Task (miniseries)

  1. Home
  2. Wiki

Task
Promotional poster
GenreCrime drama
Created byBrad Ingelsby
Starring
Music byDan Deacon
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes3
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Gabrielle Mahon
  • Holly Rymon
Production locationPennsylvania
Cinematography
  • Alex Disenhof
  • Elie Smolkin
Editors
  • Amy E. Duddelston
  • Keiko Deguchi
Running time60–66 minutes
Production companies
  • Low Dweller Productions
  • Public Record
  • wiip
  • HBO Entertainment
Original release
NetworkHBO
ReleaseSeptember 7, 2025 (2025-09-07) –
present

Task is an American crime drama television miniseries created and written by Brad Ingelsby for HBO. It stars Mark Ruffalo, Tom Pelphrey, Emilia Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Raúl Castillo, Jamie McShane, Sam Keeley, Fabien Frankel, Alison Oliver, Silvia Dionicio, and Martha Plimpton. It premiered on September 7, 2025, and will consist of 7 episodes.

Premise

[edit]

A Philadelphia-based FBI agent (Ruffalo) is put in charge of a task force to end a string of violent robberies undertaken by an unassuming family man (Pelphrey).[1]

Cast

[edit]

Main

[edit]
  • Mark Ruffalo as Tom Brandis,[2] an FBI agent and former Catholic priest who is called in to head a task force investigating a series of armed robberies after taking time off from field duty due to a family tragedy
  • Tom Pelphrey as Robbie Prendergrast,[2] a garbage collector for J&W Sanitation who robs "trap houses" operated by drug gangs at night in the Philadelphia area
  • Emilia Jones as Maeve,[2] Robbie's 21-year-old niece who has been saddled with the raising of Robbie's young children since the departure of his wife almost a year earlier
  • Fabien Frankel as Anthony Grasso,[2] a Delaware County detective who joins the task force Tom sets up to investigate the robberies
  • Thuso Mbedu as Aleah,[2] a no-nonsense Chester detective sergeant who joins Tom's task force
  • Raúl Castillo as Cliff Broward,[2] Robbie's friend and co-worker who joins in the trap house robberies
  • Alison Oliver as Lizzie,[2] an inexperienced PSP trooper on Tom's task force
  • Owen Teague as Peaches, Robbie and Cliff's accomplice in the trap house robberies
  • Silvia Dionicio as Emily, Tom's adopted daughter and biological sister of Ethan, Tom's adopted son
  • Martha Plimpton as Kathleen McGinty,[2] Tom's boss
  • Jamie McShane as Perry,[3] one of the national leaders of the Dark Hearts motorcycle gang whose trap houses are the target of most of the robberies
  • Sam Keeley as Jayson,[3] a volatile member of the Dark Hearts who heads their operations in Delaware County and is Perry's protegé
  • Phoebe Fox as Sara, Tom’s biological daughter and adoptive sister to Emily and Ethan

Guest

[edit]
  • Isaach De Bankolé as Daniel Georges, a priest and Tom's friend
  • Michael Maize as Deric Nance, a Dark Hearts member who runs one of the gang's trap houses in Delaware County
  • Oliver Eisenson as Wyatt Prendergrast, Robbie's son
  • Kennedy Moyer as Harper Prendergrast, Robbie's daughter
  • Ben Doherty as Sam, Deric's young son
  • Andrew Russel as Ethan, Tom's adopted son and Emily's biological brother, who is currently incarcerated for the murder of Susan, Tom's wife
  • Margarita Levieva as Eryn, Jayson's romantic partner
  • Raphael Sbarge as Chief Dorsey
  • Mickey Sumner as Shelley Driscoll
  • Brian Goodman as Vincent Hawkes
  • Elvis Nolasco as Freddy Frias, a Philadelphia drug kingpin who does business with the Dark Hearts
  • Colin Bates as Shane McReynolds
  • Coral Peña as Meg Coyle
  • Mireille Enos as Susan Brandis, Tom's wife who was murdered by their adoptive son Ethan

