Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Industryis a drama set in a London bank.
Initially, as one of the repelled, I threw up my hands at the show.
But having watched it again, Im starting to really understa nope, still baffled.
I wanna start with Shamira, since you have experience in this financial shit.
I dont know what to even call that … economics?
That world is very familiar to me in a way that is pretty embarrassing.
Because of that, thats how they have to maintain this hierarchical level of abuse.
So much of that show is real dynamics but played to absurd levels.
Are people really walking around with bats?
So I was first just curious about the idea of that.
And theyre letting her be an anti-hero, cause shes not a good person.
Nic, are you watching it for the weird dom play?
Watching that in a different setting is really cathartic and triggering.
Even though the story lines are bonkers, bananas, the cast is really charming.
Ken Leung, who plays Eric, is just so good.
Youre like,Hey, what?You know,What the fuck?
I feel like a dog staring at it.
Im drawn to the pure nihilism of this show.
Its fascinating to watch other peoples responses to how to grapple with Harpers character in particular.
I do not feel good watching this, but I feel great feeling bad.
I love that feeling way more than any other feel-good show.
Thats a fucking new one.SI:Thats such a good way to put it.
So shes making all of these terrible choices.
Shes just overwhelmed.SI:And shes just misfiring everywhere.
She doesnt wanna let the mask up.
Because she doesnt want everyone to know that shes an impostor.
Watch: The actress who plays Harper is so good at playing those nervous tics.
These people talk, but theyre not saying much of anything.
But, Nic, you said that you actually like the characters.
What are you gonna do to survive?
Robert, Yasmin, and Harper they have their own version of impostor syndrome.
With Harper, quite literally, its university elitism.
For Robert, its his working-class background.
For Yasmin, its her privilege; shes a nepo baby.
SI:Im obsessed with Yasmin.
I fuck with her story so much.SI:Like the worlds tiniest violin that she insists on playing.
I mean, beautiful gowns, stunning.
But cant be great at any of her sexual conquests the girls and guys.
A linguist babe!SI:Love that for her.
She resents Harper and doesnt get why Harper has frustrations.
All these people will not be able to touch the hem of your garment ever in their lives.
Like, what are the big problems that you actually have?
NQ:She codes white, but
SI:Shes Persian.
Like, white-adjacent, a spicy white.
NQ:All of these people exist in hell, essentially.
And theyre trying to elevate themselves within it.
Eric is so fascinating.
I feel like I know a lot of Asian finance bros who are exactly like him.
And I wonder,Why are you still here?
You could do anything else.Hes one of my favorite characters Ive seen on television, because hes so sad.
One thing that we havent talked about yet is the elephant in the bedroom.
How they use hedonism as an outlet for who they are as people.
Yasmin never feels like she has control in real life.
People watch it cuz they want that proximity.
People still wonder what its like to be superrich or to be part of this world.
SI:So much of it is just making rich people feel good and feel happy.
Like, Mark Zuckerberg will call and be like, I wanna buy half of Hawaii.
NJ:Can we talk about Jesse Bloom, Jay Duplasss character?
I love Jay Duplass in general.
When he shows up,particularlyon aTV show, I hold my breath.
The man is chaos.
Hes gonna ruin someones life.
And I love that.
SI:I love what his story line is suggesting.
Which is that theyre doubling down on the awfulness, right?
This is a world where COVID does not matter to them.
All that matters is: How could we maximize our returns from COVID?
What big health deal can we get out of this?
What returns can we get that will actually just hurt poor people but will make us trillions of dollars?
Lets wrap on Harper.
Theyre starting to press her Blackness more this season.
And the second seasons like: How do you wanna live?
What are you gonna be about?
Like,I could go get a big-ass client.Ooh, watch this.
Let me go get one.
NQ:I think thats absolutely right.
I think she thinks shes trailblazing, but shes being basic.
She said, Well, my numbers personally are doing great.
How are your numbers, Eric?
Yo, I died.SI:What rising tide are we lifting?
NQ:The show commits to nihilism.
She is on aBreaking Badarc.
This person wants the sun, but shes still gonna get incinerated.
