Industry season 4 episode 6 is the fast-paced TV hour we needed after the bombshell twists of episode 5.
We finally get to see different storylines converging and the consequences of an extensive build-up around Tender's illicit activities. As Whitney and Hayley's roles are laid out in more (chilling) detail, we learn that the chaos that is about to unfold reaches far beyond Yasmin and Harper's years-long rivalry.
The episode opens with a meeting between Harper and Yasmin in Tender's headquarters — the atmosphere between them far more tense than the last time they saw each other. Harper tries to warn Yas about Tender before it is too late, but she doesn't take the advice lightly.
Later, Whitney calls Tony Day in a passive-aggressive tone and warns him to refrain from doing "anything you will regret." He then enters Henry's room unannounced and creeps behind the Tender CEO while he takes a shower. Yasmin catches Whitney in the act and freaks out, whereas Henry doesn't seem to mind. This later triggers a heated argument between the couple.
Henry and Whitney have dinner with an auditor, which spirals into a drug-fueled nocturnal odyssey through London. They end up at a gay club, where Whitney asserts his dominance over Henry. The night puts a definitive end to Henry's short-lived sobriety, hinting at a dark path ahead for the character.
A big day for SternTao — and a disastrous one for Tender
At the ALPHA conference, Harper takes the stage and drops a bombshell announcement, officially launching her Tender short and exposing all the company's dirtiest secrets. Meanwhile, Whitney flies to Accra to meet Day, only to discover he has gone to London. While Tender faces a catastrophic crisis, SternTao is all smiles — not a good sign considering that no one stays happy for too long in this show.
Even the quietest moments in Industry season 4 episode 6 are charged with an unsettling atmosphere, such as Harper and Whitney's phone call — how about that creepy rendition of "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)?" Right when things are looking great for SternTao, Eric receives a threatening message from a random number with a video of Eric engaging in sexual acts with an escort, who turns out to be only 15 years old.
Alliances and betrayals
The following day, Whitney corners Tony Day at the cafe where he's supposed to meet Sweetpea, coercing him into playing Tender's game. Later, a live CNN interview with SternTao and Tender is held; Whitney and Eric show up. To SternTao's surprise, Day joins remotely, siding with Tender on an unexpected betrayal. Eric doesn't let himself be intimidated, turning the tables with a powerful rebuttal.
Meanwhile, Yasmin is on the verge of a breakdown. She is visited by Hayley, and we finally learn the truth about the character: Whitney hired her — and all his previous assistants — from an escort agency, instructing her to seduce men he wanted to get close to. In essence, Whitney has been running an extortion scheme, deploying young women to collect compromising data on powerful investors and businessmen. And just like that, Hayley's night with Yasmin and Henry in Austria takes on a much more disturbing significance.
There are many indications that Whitney was the one who leaked Eric's video with a minor. Not only does it make sense in the face of Hayley's revelations, but the surprised look on Whitney's face when Eric shows up at the CNN studio also corroborates this theory.
Harper arrives at the SternTao HQ to find Eric waiting for her with his lawyer. To protect the company from the impending scandal surrounding his reputation, Eric is terminating their partnership, withdrawing from any benefits and entitlements, asking only for his daughters' fund in return.
At Tender, yet another (not so shocking) betrayal comes to light: Whitney hands Henry a letter explaining that if the Tender ship sinks, it will also drag Henry, Yasmin, and everything Henry holds dear to the bottom.
Industry season 4 episode 6 review
Dear Henry, it's starting to look like you're next on Industry's list of casualties. But before we jump to conclusions, let's first appreciate how this is the first episode this season that matches the same level of intensity that made season 3 so great. Whereas the past episodes were mostly focused in one or two characters, one can barely keep track of everything that happens here.
Episode 6 is an extremely dark episode in an extremely dark season of Industry. It marks a point of no return for most characters: those who aren't slipping back into self-destructive habits are at last confronting the fallout from them. The writing is sharp and unforgiving, emphasizing a sense of urgency that was merely emulated in past episodes of this season. Now that the storm has finally hit, it's every man for himself.
Industry's greatest strength is exposing to us, the viewers, the vulnerable and ugly side of characters whose job is to keep a mask on. We peer into their most intimate, destructive urges. However, season 4 is all about these masks falling off for good: it has already happened to Rishi and Dycker, and the same vengeful specter that haunts this bleak financial world now seems to be closing in on the remaining roster of characters.
This episode took us to many unexpected places, and anything can happen from now on. One thing, however, seems very clear: no one’s getting out with a happy ending. The lingering question for next week is whether Eric is gone for good. If that's the case, only Harper and Yasmin remain from the original season 1 lineup, which, honestly, is quite concerning.
New episodes of Industry season 4 airs on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.