While the talk of the summer for HBO has been House of the Dragon, the dog days bring with them an even better, more exciting piece of prestige television: the new season of Industry. Offering the same blend of scrumptious melodrama and intelligent business world intrigue, Industry’s season 3 is arguably the best yet, somehow managing to top an already stellar season 2.
Industry season 3 review
This season of Industry picks up a ways after the second season, following the team we’ve come to know as they’re fractured between different banks and allegiances. In many cases, splitting up the ensemble turns into a fatal mistake, as it causes the chemistry to be lost. However, this is a rare example of something taking that swing and actually working.
The most significant difference that fans will notice about this season of Industry is that it leans more heavily into the business storylines. It’s much more specific when it comes to the trading, but never fret — these sequences are still as kinetic as ever, allowing them to be exciting even if you don’t understand what the heck is going on.
It’s hard not to look at the growth in Industry regarding the growth of another heady HBO drama, Succession. After beginning as a relatively small-scale satire in its first season, the following has steadily expanded, allowing the show to attract more prominent names and better production values until it became one of the finest shows on television.
It also feels like the show has significantly matured in the jump from season two to three. It’s much darker with its themes than the “sex and drugs and (metaphorical) rock-and-roll” that made up much of the first two seasons, but this only makes sense considering how much the characters have grown up. We started with them when they were fresh out of university — it’s reasonable that the conflict they are experiencing is much more nuanced than before.
The MVP of this season is Sagar Radia, whose character Rishi was a fringe supporting player for the first two seasons but gets a much meatier role to work with this time around. He brings the same manic energy to the table that he has always shown, but he also offers a sensitivity you might not expect from the character, reaching its zenith at what is essentially a “solo adventure” episode for Rishi.
This season also continues the trend of slowly revealing more about Ken Leung’s character, Eric. Eric’s arc treads an incredibly delicate line between compelling and off-putting, and the writers and Leung pull it off masterfully. Although he makes a lot of decisions that are downright angering, it’s hard not to sympathize with him.
As for the “heroines” of the past two seasons — Harper (Myha’la) and Yasmin (Marisa Abela) — it feels like their roles have been significantly reduced to put more focus on some of the supporting players. Although Myha’la and Abela’s scenes are still incredible, they aren’t as plentiful as in past seasons. That said, much of this shortcoming can be written off because both actresses have seen significant breakout success in the past couple of years.
The big addition to the season 3 cast for Industry is Kit Harington (Game of Thrones), who plays this season’s “big bad” capitalist, filling the gap left by Jay Duplass. It’s not exactly a one-for-one comparison, as Harington’s character is much more conventional and never as compelling as Duplass’s was. However, Harington still acts the hell out of the role, bringing a disarmingly charming demeanor that makes the moments of aggression all the more impactful.
Is Industry season 3 worth watching?
With its third season, Industry makes another massive leap forward and cements itself as a worthy successor to Succession as HBO’s prestige drama/business world satire du jour. Even with the worry that some of the show’s rising stars may have outgrown their parts, it’s clear that the team behind Industry still has plenty of gas left in the tank.
Industry airs on HBO on August 11 at 9pm ET/PT. All eight episodes reviewed.
10/10
Follow us for more entertainment coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
