HBO’s 4-Part Thriller Series Is One of the Best on Any Streaming Platform

The best thing that a network like HBO can do is to find shows with potential and give them time to grow. Not every series will be an automatic phenomenon, especially if it doesn’t have the backing of an established star or an existing property. Industry is a series that started as an under-the-radar hit before exploding into a true sensation. Beyond the fact that it is wildly entertaining and experimental in a way that television rarely is, Industry seems to combine elements from many of HBO’s biggest hits; it has the economic insight of Succession, the raunchy depravity of Euphoria, the epic scope of The Wire, and the devastating anti-heroism of The Sopranos.

While the show’s creativity has shown no bounds, Industry feels deeply relevant because of how it mirrors current events. The series beins by following the young graduates Yasmin Kara-Hanani (Marisa Abela), Harper Stern (Myha'la), Gus Sackey (David Jonsson), and Robert Spearing (Harry Lawtey) as they become employees at the prestigious investment bank Pierpoint & Co, where the incendiary Eric Tao (Ken Leung) serves as their dark mentor. It doesn’t take long for Industry to reveal its characters as deeply narcissistic and ambitious, seeking to gamble with financial institutions for the sake of satisfying their advancement opportunities. The genius move that Industry makes is to slowly widen its aperture to show the sickening system that allows its characters to thrive, and what damage they could end up doing to a global population.

‘Industry’ Has Never Lost Momentum Over Four Seasons

Industry works in spite of its complex subject material because the series is able to meet its viewers at the level of engagement they’re willing to have. Even the most ardent fan of HBO dramas might struggle to determine the entirety of the dialogue, as Industry wastes no time on exposition; any episode could feature dozens of references to financial terms, incidents, and theories that might take an economics degree to comprehend. Instead of feeling like a barrier, the density of the series showcases the determination of its characters, who have become so obsessed that they are singularly focused on their goals. The result is a series in which every trade, deal, or exchange feels like it has life or death consequences because of how unstable the market is. It may seem impossible for the effects of a deal closure to be emotionally involved, but it's something Industry pulls off on a regular basis.

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One of the most important aspects of Industry is that the show provides breakout opportunities for young stars through its interesting approach to characterization. Robert and Gus were essential characters who exited the series when both of the actors blew up in popularity, but the financial world fluctuates so dramatically that it makes sense that some figures would fade into the background. Over time, Industry also develops an unusual dynamic between Harper and Yasmin, two characters who survive harassment and subjugation to become powerful figures making decisions for major institutions. That these two young women, who started the show as hopeful college grads without a direction, have become critical participants within an international scandal that involves the British government might seem like the ultimate instance of “jumping the shark,” but their respective journeys are so well-cultivated that they’re entirely believable.

‘Industry’ Continues To Be Both Shocking and Timely

Although there’s a beauty in shows that plan out exactly where they are headed from the very beginning, Industry evolves in a way that is reactive to recent events, making it feel like a mirror to reality. The second season was released right after COVID-19 restrictions began to lift, and acknowledged the significant hit that investment banks like Pierpoint took during the pandemic; other topical issues include Internet fraud, pornography, dubious investments, and the conservative swing within European nations. The most recent season of Industry is its biggest swing because Pierpoint itself is left in the past; Yasmin and Harper now hold rival positions in different companies, with the ruthless Tender founder Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella) serving as the main antagonist. Whitney might have felt like a stand-in for controversial CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg or Sam Altman, but the fourth season’s ending confirms a shocking theory about Yasmin that serves as a dubious reminder of a topical issue.

Industry is often disturbing, but it’s also a propulsive work of storytelling in which something compelling occurs in every episode. Myha’la and Abela have only gotten better and more confident in their portrayals as the show has continued, but the inclusion of new cast members like Kit Harington and Jay Duplass allows the series to keep feeling fresh. It’s a show that has only grown in ratings over time, suggesting that the positive word-of-mouth has inspired the type of watercooler effect that contemporary shows rarely experience. Given that Industry is confirmed for a fifth and presumably final season, it’s not too late to catch up.

Industry

Release Date 2020 - 2027-00-00

Network HBO

Directors Isabella Eklöf, Tinge Krishnan, Ed Lilly, Birgitte Stærmose, Zoé Wittock, Caleb Femi, Mary Nighy, Konrad Kay, Lena Dunham, Mickey Down