Those who have not watched the HBO drama Industry have surely heard the show being compared to Euphoria but set in London’s financial sector. Succession comparisons also exist and are based upon the cutthroat nature of this industry and the glossy sheen of this story that is awash with morphing power dynamics. On a surface level, the latter comparisons make sense. These characters are also young, clever, messy, and money-motivated, but writing off Industry as an imitator on the eve of its third season would do a disservice (to the show and to you), especially as it looks to level up and expand its horizons by throwing new challenges at its characters.
That is to say: do not sleep on Industry‘s new season. Also don’t watch the third-season trailer and think that Myha’la’s character, Harper, is getting sidelined in favor of making this the Marisa Abela (Yasmin) and Kit Harington (Sir Henry Muck) Show.
Such worries are unfounded but understandable. After all, the second season ended with Eric (Ken Leung) betraying and firing Harper from Pierpoint, a move that is (near) fatal for their riveting dynamic. But Harper remains very much on the scene, both at home with Yasmin and Rob (Harry Lawtey) and at her new job, with a new mentor (Sarah Goldberg). She is still maneuvering as hard and as questionably as ever. She’s still ruthless and brilliant and self-destructive and intoxicating and enormously flawed. One of TV’s most compelling characters on what is becoming its most addictive show, hitting levels that rival and maybe even top Succession in the toxic finance weight class.
Part of Industry‘s appeal sources from how these morally bankrupt young analysts hail from widely varied backgrounds — setting this show apart from Succession‘s more homogenous set of characters. This season, the show takes a deeper detour into Yasmin’s psyche, which ends up being much more engrossing than it sounds.
Although privileged, she is also busy surviving, calculating, and fighting against odds that will seem insurmountable. We learn more about why she is the way that she is, and those reasons are frightening and heartbreaking. Also, the below HBO-released still is far more important (and vastly more layered) than it might seem at first glance.
Yasmin’s struggles are not meant to distract from what Harper has had to do in this “industry” to not only exist and survive but thrive as a Black woman. Viewers are already aware that she did not surface at Pierpoint through any semblance of privilege. The show has never shied away from parceling out these background details for Harper, and likewise, as Yasmin’s troubles come to a boil this season, having a fuller picture of who she is makes for a more compelling show in the moments when the focus is less on Harper and her quest to re-climb the ladder.
This season also does fairly well by Rob, who is moving beyond how he glided through his early days of finance without registering much about what goes on around him. He’s much more mature now, both professionally and personally, and I’d even say that he’s probably experienced more growth (with possible backsliding being a given) than any character on this show thus far.
As Sir Henry Muck, Kit Harington gets to lead us into thinking that the character is merely a BS green-tech CEO/overblown party bro who is used to getting everything that he wants, but there’s more beneath the surface. Harington scores a win with this character who is, like most, faking it to make it and dealing with the battle between his ambitions, anxiety, and perceptions of who he is supposed to be. Did Kit need a win? Hell yes. Ever since he knew nothing as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones, no project has allowed him the “oomph” and challenge that he deserves and that he gets here.
Naturally, sex and drugs remain as primary vices and escapes for nearly every character, including Eric as he deals with changes in his own life and career. This season provides the fantastic Ken Leung the chance to pull off a tightrope performance amidst the aftermath of that season 2 finale where he pulled the ultimate power move to suppress Harper’s budding ruthlessness before she inevitably turned on him. I really do not believe that Leung receives enough credit for his reactions that convey the gravity of Harper’s f*ck ups. Fortunately, his exasperated responses continue even while physically separated from Harper, and Leung is so much fun to watch.
This third season of Industry, overall, convinces me that there will be a future moment when this series will move beyond scoring critical acclaim and maintaining a loyal but relatively modest audience. Years into the future, this show could catch on with a whole new audience and be streamed into oblivion in a Suits-like way. That USA Network show maintained a dedicated enough audience to last a decade, but years later, the show’s exploding popularity on Netflix led NBC to double back and find new life in the franchise. It’s very easy to imagine Industry someday harnessing broad streaming appeal in the same way. If you keep watching (or even begin to watch) now, you’ll be able to pull an “I told you so.” Get in “early” while you can.
‘Industry’ returns to HBO on Sunday, August 11.
