Industry

This show is very intriguing and frustrating at the same time. It's a good story and with a talented cast but my struggle is with the characters. There is absolutely nothing to like about these characters. Even the "bad" guy in a film can exhibit some human emotions that the audience can identify with but the characters in Industry have no redeeming qualities. They're arrogant, rude, self centered, morally depraved people.

The most annoying character is Harper. There's nothing sympathetic about her. She is so ill mannered, manipulative, expresses poor judgement, and a pathological liar. She always looks like a deer in the headlights. She's a deeply sad and depressing character. Yet I'm still watching and holding out hope that someone in the show will emerge as decent person or at least redeemable.

Having fun watching not one decent person in a very large, but OK cast. I once thought I could be a broker, so I took and passed my Series 3 and 7. I was the worst salesman in the world, so I quit before I got fired. That being said, nearly all the men---and they were in those days, all men...I met at my firm (a small regional) and at other firms were decent human beings; most of them did like to drink, but always behaved themselves.

But the people in this amusing series are utterly despicable, devoid of any sense of shame, loyalty, compassion, ethics, or common decency, Even the best person depicted, Gus, is untrustworthy. Everybody degrades everybody, including themselves. Still, horrible people are fun to watch.

Industry can't escape being compared to Billions which - with all its shortcomings - is probably considered the best finance tv-series around. Yet Industry is my new favourite (and a close second for all those lured by the crazy plot-twists of Billions): indeed a more realistic and better written one in a lot of departments.

I don't have the time nor the background to feel like dissecting the storylines, the cliffhangers, the characters, the overall writing style, the acting. Let's simplify by saying that overall Billions is better produced and hits harder with a lot of climaxes, surprises and... billions. Industry on the other end is more consistent, less pretentious and more realistically focused on the daily experiences of new-hires in a wealth management firm. Unfortunately some plot holes, puzzling characters and overindulgent coverage of sex-drug related behaviours drag the production down quite a bit.

Love it. Relationships at work. Success. Failure. Flirt. Maybe traders are not like these, but I think it's superb how they portray this life full of ups and downs where everything is so intense. Well done.

I'm currently watching Industry with my brother as I write this review and the first thing that comes to mind when watching this show is...addicting. HBO is known for having great shows and Industry is no different. It really is a good show that feels fresh and thrilling. It shows the cutthroat world that is banking. It's a fascinating look inside their world of greed, sex, drugs, back stabbing and every other bad thing these people do to each other. You don't have to know much about this world to enjoy the show, I think most people watching don't and that's a testament to how good the writing is. You really do get pulled into that world and can't wait to see what happens next. I'm fully invested in this show and I think you will be to if you give it a chance.