Industry is a fascinating look into the effects corporate competition and the dog-eat-dog world of banking have on relationships. Underneath the frequent sex, jaw-dropping betrayals, and business jargon is a tragic drama about how capitalism can wreck the lives of its most devoted participants. The second season makes this exceptionally clear, as we witness the rise and fall of each character throughout the story.

This theme of scheming to one-up everyone else having disastrous effects is best exemplified in our protagonist, Harper Stern. Even though it’s only been two years since she was officially hired at Pierpoint, she seems to have an overwhelming confidence in her abilities to the point of consistently taking massive risks. However, this overconfidence betrays a deeper insecurity and desperation that Harper can’t rid herself of. As the audience, we are one of her few confidantes. Myha’la Herrold portrays this multifaceted character wondrously and with deep empathy. Harper could come across as either wholly despicable or truly pitiable at any given moment, but Herrold knows how to toe this line in every scene.

Herrold also shines with her interactions with her most frequent scene partner, Ken Leung (who plays Harper’s mentor Eric Tao). Their dynamic is the focal point of this season despite their limited interactions in the first half of the show. It’s fascinating to watch how two people who clearly care for one another can be driven to make the self-interested decisions they do. Despite Harper having endlessly watchable dynamics with practically every Industry character, she’s at her most engaging whenever she’s with Eric—the reason she is where she is in the first place.

Industry’s second season has Marisa Abela’s Yasmin attempting to carve out a name for herself. Spurred on by an intriguing superior, Yasmin wants to break free from the position and persona she is stuck with in season 1. As such, her interactions with her season 1 costars are few and far between. This is a bit of a shame, as Yasmin’s relationship with Harper was one of my favorite aspects of that season, but it makes perfect sense for her arc. Abela is fantastic as the oblivious Yasmin, and is relentlessly stunning with her delivery.

While Robert (Harry Lawtey) and Gus (David Jonsson) sadly don't have particularly prominent or interesting arcs this season until the very end, the new characters introduced fill their void exceptionally. Bored billionaire Jesse Bloom (Jay Duplass) is always a blast to watch onscreen, thanks to his perpetual desire for a thrill (and of course, more money). Danny Van Deventer (Alex Alomar Akpobome) initially comes across as just an older version of Harper, but their fundamental differences make for riveting drama. And while quippy trader Rishi (Sugar Radia) isn’t really a new character, he is infinitely more of a presence this season. They each have fantastic dynamics with Harper, and it’s deeply entertaining to watch their agendas clash. This is best exemplified in this season’s spectacular finale, which is packed to the brim with the character conflict that truly makes this show what it is.

While Industry’s first season was already brilliant, its sophomore season proves itself as a show to truly look out for. Although it is a criminally underseen show, that is not even remotely an indictment on its quality. With its exceptional character writing, Industry is a depressing but realistic examination of the cutthroat world of banking that I highly recommend.

9/10