It's possible to invest in the zipless hijinks of Industry because even if you don't care about the specifics of what anybody is doing... you believe the characters care.
The show seems to think its naughtiness and bad behavior have an edge, like in "Skins," but really "Industry" is more like "The Bold Type" with male nudity.
it's definitely worth toughing out the endless lines of coke to see what happens next, but even in a typical year [Myha'la Herrold] would earn Industry the benefit of the doubt.
Based on the first four episodes that HBO made available for review (there are eight in all), the show's entanglements and provocations are what manage to pull a viewer in.
The cast is appealing -- Herrold and Leung, in particular, pull off the improbable trick of seeming like underdogs even as they hurl around multimillion-dollar deals -- and pilot director Lena Dunham establishes a slick visual template.
There are moments of genuine insight... They're too far and few between the bacchanalian scenes and familiar storytelling beats about succeeding at all cost, which sets Industry squarely in mid-cap territory.
While Industry doesn't possess the artillery of many high-profile premium dramas, it shines primarily based on sharp execution. In that sense, like its hungry characters, it's the sort of overachiever that appears to have a bright future.
Industry leans heavily on strong performances and gripping narratives to draw the audience into its dark, unpleasant world, yet it lacks the audacity and dark humor of its predecessors in making such bleakness worthwhile.
Ms. Dunham's introductory episode is electric. Much of that energy is sustained and, with luck, will be through what will undoubtedly be subsequent seasons of the show.
Suppressing character development to build up toward big reveals is a tried-and-true storytelling technique, but it's hard to combine that with dense workplace drama and very little voice.
