by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
One of my favorite movies is The Wolf of Wall Street. I love the excess, the performances, and the story. One of the things I like the most, though, is the general theme about how greed can easily take over people’s souls. The stock market is one of many ways that greed can be transmitted to people because there’s an appearance that it’s “easy” money to make. There isn’t really a rhyme or reason to why certain things pop in the stock market; rather there are just a lot of companies to choose from, and more is better when it comes to the stock market. I tried my hand at the stock market, and it felt a little too much like gambling to me. I ended up not having enough to invest in, but I could see myself not always making the best choices. It’s not just the people investing that get sucked in, it’s also the people helping these people that also potentially are greedy people too.
There’s something addictive about being in the stock market, and there’s something so very captivating about a show on HBO about the stock market.
Industry, created by Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, tells the story of junior investors at Pierpoint investment bank. Recent graduates Harper (Myha’la Herrold), Yasmin (Marisa Abela), and Robert (Harry Lawtey) all navigate the world of greed and excess as they figure out how to live in a world where they are trying to make as much money as possible for themselves and their clients. The cutthroat world of investment banking is explored, warts and all. Industry season two is eight episodes and is on HBO.
Trigger warnings right off the bat. Season two of Industry has scenes involving sexual assault, grooming, and drug use. It’s not incredibly excessive, but it still can be upsetting for some people to watch. So fair warning, there are triggers here for some people that call for some level of thought about whether or not this is a show for them.
Season two takes place a few years after the events of season one. The opening shows people working from home due to COVID-19 and navigating what it means to potentially come back into the office. This is something every company is contending with right now, so it’s a pretty relevant topic to start off with. The audience sees how certain people are handling COVID-19 without it being a dominating topic throughout the course of the season. I did appreciate it — this didn’t need to be a season-long story because many people are still living with these issues of working from home, hybrid work, and business decisions about returning to the office. I did however appreciate how COVID-19 does come into play with healthcare companies and the people looking to capitalize on their success during the pandemic.
This season’s newest addition is a hedge fund manager named Jesse Bloom (Jay Duplass), who partners with Harper for investments. Bloom is the quintessential modern investor: smart, strategic, and ruthless. Duplass is a little terrifying in this role as he has a calm demeanor, but then lashes out at different times to get what he wants. Come award season next year, it wouldn’t surprise me if Duplass’ name is thrown around.
Harper, Yasmin, Robert, and even Gus (David Jonsson) are all at weird crossroads during this season. After the events of season one, Harper is in a position to continue her success streak, but she runs into a situation where she flies a little too close to the sun. She’s a smart and driven person, but she gets easily overwhelmed and makes irrational decisions at the worst possible times. She also has a horrible judge in character as well, hitching her wagon to some truly toxic people. Herrold is fantastic this season, and we really feel for the struggles Harper goes through. You want to root for her, but recognize how greedy she is and how out of control she can be at times.
Yasmin’s career is in flux as she’s trying to figure out what division of the bank she wants to be a part of. She also wrestles with a lot of decisions she makes regarding people in her life during the events of season one. Yasmin has a very dominating personality, and she goes toe-to-toe with a personal wealth banker that sees through her. She also tries to reconcile with her estranged father, only for it to not go how she hoped it would. If there’s a character that learns something about herself and has a tiny ounce of personal growth this season, it’s Yasmin.
Robert, though, falls into similar traps with people that he fell into during season one. He’s truly taken advantage of, but does so willingly and ignorantly. I struggled a little with Robert’s story because he represents what someone would think a typical investment banker would be: charismatic, charming, a people person, but no common sense, arrogant, and will only work as hard as he needs to in order for him to have the type of success he wants only. I, somehow though, felt sorry for Robert at times this season. He certainly does struggle a lot with himself.
Personal growth is a central tenet of season two of Industry.It doesn’t always mean it’s in a positive direction, though, as many of the characters grow in detrimental ways. The schemes are elevated, there’s a lot of back stabbing and bickering, and there’s a large amount of people who are just making poor decisions. You sort of feel bad for some of the people, while also banging your head on the wall wondering why they are doing what they’re doing. People are taken advantage of, intimidated, bullied, and straight up manipulated. Just when you think one person has the upper hand, someone swoops in and shows everyone up.
The power of money and greed is on display here as well. I really like the exploration and conversations Harper and Bloom have throughout the course of their professional relationship. They’re fascinating to watch and listen to. Props to the writing team for writing such great and snappy dialogue between these two. In addition, the scheming that people will do to continue to remain in a place where they can continue to accumulate wealth is astonishing. There’s also a lot to be said about protecting the institution over individuals. Corporate responsibility is not exactly Pierpoint’s strength, and as some scandals come up, people have to make choices about whether accountability should matter more than reputation.
Industry is a fascinating and relevant show to be released in 2022. Season two is better than season one, and somehow, this show feels like it’s under the radar. If you have not invested your time into watching Industry, you are missing out. The performances, the anxiety that comes with the trade scenes, and the story are all top notch. Industry has the chance to sneak into my best shows of 2022 list. If you like Succession or have HBO, this is a must watch.
Grade: 9/10
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