Industry season 4 episode 7 drops game-changing revelations – with surprising mystery character reveal

*Warning: This article contains spoilers for Industry season 4 episode 7, Points of Emphasis.*

Within the first few minutes of this week's Industry episode, it's clear to see that there's dissension in the ranks, the walls are closing in and the Mucks are at their wit's end. Yasmin (Marisa Abela) reminding Henry (Kit Harington) that he's never had the right to speak to her in such a manner – and certainly doesn't now – will firmly stand the test of time as one of the most cutting comebacks of the series.

But aside from the snide remarks and Henry crossing a major line by yelling in Yasmin's face, there's also the small matter of the Mucks being well and truly broke. Henry was so confident in his new business venture that he used all his remaining money to buy Tender stock, clearly displaying the business acumen of a successful CEO. (Note the sarcasm here.)

Much of the episode feels like a nature documentary, watching two big cats circle each other out in the wild. Clearly, there's no longer any rising steamy tension between Henry and Whitney (Max Minghella) – it's been replaced outright antagonism. You wouldn't have thought the pair were just enjoying a sweaty sex party together in last week's episode – oh, how the tables have turned!

But Whitney isn't going down without a fight, still confident in Tender and the new 2.0 version of the company. Who cares about fraudulent stock prices and fake figures when you can simply just convince the rest of your peers that you're worth more than the press is making out?

While the episode is very much centred around Whitney's efforts to redeem Tender, the resulting implications for well-meaning Jennifer Bevan (Amy James-Kelly), the Al-Miraj Pierpoint showcase and Yasmin's slow rise to calling the shots again, we can't forget about the reveal surrounding one of the season's mysterious characters.

After all his hard work trying to lift the lid on Tender, Charlie Heaton's James Dycker went out in such unfortunate fashion. The financial journalist was found covered in cocaine when Rishi (Sagar Radia) came out of the bathroom, seemingly having died from an overdose. But something never felt quite right about the conclusion of that situation, especially as the pair had picked up a random stranger in their drug-induced haze.

While Dycker and Rishi were getting into the depths of their heated conversation, the stranger in question said he'd nip out to go and get them some more beers, which was music to their ears. However, he was nowhere to be seen again and we all know what ended up happening later.

At the time of that fourth episode airing, fans were quick to suspect that the stranger had something to do with Dycker's death and theorised about whether he had links to any of the show's other nefarious characters. Well, this week, we finally get our answer.

As Whitney packs up his things in his hotel room (along with his Lithuanian passport), he looks through the keyhole to see if anybody's out there waiting for him. He sees nothing so it's a surprise when someone comes up behind, grabbing him by the neck and eventually bundles him into a car.

It's in the car that we see who the mysterious figure is – and it's none other than the stranger from the night of Dycker's death. Played by Coronation Street veteran Martin Hancock and named as Dez Watkins in the credits, we also see Tender board member Ferdinand (Nico Rogner) in the front seat of the car, waiting for Whitney. They've intercepted him before he can run away and talk of higher powers not allowing Whitney to escape, intimating that it's Russian intelligence we're talking about here.

Dez has gone from a bumbling drunk to a very switched-on and threatening figure in a matter of moments, not responding to Whitney's questions about Dycker's death. But really, his straight face and looming presence needs no further explanation as the writing is very much on the wall as it relates to his role in Dycker's murder. Dez, like Ferdinand, clearly works for the higher Russian powers that are pulling the strings here and expect Whitney to fall in line.

But after a particularly tense plane ride with Henry later on (delivering another superbly cutting line: "You know why you can't regulate your emotions? Because you're a f**king child."), Whitney still remains ever selfish in his mission and has his sights set on escape. We see as much in his absence at the end of the episode as Henry frantically tries to get into contact with him, in the midst of the resignation of the country's business secretary.

Things go from bad to worse for Henry who also can't seem to find his wife, later informed by a temp Tender receptionist that she has actually handed in her resignation and then being told, again, of the way that Whitney has pulled the wool over his eyes.

The final moments of the episode centre on friends/enemies Harper (Myha'la) and Yasmin, who have a heart-to-heart about their envy of each other's lives and the resentment they previously shared for one another. Yasmin expresses the need to be necessary – something worth taking note of – and tearfully admits that she had to grow up "at someone's mercy".

If fans are looking for some major lightbulb moment of Yasmin going in-depth about her childhood and the suspected abuse she suffered at the hands of her father, they're not going to get it – and really, we don't need it.

Instead, we get vignettes into her trauma through heartfelt moments like this, not overdone. We also get the show's long-awaited return to partying form as Yasmin and Harper take over the dancefloor, sharing a kiss – not in the steamy way that some fans have been shipping, but more so in an intimate way to underline their close bond.

And as they take a beat in the smoker's area after a night spent dancing, all seems right in their own little world. But this being Industry, we know it'll all be short-lived.

Industry seasons 1-3 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK, and season 4 continues every Monday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The drama airs on HBO in the US.

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