Before last week, I had only dabbled in "Industry." So with the season 3 premiere coming up fast, I decided to binge the entire HBO drama on Max in a single week.
Well, after exactly seven days of binge-watching and 17 episodes later, I can confirm that this show is not only good, but it's addicting. It might even be as addicting as the many drugs taken throughout the new three seasons of this beloved workplace drama, something fans of the show will be all too familiar with.
So this week, I took some time to come down from the euphoria of my week with "Industry." Following some contemplation and reflection, I've landed on three main reasons why I can't get enough of the show — and why you need to be watching.
3 reasons why I can't stop watch 'Industry'
First, of all, this show is very simple at its core. You don't need to do any homework to watch it, something I similarly loved about "Presumed Innocent" earlier this year. This show is just about how a group of people handle life in the world of London finance. That's it. There are no seasons of TV or hours of movies you need to watch to enjoy it. There isn't even a clear goal for the show's characters other than to make money, do enough drugs and have enough sex to avoid thinking about their life.
Honestly, you could come into the show at the start of season 3 without having even watched the previous two seasons. I highly recommend watching the whole show of course, but you don't need to.
And that's because the show does the little things really well. In the season 3 premiere, the show's writers do an excellent job laying out the exposition so that you know the relationships between characters even without a "Previously on ..." video at the start of the episode. Harper (Myha'la) and Yasmin (Marisa Abela), arguably the show's main characters — though this is very much an ensemble show — have a conversation that tells you exactly what you need to know about their relationship. Same for Rob (Harry Lawtey) and Nicole's (Sarah Parish) relationship and how several characters feel about Kenny. It's less satisfying than if you've already invested in the show, but you'd still walk away not feeling lost.
Finally, this show is a soap opera at its peak. I know many people compare it to "Succession" and "Euphoria" but I think it's more accurate to swap "Succession" for "Suits." Yes, the absurd amounts of money in the show are technically relevant, but '"Industry" is about examining the relationship of real people in and out of the workplace. The end goal isn't to see one of these traders become the king of the London finance world, you just want to see what they're going to do next.
Ironically, because "Industry" is about these characters' relationships, they are oddly replaceable. The show has already eliminated a point-of-view character and several major supporting roles have come and gone. In the season 3 premiere alone, the show casts aside two people we've spent 17 episodes with and you don't worry for a second that the show will miss a step without them. Kit Harrington also arrives in the premiere as Sir Henry Muck and despite his star presence, there's a part of you that already suspects he won't be around forever.
'Industry' might be HBO's best show this year
It's tough to find a weak spot in "Industry" after having been intimately acquainted with it for the past several days. Yes, there's a lot of sex and drugs, even for HBO, but it surprisingly never feels gratuitous. Despite the sheer amount of it, you can tell that every scene, every moment is undoubtedly intention. Even the soundtrack choices or the conversations you overhear on the trading floor — mostly Rishi (Sagar Radia) — are carefully constructed.
Practically, that means that this might be the best actively running show on HBO. We still have seven more episodes to go this season, but if "Industry" can keep it up, I see no reason it can't overtake "House of the Dragon," which showed some signs of weakness this season.
And despite my opinion that "Tokyo Vice" season 2 was one of the best shows of 2024, it was canceled by HBO earlier this year. I still have "Industry" ranked just below it but I won't be shocked if it continues to climb my rankings.
So go on and take the plunge. Hit play on "Industry" now if you haven't already and see if you can stop watching. Given that I'm already counting the days till the next episode, I'm betting you won't.
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