The third season of Industry, an original series from HBO, has been on the platform for just over a month and has already made the series reach the top spot of the most viewed on Max. Therefore, the success of the previous two seasons is repeated, and the fiction continues to grow, making it clear that it is a unique British bet from the studio.
But what makes Industry so special? Why is this series, which already has 24 episodes, so addictive to the audience? The truth is that there are many reasons, from the inclusion of Kit Harington in the main cast to the plot that reminds us of the best moments of Succession. But, even so, the truth is that Industry has its own language that is conquering an increasingly demanding audience, devoid of top-notch proposals like this one.
A series that exposes the capitalist system
Produced jointly by HBO and BBC, Industry is a unique series carried out between the United Kingdom and the United States set in London’s competitive and ruthless world of finance. From the stress of the protagonists to the ambition that runs through those places and the dynamics of betrayal that are often repeated, the series is a kind of new version of The Wolf of Wall Street, where no one is safe from going bankrupt or becoming incredibly rich from one moment to the next.
The protagonists of the fiction are a group of recent graduates who enter to compete for a very limited number of permanent positions at Pierpoint & Co., a top-tier investment bank. Despite being very close friends, rivalries soon begin among them, and not even love saves them from falling into a capitalist wheel that sweeps away everything in its path.
In addition, the series also portrays the dark side of this world, which is already murky in itself. That is why drugs, wild parties, and unrestrained sex go hand in hand with agreements, percentages, and figures that, honestly, are the least exciting part of Industry.
Among the main characters are Harper Stern (Myha’la Herrold), a young American with a mysterious past who seeks to stand out at all costs; Yasmin Kara-Hanani (Marisa Abela), a talented but underestimated young woman from a wealthy background who struggles to be heard in a male-dominated environment; and Robert Spearing (Harry Lawtey), a charismatic young man who is tempted by the excesses of the financial life. There is also room for other characters like Herny (Kit Harington), who bring even more value to the main plot.
As is HBO’s (and BBC’s, for that matter) wont, Industry’s raw narrative is an obvious part of the story. It stands out for its realism and its focus on the darker aspects of life in the world of finance without embellishing the lifestyle of its characters one bit. In a way, it’s an Eat the Rich, just like The White Lotus can be, although in a much more subtle and less obvious way.
Throughout the three seasons of the series, it becomes clear that Pierpoint & Co. is a pressure cooker where anything can happen. We see how a company’s structural decisions, or even its external consequences, directly affect the lives of the protagonists. It is a clear example of how capitalism can lead us to our wildest extremes, cause us to lose ourselves along the way, and even drive us to madness.
