Those who have been lucky enough to call themselves fans of Industry since the show first started just over five years ago will appreciate that, for better or worse, it’s never gotten too big and feels as if it continues to fly under the radar as a specialty pick rather than a full-on blockbuster like another show that occupied its HBO timeslot just months ago, The White Lotus. Even with the addition of nearly a dozen new cast members, this show still feels just as singular and unassuming as ever as it tackles a new story arc and laces it with treachery and sex at every turn.
Following the departure of Harry Lawtey as Robert, this show is now down to its two lead actresses as the sole remaining young cast members, and they’re more than capable of carrying the show. Harper (Myha’la) is now working closely with Sweetpea (Miriam Petche) and Kwabena (Toheeb Jimoh), while Yasmin (Marisa Abela) is navigating a new world of power with her husband Henry (Kit Harington) as he partners with Whitney (Max Minghella), the CFO of a company called Tender that’s blowing up the market. They’re playing on different teams in games that only occasionally intersect, and they’re not answering to the same people they were, a freedom that brings with it a newfound responsibility and pressure that taxes even these two extraordinarily resilient and driven young women.
Keeping Harington, a big name from another HBO juggernaut, Game of Thrones, on after he joined the cast in season three is a risky endeavor since it could feel like stunt casting and his role could have easily wrapped itself up in the season finale. But, as with this show’s characters’ nail-biting bets, it pays off in a big way. Henry is much more central to season four than season three, and Harington shows a completely new side of the character which in turn reveals plenty about Yasmin. Minghella, fresh off a complicated but ultimately endearing role on The Handmaid’s Tale, plays someone far more scheming and power-hungry here, and it’s a delight to see him milk it for all it’s worth. Minghella and Harington’s shared scenes are also fantastic.
Among the other names joining the ensemble is Kiernan Shipka, a Mad Men and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina alumna whose part here much more closely resembles the Roku channel Swimming with Sharks and gives the actress a phenomenal showcase. Kal Penn, Stephen Campbell Moore, and Claire Forlani all have smaller parts that speak to how this show doesn’t prioritize fame or experience but plugs actors in exactly where and how much they’re needed. The same is true for Stranger Things star Charlie Heaton, who portrays a journalist on the scent of potential misdeeds perpetrated by these morality-challenged characters.
Staying on top of the financial and legal jargon woven into the fast-paced scripts may seem daunting, but it’s hardly critical to the enjoyment of this series. Watching how the characters respond to each new revelation of betrayal – and each unsubtle sexual proposition – is rewarding enough without a full comprehension of how the market works and what chess pieces each company is forcibly pushing across a board. For a show that’s never shied away from unfiltered depictions of intimacy in inappropriate settings, it feels like there are truly no rules this season and every character is due multiple explicit dalliances that threaten severe repercussions should the wrong people catch them in a moment of unclothed weakness.
However excessive and shocking it may read on paper, none of this feels unnecessary or plays as if it’s solely for shock value since it’s true to the world in which Harper and Yasmin now operate. They’ve made these beds for themselves and understand what they need to do in order to stay alive, and how easy it is to make one wrong move and get buried if you can’t find another scapegoat to take the blame. Myha’la and Abela have never been better and that may be true for this show too, which feels more evolved and unhinged in the best way, following its characters’ evolution from underestimated newcomers to cutthroat power brokers. That the new cast doesn’t overshadow the elements that made this show work so well in the first place, including the always superb Ken Leung as a far more stoic and almost kind Eric, is a testament to the strength of these characters and their ability to thrive – and take no prisoners – in a world that leaves no place for hesitation or courtesy.
Season grade: 9/10
