After four long years, Mare of Easttown creator Brad Ingelsby returns with his highly anticipated follow-up to the HBO hit crime drama, Task, and it is poised to take its rightful place as another noteworthy success for the streamer, for multiple reasons.
For starters, Task stars Mark Ruffalo in one of his darkest roles in years, and also features a killer ensemble cast with superb dramatic acting skills. Secondly, its narrative is a slow burn of unexpected twists and turns that you must see play out. Lastly, it draws from real-life inspiration that adds a complex, exploratory layer of faith—not just what it is but what it truly means to have faith in such an unforgiving world.
Here’s what you need to know about Task before digging in.
A Plot Full of Twists
Task follows a multi-layered plot interwoven with twists and turns as the stories of two grieving men, who live very different lives and have very different perspectives, unfold in a game of cat and mouse.
Tom Brandis is a former priest-turned-FBI agent who is taking some time off after a horrific tragedy that obliterated his family and left him alone to pick up the pieces. Robbie Prendergrast is a sanitation worker and single father who has just lost his brother to a gruesome murder by the very men sworn to protect him—his brothers, and members of the Dark Hearts Motorcycle Club. Robbie also moonlights with his masked crew, robbing local drug houses tied back to the Dark Hearts.
Set in the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia, when this series of robberies intensifies into violent home invasions, one results in a most unexpected scenario that changes everything. As such, Agent Brandis is called back into the field to lead a task force to find and stop those they’ve dubbed “The Halloween Crew” before the streets erupt in mayhem.
While this cat-and-mouse collision story is our plot, this gritty crime drama series really focuses on what Brandis and Prendergrast are going through as two very different men navigating grief and trauma, the only way they know how—one with vengeance, the other with numbness. The more this story unfolds, the bigger the twists get, the thicker the tension gets, and the more astounding and exciting the action and performances get.
Okay, We Get It. Who Stars in It?
A very bleak Mark Ruffalo stars in Task as Brandis, and his portrayal as a grieving, confused, numbed-out father is palpable. Martha Plimpton stars as Brandis’s boss and brings a little bit of levity that this heavy series needs.
Additionally, Tom Pelphrey (Ozark, Outer Range) gives an explosive, stand-out performance as Robbie Prendergrast. Episodes four through seven are where his range of emotional depth and portrayal of internal agony, coupled with fragility and sensitivity, really start to shine. His performance is captivating and award-worthy.
Task also features Emilia Jones, Jamie McShane, Sam Keeley, Thuso Mbedu, Fabien Frankel, Alison Oliver, Silvia Dionicio, and Raúl Castillo.
Is Task Based on a True Story?
In short, no, Task is not based on a true story, but it is inspired by the real-life experiences of its creator, Brad Ingelsby.
Ruffalo’s character is inspired by Ingelsby’s uncle, who left the priesthood and wound up working with the FBI. In multiple interviews, Ingelsby said that in speaking with his uncle about the priesthood, he came to learn that clergymen are often asked to assist the FBI. This led him to create the character of Tom Brandis, a man who lived through events that shook his faith.
As for Pelphrey’s character, Ingelsby got the idea while speaking with a source at the FBI. During the conversation, it was discussed how both trash collectors and mail carriers are people who are unassuming but know a lot about our lives. They get our bills and go through our trash, and we just kind of ignore them. They are the perfect unassuming cover, and thus Robbie Prendergrast was born.
Ingelsby didn’t stop there, though. He also spoke with the Easttown Township chief of police, an actual FBI agent who really was a priest in the past, and he spoke with former biker gang members to help add authenticity to these storylines.
What I Like and What I Don’t
Task is full of reasons to watch, but no TV show is perfect. After watching the series, I’m happy to report that the pros outweigh the cons here.
While this is more of a marketing issue, my biggest complaint is that the series is billed as “a high-stakes thriller.” While it has its thrilling moments, Task is more of an unrelenting crime drama than it is a thriller. It’s also not much of a mystery, either. Just keep that in mind when going into it.
Additionally, the series uses backstory as a method of building meaningful character arcs, but several of Task’s characters only briefly touch on their past traumas, leaving them stuck in under-development. The biggest miss, though, is the complete leapfrog over the issues surrounding Tom’s incarcerated son, Ethan (Andrew Russel), who seems to serve no other purpose than to highlight Tom’s personal devastation. I wanted to know more about many of the show’s supporting and sub-characters.
With that being said, there’s so much more to love about Task that make it a worthwhile watch. Most obviously is Ruffalo, who leads an incredibly talented cast that all deliver powerful character performances throughout. Add to that Ingelsby’s signature attention to detail, which is so fine and nuanced you don’t even notice its effects on you as a viewer.
Task also has a penchant for hitting you with shocking twists and turns that take you on a heart-pounding ride. Plus, morally complex characters are Ingelsby’s bread and butter, and both Brandis and Prendergrast are, dare I say, much more layered than any in Mare of Easttown.
When Did Task Come Out?
Task premiered Sunday, September 7, on HBO and HBO Max with new episodes weekly through October 19.
It’s been a big year for the crime drama genre thanks to hits like MobLand, Dope Thief, A Thousand Blows—even Dexter: Resurrection, and more are on the way. If you want to let Task build so you can take in this story all at once, consider revisiting Mare of Easttown or getting lost in some true-crime documentaries while you wait! Just be sure to lighten things up a bit afterward by settling into some of HBO’s funniest original comedy shows.
