Ahead of Its Third Season, Is HBO's Horny Financial Drama 'Industry' Worth Investing In?

By Dustin Rowles | TV | August 9, 2024 |

By Dustin Rowles | TV | August 9, 2024 |

HBO’s Industry kicks off its third season this Sunday, and for the unfamiliar — that’s probably most people — the series is something akin to Billions crossed with Euphoria and a Bret Easton Ellis novel. Set in London’s Canary Wharf, the series tackles the ruthless world of investment banking, and if that sounds boring, don’t worry: There’s also a lot of cutthroat office politics, betrayal, and sex. Everyone in Industry fucks.

HBO would like it to be the network’s next Succession — a buzzy series heavily quoted on social media — but after two seasons, it’s clear that’s not in its DNA. I’m guessing the only reason it’s still on is that it’s well-liked by critics, and it’s a relatively inexpensive show co-produced with the BBC. It’s also very good.

The series is largely set in the offices of an investment bank, Pierpoint & Co, where Harper Stern (Myha’la Herrold) is new to the company — and like in Suits, she lied about her credentials to win the much-sought-after job. Her ambition, her vulnerability, and her relationship with her boss, Eric Tao (Ken Leung), are the best reasons to watch Industry. Harper and Eric respect and even sometimes like each other as mentor and mentee, but neither will hesitate to stab the other in the back to further their own ambitions. Both characters are morally bankrupt yet remain infinitely compelling.

Yasmin Kara-Hanani — played by Marisa Abela, who was cast as Amy Winehouse in that already-forgotten biopic — gained her job in the bank the way so many do: By coming from immense wealth and privilege. However, because everyone assumes she got the job because of her family connections, Yasmin has to work harder for anyone to take her seriously. The jury is still out on whether they do yet.

The rest of the cast is mostly made up of very attractive 20-somethings and their older bosses, who all seem to be playing a variation of Kevin Spacey in Swimming with Sharks. There’s a lot of asshole energy here. There’s also a lot of financial jargon, which is easy to understand based on the context, and the series does a credible job of depicting the exhilarating, adrenaline-fueled high of executing a great trade (or the devastating consequences of a bad one). There’s some social commentary here, too, mostly about how much cruelty and sexual misconduct young employees are willing to put up with in their relentless pursuit of profit — a lot! — but it’s mostly a sharply written, horny soap set in the world of finance. And Kit Harrington will join the cast in season three.

Industry is a sleek and addictive drama about London’s financial world, but mostly, it’s about the personal and ethical costs of ambition. As it enters its third season, it’s poised to potentially break out and capture a wider audience (if only because there’s otherwise a serious dearth of HBO programming this month), and I hope it does because it’s probably the best-scripted drama HBO has at the moment.

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