Described by some as “Euphoria” meets “Succession,” Mickey Down and Konrad Kay’s “Industry” stakes out territory that is all its own.
Driven by exceptional ensemble performances, Season 3 of the drama set in a London investment bank skewered the global financial system, class and the media, while also tackling racism, misogyny, addiction, sexual assault and harassment. Quite a tall order that “Industry” handles deftly, with a big dose of dark humor.
The exceptional cast includes Myha’la as Harper, who, as a Black American woman from a random U.S. state university that she never graduated from, has too many strikes against her to count, yet she manages to rise to the top; Ken Leung as Eric, a killer at work but always on the brink of losing control; Sagar Radia, the ambitious South Asian trader who marries into posh English society and has serious addiction issues; and Harry Lawtey, the working class boy from Oxbridge whose naivete about the so-called meritocracy constantly trips him up.
As the myriad plot points tangle and hit critical mass, supporting players Sarah Goldberg, Trevor White, Miriam Petche and Jay Duplass deliver gems.
In this highly skilled cast and compelling characters, it’s Marisa Abela’s Yasmin who takes center stage in Season 3. Yasmin, the heiress of a publishing empire, stumbles at her Pierpont & Co. post, buffeted by industry sexism, a dysfunctional family, her predatory father and low expectations about her abilities. Is it because she is beautiful? Maybe. Despite speaking several languages — Abela seamlessly switches between Arabic, Italian, English and French in some scenes — she’s constantly told that she is, well, a dim bulb.
She wises up in Season 3, when the scales gradually fall from her eyes as she hooks up with Ayahuasca-loving aristo Henry Muck (Kit Harington having fun in a terrific performance). Muck fancies himself a tech innovator and recognizes in Yasmin a similar poor little rich kid.
Their relationship is the inflection point for Down and Kay to really have a go at their targets as Yasmin taps into her inner Machiavelli. The showrunners expose the corrupt British media, the lengths the gatekeepers will go to in order to thwart “outsiders” and the manipulation of the global economy in the name of greed.
One casualty of this carnage is Lawtey’s Rob, another character who comes to see the light as he’s betrayed by Yasmin (whom he’s had a crush on since Season 1). Lawtey’s heartbreaking performance grounds the series in relatable emotion.
Season 3 also gives us a stand-alone episode focused on Rishi, featuring a bravura turn from Radia as we follow him on a tense drug- and alcohol-fueled night of gambling.
Down and Kay notably stepped up to direct the last two episodes of the season, which deliver explosive plot twists on top of poignant moments and pure emotion.
“It was mainly a huge amount of fun and very fulfilling. It felt like a very logical and streamlined extension of our creative process having written so much of the show,” the duo told Variety earlier this year. “To be able to execute something that was as close to our mind’s eye as we could hope for felt very rewarding. We have enormous faith in our cast and crew, and with their support, they made it feel easy.”
Like “Succession” — and countless other shows — we still root for these greedy, manipulative, self-centered characters. “The secret is to never think of them as awful and to write them from a place of love and understanding,” said Konrad and Kay. “Then make sure you cast world-class actors whose naturalism and humanity root the audience in their experience even when they’re making questionable choices.”