BBC Industry episode 2 leaves viewers shocked

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BBC financial drama Industry left viewers shocked with its steamy sex scenes in last night’s episode, with one viewer calling for ‘more banking, less bonking’. 

The show, which is airing on HBO in the US and BBC Two in the UK, follows a group of ambitious graduates as they compete for a limited number of positions at Pierpoint & Co, a fictional London bank. 

Within the first 20 minutes of last night’s episode, the characters were seen performing oral sex, stripping down to lingerie and secretly watching porn, while relatively little time was spent in the office. Elsewhere there were scenes of drug use, full-frontal nudity and X-rated sexting.

While some viewers are delighted with the sordid take on the City, others have called for more attention to be paid to the action outside of the bedroom. 

One tweeted: ‘Would love a little more banking and a little less bonking.’ 

Another posted: ‘A lot of banging, very little banking.’

Last night’s episode focused on Yasmin (Marisa Abela), a graduate who is overlooked, belittled and sexually harassed by the superior who is partially responsible for deciding whether she will be offered a full-time role. 

She was seen trying to seduce her boyfriend Sebastian (Jonathan Barnwell) after discovering he was watching porn in bed while she was asleep next to him, but he turned down her advances.

Meanwhile her boss Kenny (Conor MacNeill) seems determined to keep her as the ‘lunch girl’ and prevent her progression. 

At one point over dinner with the other graduates, he tells her: ‘Nobody gives a f**k about what I think about you. 

‘Or what you think about me, nobody gives a f**k. You see the problem with this industry; they keep hiring these f*****g princesses.’ 

Elsewhere she was put on the spot and humiliated in front of her team, in apparent payback for not being receptive to her boss’ inappropriate advances. 

Meanwhile Robert (Harry Lawtey) vies for Yasmin’s attention, sending her flirtatious messages and approaching her at the office gym. He tries to make his move after a work night out but is rebuffed – and later receives an X-rated photo from her. 

The episode also sees Gus (David Jonsson) reach a crisis point after learning his team is going to be disbanded following the death of colleague Hari (Nabhaan Rizwan), who had worked relentless hours before collapsing in an office toilet cubicle.

There are also rumours that the Guardian is planning to write a piece on the toxic office culture. 

In his personal life, he rekindles his fling with Theo (Will Tudor), who lives with his girlfriend. The pair share intimate moments together but Theo makes it clear he will not be leaving his girlfriend.  

Harper Stern (Myha’la Herrold) continues to impress her boss Eric (Ken Leung) and is invited to attend a confidential meeting with a client. However she is also struggling out of the office and goes on more than 20 flatshare viewings, desperate to find somewhere to live after the death of her friend and neighbour Hari. 

She eventually is given an escape when Yasmin offers to sublet the spare room in her spacious townhouse. 

There are also the suggestion that Harper is concealing something in her past, although it is not clear how this will affect her prospects at Pierpoint & Co. 

The drama has proved a hit with viewers, with many comparing it to Skins. 

One tweeted: ‘#IndustryHBO is literally corporate skins and I’m here for it.’

Another posted: ‘Industry is shaping up to be an awesome series. It goes from 0 to 100. Real quick.’

A third added: ‘We’ve got everything… Sex, Drugs, Beautiful people, Relatively attractive Irish folk, Awkward work dinners… What more could you want !!!??’