Industry

Sometimes it’s very funny, but at other times it’s plain cruel. Underneath the spiky and unfamiliar exterior, though, is a beguilingly original series that ought to mark the launch of several major careers, not least those of its creators, barely into their thirties, for whom this is a precocious debut.

A smart and contemporary, if almost comically libidinous, take on London high finance.

An often exhilarating, eight-part drama centered in the City of London, the series presents a world that’s thoroughly believable, frequently appalling and fully enthralling. This is, in large part, because it doesn’t care what you know: Viewers are dropped into a maelstrom of numbers, jargon and deals and as a result will be swept up, and away.

It’s that very back and forth that makes Industry so much fun. This workplace and its employees are so callous, so singleminded you want to see them trip over their own inflated egos not once but a dozen times. You want to see them rise from the ashes of their own mistakes and try to make it, even if doing so will make you hate them just a little bit more.

The set-up isn’t unique, of course. There have been numerous shows about doctors and lawyers and such having to fight their way to success in a crowded field. The difference is those characters usually do something redeeming along the way. These people are just plain greedy and flippantly vile. Which doesn’t mean they can’t make for a guilty pleasure. And they’re a varied lot.

“Industry” seems unlikely to have broad appeal – the characters are too uniformly unpleasant – but it’s worth watching for fans of intriguing niche dramas.

A better comparison may be “Succession” meets “Grey’s Anatomy,” but in the first four episodes at any rate, glossed-over emotional turns and strong but understated performances (led by the one-to-watch Herrold) deter the narrative from delving into soapy territory.

An engaging but thematically thin drama. .. The show’s entanglements and provocations are what manage to pull a viewer in.

Not recommended for those who prefer their TV heroes to be especially likable. Industry is a heady, raunchy rush of unchecked avarice. [9 - 22 Nov 2020, p.9]

It’s not so much Succession (or even Showtime’s Billions) as it is a more high-toned and raunchy Grey’s Anatomy. ... Maybe Industry isn’t a world killer, but it’s fun enough to be worth seeing now.

There are moments of genuine insight about how much said workplace has changed, from the make-up of employees to rise-and-grind culture to mixed messages from executives about “slowing down” while also “not letting up.” They’re too far and few between the bacchanalian scenes and familiar storytelling beats about succeeding at all cost, which sets Industry squarely in mid-cap territory.

While there’s not a bad performance in the bunch—Leung, Abela, Freya Mavor, and David Jonsson are particular standouts—the fine acting doesn’t render “Industry” appointment-viewing. There’s a frustrating and probably deliberate sameness to the first three episodes in particular; characters often repeat the same beats in new configurations again and again, which adds thematic richness while also making each episode feel a bit stale.

It isn't just the sheer volume of mumbo-jumbo that's impenetrable. Down and Kay, in their first series as creators, rush through the hierarchy and structure at Pierpoint, leaving it for viewers to figure out the reporting structure. ... Maybe if the creators are able to give the context some real meaning, Industry will evolve beyond tawdry, infectious fun into something more HBO-appropriate, as opposed to "Too spicy for Freeform, not spicy enough for Starz." The upside feels like a YA version of Succession.

The show is heavily reliant on the specifics of the financial world but, ironically, could be interchanged with any other stressful profession. More interested in exploring the rotating bedfellows of entry-level workers, “Industry” has little to actually say about the industry that it showcases.

A show that could desperately use some more complex relationships, and maybe with time Industry will find them. Right now, though, it’s much lighter than its gray colors and fast-paced money yelling and intense stress suggests.