Industry

Having fun watching not one decent person in a very large, but OK cast. I once thought I could be a broker, so I took and passed my Series 3 and 7. I was the worst salesman in the world, so I quit before I got fired. That being said, nearly all the men---and they were in those days, all men...I met at my firm (a small regional) and at other firms were decent human beings; most of them did like to drink, but always behaved themselves.

But the people in this amusing series are utterly despicable, devoid of any sense of shame, loyalty, compassion, ethics, or common decency, Even the best person depicted, Gus, is untrustworthy. Everybody degrades everybody, including themselves. Still, horrible people are fun to watch.

Industry finished its 3rd season earlier this year but I just now started watching it. I'm not sure why I put it off for so long because I heard good things about it but I just put other shows in front of it. Now I'm actually mad at myself for putting it off this long because it's that good of a show. I started watching early last week and binged through all 3 seasons in that time. I just couldn't stop watching it. I know it gets compared to Succession a lot and I guess I can see why and even though I really liked this show, it's not nearly as good as Succession was. The one thing they have in common are a bunch of rich people where every character on the show is unlikable. The other thing is how great the acting and writing is. It's one of the rare shows where each season gets better than the previous one. I'm looking forward to more seasons of this in the future.

I'm currently watching Industry with my brother as I write this review and the first thing that comes to mind when watching this show is...addicting. HBO is known for having great shows and Industry is no different. It really is a good show that feels fresh and thrilling. It shows the cutthroat world that is banking. It's a fascinating look inside their world of greed, sex, drugs, back stabbing and every other bad thing these people do to each other. You don't have to know much about this world to enjoy the show, I think most people watching don't and that's a testament to how good the writing is. You really do get pulled into that world and can't wait to see what happens next. I'm fully invested in this show and I think you will be to if you give it a chance.

The first season of Industry begins right away in an intense atmosphere, marked by competitiveness, in a world where you have to be a predator. You immediately sense that these are young climbers ready to do whatever it takes to make money. The series paints varied portraits, but ones that, deep down, are quite similar.

I'll start with the negative point before moving on to the many positives. The main flaw is this tendency to repeat the same pattern from one episode to the next, as we've seen in other series before it, such as Euphoria, Elite, or, more long ago, that series SKINS.

It's this inclination to portray characters who are completely desperate, trapped in addiction, moving from party to excess. There are also completely unnecessary sex scenes, included only to provoke, without adding anything to the main storyline. They're there to keep the attention of an audience unfortunately drawn to what is trashy, to what is "dirty." This point hurts the series, which could have been perfect without these excesses.

One very important thing about the series is its ability to develop these characters within a similar routine - because it's the same day, their workday, the same main activity of the company. So the challenge is: how do you make characters engaging in such a strict, closed setting, with particular rules? This is a challenge the series succeeds in brilliantly, because these characters have a certain fragility that we can perceive just through a look, through suggestion, through the weight the character carries behind them, and the pressure they endure day after day. We can quickly identify with these characters, especially if we are part of an entrepreneurial world or work for a multinational.

From there come the positive points, which are numerous. First, the realism of the characters and a certain honesty, whether in their sensitivity, fragility, illusions, emptiness, or cruelty. Some move through this universe like pawns, aware of their status, yet still striving to become kings and prove their place within the company. The series perfectly addresses this addiction to work, this constant tension, this universe of modern slavery, in a world still largely dominated by men. (Either we accept it or refuse)

That's why Harper, in a way, has to "become a man" - and she does, which is remarkable - while the other characters remain incomplete.

Industry is a brilliant, razor-sharp exploration of the intoxicating world of high finance, capturing both its magnetic allure and its devastating toxicity. The series masterfully portrays the passion and ambition that drive young professionals, while never shying away from exposing the darker undercurrents of greed, manipulation, and the relentless hunger for power.

What makes Industry so compelling is its versatility-the way it seamlessly shifts between the thrill of financial conquests and the emotional wreckage left in their wake. Relationships are as volatile as the markets, and the show does an extraordinary job of depicting how personal ambitions often clash with loyalty, love, and self-preservation.

The performances are electric, and the writing cuts deep, creating characters that are flawed, ambitious, and hauntingly real. The energy is palpable, the pacing is relentless, and the atmosphere immerses you into a world where every decision can mean triumph or ruin. Industry is not just a show about money; it's about human vulnerability laid bare against the brutal backdrop of power games. An absolute must-watch.