Bulge Bracket

Oh a whim, I watched Season One of BULGE BRACKET on Prime Video. I found it to be a wonderful satire of the investment bank industry, which is something I really knew nothing about. Not only did the shows witty banter between the ensemble cast catch my atention, but the writers actually made it interesting. Feodor Chin's 'Bolo' character stood out for me as being very likeable as much as he is ruthless from Episode's 1-3. While the cast was very entertaining from the start, it was Episode 4's character 'Rosie' (played by Gigi Gustin) who really rounded out the cast and added that little "extra bounce" that was missing previously. Gustin's innocent and natural charm made it easy for the rest of the cast to reflect off of her while her Amelie-like ingenue appeal makes us all wonder if there is something her character is hiding behind her soft exterior. Could she be naive or is there something 'diabolical' waiting underneath as she makes her rounds through her co-workers. She plays Rosie so well that I think more hijinks are in store for her as we await what happens in Season Two. Give this one a watch! WALL STREET meets THE OFFICE.

As a former banker, I was skeptical when my friends told me about this show. But I was pleasantly surprised! The lead actress does a good job of making us care about her character. I could definitely identify with her situation. The set was sub-par - it doesn't look like any bulge bracket bank that I know. Looks more like a boutique, lol. The most realistic part is the VP Jackson who berates the analysts. It was funny because it was uncomfortably close to the truth. Overall I really enjoyed it and binge-watched all of the episodes in one sitting.

Shocked by the poor average score this show gets - It's a great satire! (Think "Wolf of Wall Street" meets "Silicon Valley.") Also loving the all-Asian cast. Give it a go, it's very accurate (IMHO), and not nearly as bad as the detractors say...

As a former banking analyst in a TMT group - this was personally my favorite show from 2020. I'd put it on the same shelf as Wolf of Wall Street and Boiler Room for a hilarious Hollywood peek into finance - and more specifically, investment banking. I binged Bulge Bracket and watched it 2-3x the first week, which either says something about me or the show - which is rare.

Compelling story and characters, I'm really rooting for Cathy - who beyond facing the standard obstacles for any new investment banker on the quest to make Partner (long hours, crazy bosses, sacrificing relationships), faces her own internal challenges (her family doesn't approve of her choices, is this what she really wants for her life?).

I loved how things were exaggerated for comedic effect and was pleasantly surprised by how accurate some of the details are - G&A, apples to apples, pitch books tossed in the trash, MD markups having you change the font back to what you originally had, relationship hires...lol it brought right back to my bullpen days. +1 to see the finance journey from the all-too-rare female perspective.

Lastly, I really liked how the episodes were short and bite-sized, it's a cool new format/length that I think more creators will emulate.

I shared this with all my old bullpen coworkers and the email thread has revived some good times for us. Can't wait for season 2!

Binge watched the entire season one. It was like a much needed therapy session for this recovering finance professional. It's like Silicon Valley (the TV show) but for Wall Street, with great storytelling, acting, and cinematography. Can't wait for season 2.