on at the same time.
You were talking about Eric’s daughter. Little has been revealed about his life outside of work so far, but season 4 will reveal even more with Pierpoint gone and Eric outside the bank. What was the most interesting element he discovered?
Over the past three seasons, we’ve followed his work and gotten glimpses of his home life and how it falls apart. We have only glimpsed even the collapse. We have seen the effects and have made some guesses, but we have never actually met his family. So, at the end of season 3, I felt like some kind of circle had closed, and in order for the character to evolve, a new circle needed to be opened. And then me, Mickey, and Conrad talked about it a little bit. And then what happens is that in season 4 we meet one of his daughters and we get to see firsthand how he deals with this issue. And it was really fun. Because I never thought we would go down that path just because of how things are going based on the show, what the show is about and the world that the show exists in. I never expected to see that side of Eric. So this season has been amazing and really great. Because when you go home together, you meet a completely different part of that person.
Provided by Simon Ridgway/HBO
At the end of Season 3, Eric famously throws the bat into the shuttered Pierpoint office and has one final phone call with Harper. Throughout the season, it felt like we were closing the circle on all of the major characters, but we probably had a stronger relationship with Eric than with any of the other characters.
I think it’s interesting that the famous way he throws the bat can certainly be interpreted as the ending. And it would be a great ending. But at that point, it’s also easy to see him figuratively throwing everything away. In other words, that’s where the story begins. Therefore, it can also be considered a beginning. I think it’s really funny that he does something like that.
What happened to that bat? I’d like to think that part of my heart is at home in a glass case.
I think it’s the same as propman. But yes, there is a part of me that wants to claim that. But there’s a part of me that loves it, like a child. So let’s see where it goes from here.
When you first joined “Industry”, you were one of the few experienced actors on the set. What was it like to be surrounded by so much talent and watch them blossom around you while doing this job for the first time?
As you can see, they are great actors. But not only in terms of acting, but also in the way they carry themselves, they are very professional yet playful at the same time. They are all very mature actors. I’m very proud of them, but I don’t know if it’s appropriate to be proud of them. So I respect them! I try to learn from them. I wasn’t the only one sitting in a high chair sharing advice.
And the same goes for creators Mickey Down and Conrad Kaye, who haven’t done much in the past, but are now not only writing and show-running Industry, but also directing it. Did you feel like the show had matured and evolved over the four seasons?
Oh yes, they are very bold! Maybe they don’t know enough to be afraid of things.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
