When Industry Season 4 made its debut on HBO last week, the cult hit welcomed a murderer’s row of top tier TV talent to its seedy world. The Handmaid’s Tale heartthrob Max Minghella, Stranger Things star Charlie Heaton, Ted Lasso sweetheart Toheeb Jimoh, House alum Kal Penn, and even Don Draper‘s little girl, Kiernan Shipka, showed up and immediately showed out for the show’s iconically candid approach to sex.
**Spoilers for Industry Season 4 Episode 1 “The PayPal of Bukkake,” now streaming on HBO Max**
Industry Season 4 literally opens with Netflix’s sweet Jonathan Byers groping grown up Sally Draper on a dance floor while Prodigy pounds. Jay Jonah Atterbury (Kal Penn) and Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella) are best friends who come to blows over whether or not they want their payment service, Tender, to continue its long-held reputation as the “PayPal of Bukkake.” Whitney later takes Harper Stern (Myha’la) home for a hookup that leads to her putting on his strap on. Heck, Harper is also caught in bed with Toheeb Jimoh’s Kwabena Bannerman, who happens to be direct report in the office!
While most shows that come out of the gate full of sex and nudity tend to cool their approach as the years go on, Industry shows no signs of stopping. Even as bigger stars have joined the show’s cast, Industry has stayed true to its core principals: smart storytelling, devastating acting, and a devilishly open approach to human sexuality in all its forms.
When Industry first premiered back in 2020, the biggest name associated with it was Lena Dunham. The Girls creator directed the show’s thrilling pilot, a tense look at the hell that a handful of college grads were willing to endure for the chance to join the Pierpoint & Co. trading floor full-time. Dunham also lent Industry her passion for giving audiences an unfiltered view of how those hot young folks let off steam. From the start, Industry garnered critical raves for its sharp writing and word-of-mouth buzz for its scintillating sex scenes.
Industry‘s frank approach to sex is tied to its unromantic look at the finance world. Harper Stern and Yasmin Kara-Hanani (Marisa Abela) might wear glamorous clothes, but the show strips them down on a regular basis. If their ghastly actions make them look like monsters, then their lustful bodies let them look human.
Sex is a hunger that the characters on Industry need to feel satiated. It’s an escape from the never-ending capitalist grind, the deep-rooted trauma of childhood, and even the tedium of the here and now. Sex is a way to assume power, yes; it’s also a way to be demeaned. Industry not only understands all the different emotional currencies represented by human sexuality, but also the simple dollars and cents business of online porn.
Industry Season 4 literally opens with a storyline about Harper attempting to short a popular porn site for her posh investment funds. Harper Stern is a woman who, in her own words, doesn’t want to “leave money on the table,” when it comes to sex work. (She not only praises Miriam Petche’s Sweetpea Golightly for her OnlyFans side-hustle in Season 3, but happily works alongside the brilliant young woman even after her nude photos have been leaked and spread around the industry.) In Industry, sex is yet another economic opportunity to be exploited.
Because Industry understands all of these nuances with the same mastery that a trader can follow the markets, it doesn’t shy away from depicting them onscreen. Sex is beautiful and disgusting. It’s mortifying and liberating. It’s empowering and shameful. It’s all of these things and more.
Industry Season 4’s approach to sex starts off strong and never lets up. If you haven’t caught up with one of the greatest shows on TV yet, do so as soon as you can. Industry Season 4 is an all-time banger of a television season, full of, yes, banging.
New episodes of Industry Season 4 premiere on Sundays at 9 PM ET on HBO and HBO Max.