HBO Hit Returns with Fresh Gen Z Workplace Drama

Myha’la as Harper Stern, who was epically fired at the end of Season 2 of “Industry.”

HBO’s hit series “Industry” is back for its third season this Sunday, featuring more high-stakes drama, from coke-fueled parties to corporate machinations and “woke” investing.

The British-American series tracks the lives and careers of young financiers at Pierpoint & Co., a fictional London investment bank. Created by former bankers Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, the show has received critical praise for its intense portrayal of power dynamics, institutions, and identity. Dubbed “the first great Gen Z workplace drama,” it’s expected to draw in fans still mourning the end of “Succession.” The third season of “Industry” could finally earn the show a well-deserved Emmy nomination.

“Expanding the world of these characters was sort of the mandate for the writer’s room at the very start,” Down mentioned during a news conference. “By the time we got to Season 3, we wanted to show how Pierpoint and banking fit into a wider sort of industrial complex.”

The stellar cast includes Myha’la playing the antiheroine Harper Stern, an ambitious Black American banker from upstate New York. Harper’s schemes, encouraged by her boss Eric Tao (Ken Leung), lead to her being ousted from Pierpoint at the end of Season 2. Left behind are her frenemy Yasmin Kara-Hanani (Marisa Abela) and working-class colleague Robert Spearing (Harry Lawtey).

Marisa Abela as Yasmin in the Season 3 premiere of “Industry.”

Season 1 introduced viewers to the grueling initiation process for fresh graduates at Pierpoint, shedding light on class and racial tensions within corporate Britain. According to co-creator Konrad Kay, “Every time we go into writing a scene, there are tiny little calibrations, which we always think about in terms of who wields power in the scene.”

The second season marked a coming of age for both the show and its characters. Harper, Yasmin, and Robert faced the crucial decision of whether to conform, rebel, or exit the institutional structure they were part of. One particularly poignant question comes from wealth manager Celeste Pacquet (Katrine De Candole), who asks, “Do you want to operate within a system and be successful? Or do you want to dream you can change it, and be left behind?”

In Season 3, the show continues to explore themes of blurred boundaries, murky relationships, and abusive power dynamics. It also delves into where the characters seek validation, focusing on Harper, Yasmin, and office regular Rishi Ramdani (Sagar Radia). Each character’s journey is uniquely different.

Sagar Radia as Rishi in Season 3 of “Industry.”

Kay pointed out, “The show is interested in how people have a fixed identity, but then the trading floor forces them to perform an identity as well.”

Sagar Radia, elevated to series regular, stands out in Season 3 as he grapples with issues of money, masculinity, and marriage. Rishi, known for his sardonic commentary on the trading floor, is a complex character. Radia explained how he prepared for the role: “It’s not that difficult when there’s an influx of information, whether it’s films, reading up on finance books and things like that.”

Season 3 also sees Pierpoint diving into environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, often criticized by right-wingers as “woke capitalism.” The bank manages the IPO for Lumi, a renewable energy company led by Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington). Eric is keen to prove himself and remove any doubts about being a “diversity hire.”

Yasmin, eager to win Eric’s approval in Harper’s absence, navigates her own challenges. Meanwhile, Robert handles deals and mentors the volatile Muck while wrestling with his personal issues. Harper, now a desk assistant at an ethical investment fund, is determined to return to the high-octane world of trading.

Myha’la hinted at a significant shift for her character: “Harper’s going to ask this morality question of herself for the first time maybe, and see if it’s possible for her to function in this industry in a way that’s different.”

Ultimately, Season 3 examines the outcomes of the characters’ choices and whether they will sink or swim in the aftermath of their decisions.

Season 3 of “Industry” premieres Sunday on HBO and airs weekly.

Source: HuffPost, Variety