Workplace Drama Ventures Out of Office

Max Minghella plays a mysterious Tender co-founder in season 4.A mysterious passport. Shadowy figures who seem to work for Russian intelligence. Plenty of blackmail, some of it sexual in nature. This is "Industry," the HBO series about a group of young employees at a London investment bank?Indeed it is. "We sold the show as this slice-of-life show set in London, based somewhat on our experiences working in a bank," said Mickey Down, who co-created the show with Konrad Kay. But it was clear that the creators "had always imagined life without Pierpoint while at Pierpoint, so to speak," said Francesca Orsi, HBO's executive vice president of programming and head of drama series and films.So this year, Down and Kay have expanded the aperture considerably. The tone and plotting lean more toward globetrotting conspiracy thriller than office drama. They filmed in South Africa. They hired veterans of shows such as "Mad Men" and "Stranger Things." They shelled out for a Daft Punk song. It seems to be working: Reviews for season 4 were the show's strongest yet, and HBO announced that it was renewing the show for a fifth and final season.Below, the show's stars and creators explain how they supplemented bank drama with international espionage.Myha'la, who plays Harper Stern on 'Industry.' The show's aperture has expanded this season.Shock the viewers"When I was reading episodes seven and eight, I was like, 'Holy sh-t,'" said Marisa Abela, whose Yasmin Kara-Hanani has evolved from season 1 naif to would-be master manipulator in season 4. "I just kind of couldn't believe what I was reading."