Industry star reveals outcome of season 3 cliffhanger: “It’s emotionally demanding”

*Warning: This article contains full spoilers for Industry season 3.*

We always knew that Rishi was going to be a different kind of character in Industry season 4 after the dramatic and jaw-dropping events of the third season. But it turns out that playing the cocky and self-assured Jack the Lad character that comes completely undone isn't the easiest of tasks, according to actor Sagar Radia.

Set to return for season 4 at a rock bottom, Radia told the BBC in a press pack for the new series that this season is "emotionally demanding", saying: "It was great for me as an actor; I was playing someone seen as the comic relief initially, which then evolved to explore a more painful and human side to the character.

"We got to shift the tone of what Rishi’s previous rhythm was into something more real rather than sensational and that was gratifying for me.”

Of course, fans will know that Rishi certainly went through all the motions in season 3, with an entire episode dedicated to digging more into his story, his gambling debts and struggles with drugs.

The episode itself was a standout in the season, encapsulating the kind of gripping plot twists that you can't quite tear your eyes away from, but knowing that it just won't end well for any of the characters involved.

That was unfortunately the case for Rishi's wife Diana (Emily Barber) who was caught in the literal crossfire of Rishi's debts when his bookie Vinay (Asim Chaudhry) came knocking for his six-figure cash loan. Rishi had owed mounting amounts of money throughout the third season but fed up of being lied to, Vinay paid a visit to Rishi and Diana, shooting Diana dead in a shocking turn of events.

Speaking about how that major twist has impacted Rishi, Radia said: “I think what happened to him in season 3 was a full psychological unravelling disguised as a finance story. From season one to three, Rishi was the embodiment of survivor energy – fast talking, cocky and outwardly bulletproof. He had the swagger of someone who survived by out-performing, out-bantering, and out-lasting.

"But by the end of season three that armour was stripped of him whether it was the debts, the death of his wife, or his lack of discipline with his losses at work. He became a man who was haunted by the consequence of his own momentum. The confidence that once defined him felt like a mask he couldn’t wear anymore.”

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The scene of Diana's death itself was actually nearly axed by HBO, series creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay have admitted previously. Kay told Wired upon the release of that fateful finale: “At the script stage, HBO wanted to get rid of it.

“Then we said, look, let us shoot it and show it to you. And we shot it and cut it and showed it to them. And they were like, ‘This is fantastic.’ We got very few notes. What you see in the season finale is pretty close to the first cut of that episode.”

As for this new season and what the future holds for Rishi, we'll have to wait and see but something tells us that it won't exactly be a plain-sailing bed of roses for the financial trader.

The official synopsis for Industry season 4 reads: "At the top of their game and living the lives they set out to have as Pierpoint grads, Harper and Yasmin are drawn into a high-stakes, globetrotting cat-and-mouse game when a splashy fintech darling bursts onto the London scene.

"As Yasmin navigates her relationship with tech founder Sir Henry Muck and Harper is pulled into the orbit of enigmatic executive Whitney Halberstram, their twisted friendship begins to warp and ignite under the pressure of money, power, and the desire to be on top."

Industry seasons 1-3 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK, season 4 premieres on Monday 12th January 2026 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The drama airs on HBO in the US.

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