Aahana Swrup
‘Industry’ has seen a revolving door of fascinating characters enter and exit its narrative throughout the seasons. While Pierpoint alumni like Harper Stern, Yasmin Kara-Hanani, and Eric Tao remain at the narrative’s center as core protagonists, the people around them often tend to change with the tides in the finance world. Petra Koenig proves to be one such new addition in Harper’s narrative in season 3. After the latter’s painful exit from Pierpoint, which comes on the heels of a betrayal from pseudo-mentor, Eric, Harper finds herself pursuing a new start at FutureDawn. However, it isn’t long before she ditches the ethical investment fund for a more bloodthirsty venture with an exceptional portfolio manager, Petra Koenig. As the two women start their own hedge fun, Petra’s influence on the narrative becomes more and more impactful. For the same reason, her absence in season 4 is bound to attract some audience intrigue. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Harper and Petra Koenig Reached the End of Their Partnership in Season 3
Initially, Petra Koenig enters the story seemingly as the perfect, or closest to it, fit for the vacuum that Eric Tao leaves in Harper Stern’s career. She works for Anna Gearing at her ethical investment fund, FutureDawn. Nonetheless, once her dynamic with Harper becomes pronounced, her days at the fund become numbered. This is because the young banker is interested in starting her own hedge fund, LeviathanAlpha, with Petral. While her own career trajectory and ambitions play a crucial part in the birth of this venture, so do her plans of exacting vengeance from Eric and Pierpoint for their stinging rejection.
In the end, the duo short Pierpoint as the banking firm experiences an astounding downfall. Harper utilizes her connections and more than her fair share of manipulation to extract insider information from her former coworkers about the company. In fact, she comes close to losing an invaluable friendship with Yasmin in pursuit of the same when she uses the latter’s vulnerable state for her own professional benefit. While the young banker herself has no tangible regrets on the matter, Petra remains unsettled with her partner’s ease with corporate espionage. This marks a significant rift in the duo’s working relationship as Harper begins to realize that they share fundamental differences in how they approach their jobs. As a result, in the end, the protagonist ends up parting ways with Petra and LeviathanAlpha to start her own short-only hedge fund, Short Opportunities Fund, Mostyn Asset Management.
Sarah Goldberg Will Likely Not be Returning to Industry
Sarah Goldberg joined the cast of ‘Industry’ in season 3, as a part of a dynamic new plot line for Harper Stern. Her character, Petra Koenig, brings a new perspective into the world of finance and hedge funds, allowing space for the former Pierpoint employee to grow while also influencing the future of the show’s previously central banking firm. Yet, within the same season, her character seemingly arrives at a conclusion for her narrative, at least in Harper’s orbit. While Petra is likely going to continue growing her career and blazing her own path as a portfolio manager, the chances of her crossing paths with the series’ storyline remain slim to none.
As episode 1 of season 4 suggests, Harper will likely go back into business with Eric as the duo launches their own venture together. This means the complex role Petra plays in Harper’s narrative has been overtaken by its existing predecessor. For the same reason, while it’s possible for the character to return in small doses or cameos in the potential future, Sarah Goldberg’s run with ‘Industry’ as a consistently recurring character is likely over. Unfortunately, for the fans, we may have seen the last of the portfolio manager, who seems to have taken an exit from the narrative in season 4. Even so, Goldberg continues to thrive in her career beyond her role on the project. She stars in the 2025 projects, ‘Bubble & Squeak’ and reprises her leading role in ‘SisterS’ season 2. Likewise, fans can also look forward to a number of projects in the actress’ future. These include ‘Silent Retreat’ and ‘The Audacity,’ both of which are reportedly in post-production at the time of writing.
Read More: What Happened to Robert Spearing? Did Harry Lawtey Leave Industry?
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