I’ll be honest right off the bat – I love HBO’s Industry, it’s exactly my kind of show. That being said, it certainly won’t look like everyone’s cup of tea, but hear me out and maybe give it a shot if you’re intrigued.
Industry follows a group of young finance professionals as they compete with each other for success, for the chance to clime higher at the prestigious London firm Pierpoint & Co. For those familiar with Succession (if you’re not, you should be), this is one of those shows where you get to watch just the worst people scheme against and tear each other apart. The gravitas of their every action is elevated by their corporate-backed status, but ultimately they play their days out inconsequentially in a kind of elite echo chamber.
Now in its third season, Industry is majorly picking up pace, with the shift of its showing slot to a more favourable one and its drawing in of some big names to the cast catapulting it to its highest ever viewership – on its third episode of the third series – a feat which is indicative of momentum, not of fleeting, peaking success, so get in on the action before it goes truly mainstream.
Furthermore, imagine my glee when in amongst this success I see other outlets, such as Deadline and IGN, beginning to talk about it – so now I’m here talking about it too. Speaking of, don’t just take my word for the show.
IGN’s Emma Fraser said: “Industry’s move to a coveted Sunday-night timeslot is well-earned – the finance drama goes from good to great in its thrilling third season. Ruthless ambition and a pendulum swinging between success and failure contribute to the overall tension as the employees of Pierpoint & Co. continue to climb the slippery ladder of this volatile business.
“Evolving relationships in the office and new characters played by Kit Harington and Sarah Goldberg are strong additions to an ensemble firing all cylinders. The plot moves at a breakneck speed, so it can be hard to catch your breath, but creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay have delivered one of the best shows of 2024 so far.”
I’ll level with you. Industry hasn’t always been amazing, it took some time to get to where it’s at, but if you can make your way through season one you will be rewarded. Again, don’t just take my word for it – season two and three both currently sit at 96% critic scores on Rotten Tomatoes, and season three is at an 83% audience score to boot.
All of this to say, it’s good to take time.
In the industry (no pun intended), it’s cutthroat. Shows are being cancelled left, right and centre in the streaming era after only one season. We have to binge all of a show (although nowadays we get very few episodes) immediately, as if success isn’t evident and overwhelming from day one then the studio delivers a bolt gun to the head.
Industry wasn’t perfect. It took time to become genuinely good, but now it has, and now people are watching – all because time was taken. So here’s to hoping that more studios invest time into their products, and that you invest some of yours in giving this show the chance it deserves (thanks, IGN).