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It's not uncommon for a TV show to really find its stride during, or by the end of, its second season. This could be why fans of HBO Max's The Time Traveler's Wife were disappointed when the streamer canceled it after only one installment.

One of the reasons why a show can find its success later on, aside from it slowly becoming more popular, is due to the writers unpacking what the series is actually about. Coming to this revelation can create a more cohesive story that viewers can gravitate toward.

There's no doubt that this is precisely what happened by the end of the second season of HBO's Industry. While the series was certainly not the most popular in 2022, it's building a fanbase. Bit by bit, people are realizing, that like Tokyo Vice, Industry is worth watching.

Spoilers For Industry Season 2 Ahead!In an interview with Vulture, series creators Konrad Kay and Mickey Down revealed the revelations they've had about what Industry is really about and how they affected the biggest twists at the end of the second season.

What Is Industry On HBO About?

There's no doubt that the toxic relationship between Myha'la Heerold's Harper and her mentor figure Eric (played by Ken Leung) is the focus of Industry. But in their interview with Vulture, Konrad and Mickey explained that they slowly realized what the show was really about by the end of writing the second season.

"We didn’t realize we were writing about intergenerational tensions in season one and then, in season two, it became very clear," Konrad admitted.

"Especially with a character like Venetia coming into the show who is closer to Gen Z than anyone else; when we started writing for her, it was fun because she’s just not going to stand for Yasmin’s s***. Mickey and I are obviously not Gen Z, but nor are we quite geriatric millennials. We’d written characters who are young enough to almost be Gen Z but had a millennial flavor because we’d written them."

Konrad continued by saying, "Eric’s relationship to Harper is definitely a generational one because she’s a constant reminder of his mortality and the fact that he’s yesterday’s man."

Related: How Jeff Bezos Unintentionally Inspired Jay Duplass' Character On HBO's Industry

"In the writers’ room, we talked a lot about the analog of a cowboy who’s seen it all and a young gunslinger. The relationship’s healthy, but obviously, it’s about succession and the usurpation of power. If we do get a third season, there might be an even younger cohort with even more different political sensibilities and value systems."

What Happens To Yasmin At The End Of Industry Season 2?

Marisa Abela's Yasmin confronting her father and trying to become her own person, then falling back to Robert for support, was a fantastic embodiment of the theme Mickey and Konrad discovered by the end of the season.

"The first thing Yasmin says after she’s given up this money is 'Maybe I’ve been a little bit rash.' She’s using the crutch of drugs and the crutch of this guy," Mickey explained.

"It feels very human and very youthful to have regret and think you’ve made a mistake. These characters are in their early 20s. They’re still figuring out who they want to be in this place that doesn’t reward altruism."

Related: HBO's Industry Star Marisa Abela Is Much More Like Yasmin Than Meets The Eye

Konrad claimed that it was Mickey's idea to have her leave the restaurant without paying the bill at the end of the season.

"She’s gone through this huge morality play of pondering how much of her blindness of her dad she’s willing to accept to further her career," Konrad said. "She makes this seismic decision to cut herself off from him, then there’s this beat that shows who she really is.

"The way Marisa Abela plays it, there’s this thrill on her face like, 'God, I’ve gotten away with it'. That links her to her dad, maybe even unconsciously," Mickey said. "They can just get away with stuff. And if she were caught, she could probably talk her way out of it. Someone like Robert would capitulate. Especially sober Robert."

What Happens To Harper At The End Of Industry Season 2?

The seeds of Pierpoint discovering Harper's fake college diploma were planted at the beginning of the series, but Konrad and Mickey waited until the season 2 finale for the big reveal.

"Harper’s lack of a degree was an inciting incident for her character; it told us something about her in the pilot and was a great way to bond her and Eric so they have a secret in episode four. Then it made it harder for Harper to get rid of Eric at the end of that season," Mickey explained.

Mickey and Konrad wanted the audience to forget about it so that when the plotline came back it would feel surprising but earned.

"It also felt like something Eric needed to do to her. It’s open to interpretation why," Mickey said. "Some people will think it’s to protect her from the bigger crime she may or may not have committed, of insider trading with Jesse; some might think it was a totally calculated attempt to get rid of her, a thorn in his side, and to protect himself. It felt like a juicy twist and spoke to her relationship, which is the central point of the show."

Related: Danny McBride Reveals The Secrets To Writing HBO's The Righteous Gemstones

The other reason they wanted to end the season on this note was that it brought a sense of conclusion to the Eric/Harper storyline. At the time of this writing, Konrad and Mickey are unsure if they'll get a third season. So, they wanted to wrap things up as meaningfully as possible.

"Leaving the show on a cliffhanger does not sit well with either of u," Konrad explained to Vulture. "So this is a full stop if you’ve been watching the show for Eric and Harper. It felt like the only logical next step in Eric’s journey. He’s had this relationship with this woman that has brought up all these insecurities and all these nurturing tendencies, but in nurturing her, she’s become more and more of a thorn in his side. Yes, it’s expedient to get rid of her, but it also comes from a place of care."