Industry is no longer the most underappreciated gem on TV. Clearly, we are big fans of the HBO show after wondering whether the “financial drama” (an oversimplified label for sure) is more addictive than Succession and calling the game-changing finale evidence of the best show on TV right now.
On a more collective audience note, the show’s third season exploded its ratings records on a nearly weekly basis while also imploding several characters’ little worlds in the third season finale. Yep, Industry is prestige TV that doesn’t skimp on the soap operatics, and it’s working, so although that third season finale could have functioned as a series finale, too, we will fortunately see more Industry. Let’s hedge our bets on the fourth season.
Cast
HBO is staying (officially) mum on this topic for now, but we will likely see the usual suspects again, including Myha’la ^^^ as Harper Stern (now alongside Roger Barclay as Otto Mostyn), Marisa Abela as Yasmin Kara-Hanani (soon to be “Thoroughly Modern Lady Muck”), Sagar Radia as Rishi Ramdani, and Ken Leung as Eric (god knows where and whether he will still be working).
Kit Harington’s return as Sir Henry Muck feels guaranteed, especially since we need to see whether he and Yasmin can survive each other as spouses.
Then there would be the ambiguity of whether Harry Lawtey will return as Rob Spearing, whose pure heart is now stateside and working for Little Labs, which likely puts him in the Silicon Valley zone for the foreseeable future.
We, of course, could go on forever discussing other characters and whether they will be back, but for now, it’s worth noting that Jay Duplass’s Jesse Bloom has now emerged from prison, so stay tuned there, and what of David Jonsson as Gus? He’s been occupied with a Xenomorph problem (and a busy movie career), but we’ll be waiting to hear differently.
Plot
To be perfectly blunt, HBO hasn’t disclosed a synopsis, which almost 100% does not exist yet, and it has only been about a month since Industry was officially renewed (the week prior to the third season finale). However, co-creators Konrad Kay and Mickey Down opened up the writers’ room, as Down revealed (via Instagram) as of October 16. And clearly, everything changed in the blink of an eye with Pierpoint & Co.’s erasure and Eric leaving as an impossibly wealthy free agent, not by a situation of his choosing.
The future is wide open, so to speak, with ex-colleagues Harper, Rob, Yas, and Eric all heading in different directions. Sure, Harper and Yas have semi-patched up their riff with Yas apparently setting out for a life of British nobility, and Harper will move into “forensic accounting and corporate espionage,” which will feed her need for a consistently volatile environment.
And with everybody’s metaphorical balls up in the air, creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay did speak with GQ to field a question about whether the series (with multiple characters heading stateside or at least thinking about it) has a future in America. Heck, Harper expressed interest in working from New York, but here’s how Down answered:
“It’s very hard to answer that. I mean without giving it too much away. It’s an American-effected show because we grew up watching those shows and obviously it follows several American characters. There is something about London and, especially in the last season, our exploration of London, and in particular London high society, which I think is unique to this show and I would hate to lose. And I think there are other shows that have done similar things in the US, but there is nothing in the UK which feels real and authentic and is actually giving you a sort of a firsthand, I would say, insight into that world. And I think that’s probably what you do for season four.”
Obviously, that’s clear as mud and intentionally so, but the seeds exist.
Release Date
The second and third seasons both premiered in August, two years apart, so if the timeline stays consistent, we can bet on August 2026 at the latest. It that too long to wait for a premium cable series without CGI dragons? Arguably, but perhaps a strike-free Hollywood will bring these characters back sooner.
Trailer
In light of where Eric wound up the last time we saw him, it’s worth a look back at how good Ken Leung is at methodically losing his sh*t.