The critically acclaimed and brutally satirical drama Industry makes its highly anticipated return to BBC One this week for a fourth season. The show, which holds a mirror up to the cutthroat world of high finance, has matured into a piece of television that is both merciless and unmissable, earning a five-star review for its fearless exploration of human nature.
A New Battle for Legitimacy
This season pivots around the fortunes of Tender, a payments processor historically known for servicing dubious porn and gambling sites. Its founders, Whitney (Max Minghella) and Jonah (Kal Penn), are now attempting to secure a banking licence and go legitimate. This quest for respectability drags them into the orbits of familiar faces and new players, raising the question: can the self-styled "PayPal of bukkake" ever truly clean up its act?
The process forces Tender to seek roots in British society, creating an opportunity for Yasmin (Marisa Abela) and her husband, Henry (Kit Harington). Henry, a failed start-up founder who has slipped into substance abuse, sees a chance to leverage his aristocratic connections, lamenting that "there are no second acts." Meanwhile, Harper (Myha'la) continues to burn through volatile funds, her predatory instincts sharper than ever.
An Expanded Universe and Deepened Characters
The cast continues to be a major strength, with performances that elevate the material. Myha'la masterfully portrays Harper's evolution from an outsider to an unpredictable financial shark, her face capable of shifting from innocence to dead-eyed cruelty in an instant. The addition of Kit Harington as the pathetically coddled Henry is a masterstroke, while this season also welcomes new "big names" including Kiernan Shipka as a slippery ingenue and Charlie Heaton as a muckraking journalist.
This expansion of the Industry universe successfully relieves some of the show's characteristic claustrophobia without diluting its impact. The core power struggle between Harper and Yasmin remains, but the narrative now breathes across a wider canvas. The writers, Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, display increased confidence, balancing smutty, witty dialogue with sharp social commentary, all while remaining committed to their manifesto of character unlikability.
The Cyclical Nature of Trauma and Greed
The graduates we first met in 2020 are now the masters of their universe, and the trauma they endured has become cyclical. They have learnt only how to inflict the same brutality they suffered onto their own subordinates. The financial machinations, while still complex, are now less the point than the fragile human alliances they depend upon. Industry is ultimately about the truces and betrayals that form in the relentless face of greed and ambition.
In its fourth season, the show possesses a clear and powerful identity. It offers no heroes to root for and no comforting beliefs, just the kinetic, electric momentum of capitalism itself—inexorable and often for no good reason. It is a stunning, uncompromising examination of beautiful ugliness, and some of the best television on air.
