Why you need to watch ‘the most cynical show on TV’

Set in the cutthroat world of British finance, Industry is a Gen-Z succession that’s as entertaining as it is ruthless. Here’s why you should be paying attention.

Who goes into finance for altruistic reasons? Ha! This is a laughable notion in Industry, the most cynical show on TV. And because of its cynicism, it’s also one of the best. The series, about young professionals working at the London branch of Pierpoint, a major investment bank, is brutally clear in its portrayal of the cutthroat nature of the business and the competitive spirit of its characters, who are, to put it generously, ethically questionable. Frankly, they are very attractive snakes, slithering around and selling each other out in an atmosphere of high-tension deals and the privileged life, filled with sex and drugs. It’s fascinating and a lot of fun to watch.

One scene from the new third series captures the essence of the show. Yasmin (Marisa Abela), an heiress working for Pierpoint, takes cocaine with her boss Eric (Ken Leung), which is obviously a bad idea for a variety of reasons. In a heart-to-heart about Harper (Mihala), Yasmin says, “I think Harper is a good person deep down.” Eric responds, “I don’t think so.” The reason they’re undoubtedly held in high regard is because Industry viewers know the question is moot. Good and evil don’t figure into anyone’s calculations on this show. That doesn’t mean the characters can’t be sympathetic. Over two seasons, we’ve seen how emotionally damaged they are. That doesn’t excuse their betrayal and manipulation, but it does earn you the right to root for them. Few shows are better at making you like people whose behavior is unlikable.

There is a precedent. The industry is well Inheritancewith its high-stakes business dealings and cold-blooded characters; Euphoriafull of Gen Z sex and drugs. There’s merit to both comparisons, but Industry has its own sharp tone and dynamics. The show’s cold, upscale office setting is a far cry from the bleakness of Euphoria, and there’s a mix of race and social class that Succession doesn’t have: Harper (Harry Lawty) is a middle-class black American, while Robert (Harry Lawty) is a working-class white British scholarship student trying to fit in at Pierpoint. Their backgrounds occasionally pop up to haunt their upwardly mobile struggles, but it’s a theme that resonates widely.

There’s a good reason why this series hasn’t gotten much attention. Stories about finance can sound boring or intimidating. But the industry is neither. The personal entanglements drive the stories, and the plot is so clear that you don’t need to understand the jargon used by traders.

With the new episodes, Industry is bolder than ever, presenting a whole new perspective on environmentalism, among other unlikely themes. Notable addition to the cast, Kit Harington, plays Sir Henry Mack. He’s sometimes a bit sexist, but he’s also super rich and charming. He founded a green energy company called Lumi, which Pierpoint plans to go public in an IPO. More importantly, the story raises the fundamental question of whether the public good and making money can coexist. The eloquent Henry says both could be true. Those around him are more skeptical. Financial watchdogs and competitors question whether green companies can be economically viable. Eric calls the people behind such companies “a bunch of suits dressed as environmentalists.” The themes of climate change and environmentalism usually come across as serious warnings on screen, but Industry, in its typically cynical way, dares to subvert any easy assumptions.

As already revealed in the trailer, there is a sexual attraction between Henry and Yasmeen, but it remains to be seen whether it will go deeper. In the industry, sex can be just fun or a commodity traded like any other stock. But true romance is not impossible. Robert has had feelings for Yasmeen for years, and she counts on him as a loyal friend and a willing flirt. The season finally reveals the romance between them, or at least the possibility of a relationship, complicated by Henry. He has his quirks, but Harrington’s character is also someone’s Prince Charming, with his charming smile and ancestral mansion, adding an extra layer of luxury to this drama about money and power.

The returning characters are different and more different from their old selves. Harper is now Pierpoint’s unscrupulous competitor at the new firm. Maybe she’s always been mean, or maybe she learned it from Eric, who’s still at Pierpoint, gaslighting and betraying those who stand in his way.

But now the show’s focus is on Yasmeen and Robert. Her mother and father’s problems run deep. Yasmeen is first seen on her father’s yacht, “Lady Yasmeen”, where things quickly become traumatic. Back in London, Rob sneaks out of bed with the young woman from Pierpoint to visit Nicole (Sarah Parish), a wealthy older woman who has been sexually harassing him. Yasmeen and Robert make terrible choices, but also emerge as the most sympathetic characters. There are no kind-hearted people in the business, but these two are often outwitted by more cunning and shrewd game players. By the end of the season, viewers may find their hearts breaking for them.

The sentimental tone of Yasmeen and Robert’s story, suggesting the high cost of ruthless ambition, is unusual for a show that is so unapologetically critical of society. New episodes, for example, show how sexist stereotypes persist. Eric, Robert’s worst mentor ever, has him shout, “I’m a man, and I’m relentless!” as a pep talk. His eager coworker at Pierpoint, Rishi (Sagar Radia), has a huge gambling addiction. His wife shouts at him, “Do you know what it means to be a man?” She’s not even 100 years old, so this accusation from a young woman seems oddly outdated, but it fits with the harmful gender ideologies that constantly surface in the world of industry.

In one final bold move, Industry has upended its own plot, with all of its characters facing such big changes that it will likely need to be restructured if the show is to continue. As one of its executive producers recently said: Vulture She hopes there will be more seasons. HBO hasn’t said anything. It’s up to us to figure out how the pieces of this explosive, thrilling series will come back together, which is a fun game in itself.

Season 3 of Industry will be available to stream on HBO in the US from August 11, and on BBC in the UK later this year.