HBO’s Industry–a show that has often been called the Gen Z version of Succession–is in its third season, and it just may be the series’ best.
The show has always examined its characters flaws, but this season feels like it’s taking a step up from even Season 2, which ended in main character Harper (Myha’la) being fired. In Season 3, the characters are continuing to make deplorable choices, some that are so severe it’s a question of whether or not they’ll be able to recover from them by the season’s end.
All of these characters have become the most capricious versions of themselves, subsequently forcing them to unravel in ways that we haven’t seen before. While the series has earned comparisons to the finance-focused shows that came before it, it’s never been clearer that Industry is the best show of its kind. Season 3 is experimenting in ways that feel almost unprecedented, boldly breaking down barriers for what narrative television can be. “White Mischief,” which aired this past Sunday, is the latest example of why Industry is so addictive.
The episode focuses on side character Rishi Ramdani (Sagar Radia), who before this had taken up space as the series’ comedic relief. The sharp-tongued Pierpoint manager has cultivated a dedicated fanbase within the fandom, with a YouTube compilation of just his scenes amassing nearly 200,000 views in three years. For a show with such a tight-knit following, that’s a lot, and proves that this is a character fans have desperately wanted more from. Finally, Rishi-hive has gotten what they’ve been begging for for years: an episode solely dedicated to the character during what is perhaps the worst 72 hours of his life.
While Rishi has always been a contentious character in Industry, Episode 4 finally exposes just how fractured he truly is. His misogyny is not so thinly veiled, and he even goes to the lengths of looking at Sweetpea’s (Miriam Petche) OnlyFans—before later blackmailing her with it—in a semi-public toilet while his newborn baby is strapped to his chest. His vile center is truly exposed here, but as the episode unfolds into something more chilling, you’re forced to reckon with the sympathy the show is asking you to have for him.
During an argument with his wife Diana (Emily Barber), there’s an unexpected knock at the door. When Rishi hears the guest’s voice—which belongs to Vinay Sarkar (Asim Chaudhry), who Diana describes as Rishi’s childhood friend—he immediately goes tense. There’s clearly something wrong here, even more so than the -$100,000 that Rishi has in his accounts. As the meeting continues, it’s clear that he’s in debt with some people who you don’t want to be in debt with, and Vinay is here to collect.
We should probably have seen this coming; even the way Rishi asks for favors at work feels like he’s at the center of a gambling table. But during a meeting at Pierpoint in the beginning of “White Mischief” the score starts to pulsate in the background like a drum, or a ticking time bomb. From his aggressive approach at work to his infidelity with Harper before his wedding in Season 2, Rishi acts like everything in life is a game. While the cards he holds in his hand have lasted him this long, it appears that they’re finally running out.
As the pressure of these debts grows larger, Rishi makes concerning bets at work that seemingly work out in his favor. But, because this is Industry, after he sprints through the streets of London as Mozart’s “Overture from the Marriage of Figaro” plays in the background, it all comes crashing down. The episode continues to be paced like this, acting like a manic trip within itself, and Rishi’s emotional state consists of the same volatility.
From the winding synthy score to the tightened close-up shots of his face as he does cocaine, Industry has crafted their own version of Uncut Gems. Not only does it result in one of the best episodes of television this year, but it further surmounts Industry as the boldest drama on television. Focusing on Rishi, who despite being a fan-favorite is undeniably a supporting character, wouldn’t work if this was any other show. However, creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay have sprinkled inklings of Rishi’s imploding world all season, which proves that they understand just how important episodes like this are.
Side characters often aren’t given the grace of having singular episodes dedicated to them, but then again, Industry is proving itself to be a set apart. Because Rishi has almost strictly acted as the series’ comedic relief thus far, the show has forced us to love him, which is the reason this episode works. Allowing us to witness his downfall would have less impact if Rishi was only seen in every-other episode, but Down and Kay clearly had this plan worked out from the beginning.
Ken Leung and Sagar Radia
Simon Ridgway/HBO
The magnetism of this episode is also thanks to Sagar Radia, who’s intensified dramatic chops are the highlight of this season. “White Mischief” is an episode that is entirely reliant on Radia’s physicality, which is put to the test as Rishi drinks, does coke and gets beaten to a pulp by a racist clubgoer whose girlfriend he kisses. The intensity of the night causes him to show up to work the next day clearly distraught, voice trembling and hands shaking. Despite every HR meeting that happens in regards to him, Radia’s eyes exude so much anguish that by the end of the episode, it’s impossible not to feel for Rishi in some way.
It’s a gutsy departure from how Industry’s episodes often unfold, and a testament to the writing and Radia’s performance that this episode can act as its own contained story. Industry’s characters are people with wavering senses of self who exist in a broken workplace, and allowing this to be showcased as thoroughly as it is in “White Mischief,” is one of the boldest choices in modern television. While not quite a bottle episode, Rishi’s bender is a tightly paced downward spiral that would be impossible for any other show to pull off, and is proof that television needs more singular episodes like this.
