HBO’s Industry is back for season four, and it’s darker and more intense than ever. What started in 2020 as a modest series about young bankers trying to survive London’s finance world has grown into one of TV’s most talked-about dramas.
When the show first aired, the buzz was mostly about Lena Dunham directing the premiere. The ratings were low, and viewers barely noticed. Six years later, everything has changed. Viewership jumped 40 percent between seasons two and three, and the show now has a prime Sunday night slot on HBO. Its stars are on magazine covers, and anticipation for the new season is huge.
From the beginning, Industry has balanced glossy young-professional lifestyles with a dark undercurrent. Parties, hookups, and fancy offices sit alongside harassment, bullying, and toxic workplace behavior. Season four continues this trend and takes it even further.
The new season features big names like Max Minghella (The Handmaid’s Tale) and Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things). Right from the start, the tone is grim. A one-night stand quickly turns threatening, leaving Kiernan Shipka’s character in a vulnerable spot. Later, Myha’la’s Harper Stern delivers a grimly funny line: “If you’re gonna have a stroke, please do it outside my office.” Moments later, an investor collapses, smashing through her glass desk.
Critics warn that it only gets worse. Roxana Hadidi at Vulture says the show is “operating at optimal bleakness,” while Mashable describes “nightmarish cycles” and “stomach-churning downfalls.” The Wall Street Journal even compared the series to a vampire story, highlighting just how dark and relentless it can be.
Season four also marks a shift in the story. After Pierpoint shut down and merged into a Middle Eastern wealth fund, the characters are scattered. Creators Konrad Kay and Mickey Down call this season separate from the first three, aiming for “the narrative propulsion of a great conspiracy thriller.” The result is a gripping story that moves beyond finance into politics, media, and the elite, showing how power and corruption intersect in unsettling ways.
Now in their 30s, the characters continue the same cycles of abuse and exploitation they once suffered. Season four cements Industry as one of the most intense and unflinching shows on TV.