Episodes

[edit]
No.Title [4][5]Directed byWritten by [6]Original release date [7]U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Crossings"Jeremiah ZagarBrad IngelsbySeptember 7, 2025 (2025-09-07)0.214[8]
In Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Catholic priest turned FBI special agent Tom Brandis works recruitment as he prepares for the upcoming sentencing hearing for his adopted son, Ethan, who is pleading guilty to third degree homicide. He drinks heavily every night, a fact that is not lost on his teenage daughter, Emily, who is Ethan's sister. Meanwhile, Robbie Prendergrast lives in his late brother's home with his two young children. He is at odds with his niece, Maeve, who has looked after them since Robbie's wife left months ago. He and his friend Cliff Broward use their employment as waste collectors to case "trap houses" operated by drug dealers as potential robbery targets. Robbie, Cliff, and friend Peaches conduct a home invasion and steal money from one such house. Tom is assigned to lead a task force consisting of State Trooper Lizzie Stover and detectives Aleah Clinton and Anthony Grasso; they are to investigate the robberies of houses used by the Dark Hearts, an outlaw motorcycle gang. Robbie, Cliff, and Peaches rob another house owned by Dark Hearts member Deric. The robbery goes wrong when another biker arrives at the house unexpectedly. A gunfight ensues, leaving the three bikers and Peaches dead. Robbie and Cliff discover Deric's young son, Sam, in the house and abduct him.
2"Family Statements"Jeremiah ZagarBrad IngelsbySeptember 14, 2025 (2025-09-14)0.217[9]
Jayson, president of the Dark Hearts Delaware County chapter, learns of the fatal home invasion and vows retribution. Robbie and Cliff discover they have stolen a duffel bag of pure fentanyl from Deric's house. Robbie is forced to keep Sam at his home and tells Maeve he is the child of a friend from work. Maeve realizes the truth when Sam mentions the name of his father, Deric, a name she recognizes. Knowing the police are looking for Sam, she drops him at a store near the arcade where she works and makes an anonymous call to the FBI tip line. But rather than being picked up by police, Sam returns to her car. When Tom arrives in response to her call, Maeve purposely misleads him and returns home with Sam. As Tom's task force continues their investigation, his elder daughter Sara arrives for a visit and a family argument ensues over Emily's plan to give a family impact statement at Ethan's sentencing. It is revealed Ethan pushed their adoptive mother down the stairs during a bipolar episode, accidentally killing her. Sara is infuriated by the idea that Emily's statement might persuade the judge to give Ethan a lighter sentence. Tom meets with fellow FBI agent Easley, who tells him that Jayson murdered a Dark Hearts member named Billy, Robbie's brother and Maeve's father.
3"Nobody's Stronger Than Forgiveness"Salli Richardson WhitfieldBrad IngelsbySeptember 21, 2025 (2025-09-21)TBD
4"All Roads"TBATeleplay by : Brad Ingelsby
Story by : Brad Ingelsby & David Obzud		September 28, 2025 (2025-09-28)TBD
5"Vagrants"TBATeleplay by : Brad Ingelsby
Story by : Brad Ingelsby & David Obzud		October 5, 2025 (2025-10-05)TBD
6"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a river."Salli Richardson Whitfield[10]Teleplay by : Brad Ingelsby
Story by : Brad Ingelsby & David Obzud		October 12, 2025 (2025-10-12)TBD
7"A Still Small Voice"TBABrad IngelsbyOctober 19, 2025 (2025-10-19)TBD

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

In June 2023, it was announced HBO had greenlit the series, with Brad Ingelsby serving as creator and writer, and Jeremiah Zagar set to direct multiple episodes.[11] In December 2023, it was announced Salli Richardson-Whitfield would also direct multiple episodes and serve as an executive producer.[12] In November 2024, the series's title, Task, was announced.[13]

Casting

[edit]

After initial choice Michael Keaton had to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts,[14][15] Mark Ruffalo was announced in June 2023 to star in the series.[11] In December 2023, Tom Pelphrey, Emilia Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Raúl Castillo, Jamie McShane, Sam Keeley, Fabien Frankel and Alison Oliver joined the cast of the series.[16][17][18][19] In March 2024, Owen Teague, Dominic Colón, Margarita Levieva, Raphael Sbarge, Mickey Sumner, Elvis Nolasco, Brian Goodman, Colin Bates, Isaach De Bankolé, Phoebe Fox, Silvia Dionicio and Coral Peña joined the cast in recurring roles.[20][21][22] In November 2024, Martha Plimpton and Mireille Enos were announced as part of the cast.[23]

Filming

[edit]

Principal photography began in March 2024 in Delaware County, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia.[24][25]

Broadcast

[edit]

Task premiered on HBO on September 7, 2025.[26]

Reception

[edit]

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 95% approval rating based on 74 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey are superb in Task, a culturally-specific crime story that's unrelentingly bleak but equally riveting."[27] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gave a score of 77 out of 100 based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable".[28]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Porter, Rick (May 15, 2025). "HBO's 'Task' Trailer Promises Face-Off Between Two Troubled Men". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Seitz, Loree (September 7, 2025). "'Task' Cast and Character Guide: Who's Who in Brad Ingelsby's Next HBO Show?". TheWrap. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Han, Angie (August 28, 2025). "'Task' Review: Mark Ruffalo Leads Unrelentingly Glum HBO Crime Drama From 'Mare of Easttown' Creator". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  4. ^ Vikilahle, Luthando (August 30, 2025). "Explore the emotional depths of crime in HBO's 'Task', launching in 2025". GQ South Africa. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  5. ^ "HBO TV Schedule". HBO. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  6. ^ "Task". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  7. ^ "Shows A-Z – Task on HBO". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  8. ^ Pucci, Douglas (September 10, 2025). "Sunday Ratings: MTV Video Music Awards Hits Six-Year High with CBS Debut and NFL Lead-In". Programming Insider. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  9. ^ Pucci, Douglas (September 17, 2025). "Sunday Ratings: Primetime Emmy Awards Reach 4-Year High, Eagles-Chiefs Draws Most-Watched Fox NFL Regular Season Sunday Telecast To-Date". Programming Insider. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  10. ^ Lane, Carly (August 28, 2025). "'Task' Review: 'Mare of Easttown' Creator's New HBO Series Is a Gritty, Unrelenting Crime Thriller". Collider. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  11. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (June 8, 2023). "Mark Ruffalo To Star In Crime Drama Series For HBO From Brad Ingelsby". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  12. ^ White, Peter (December 4, 2023). "Salli Richardson-Whitfield Boards Brad Ingelsby's Mark Ruffalo-Led HBO Task Force Drama Series As Director & Exec Producer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  13. ^ "Max Unveils New Brand Spot With Never-Before-Seen Footage From HBO And Max Originals". Warner Bros. Discovery. November 10, 2024. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  14. ^ Adams, Sam (September 7, 2025). "HBO's Next Big Sunday Night Show Is Here. It's Going to Make a New Star". Slate. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  15. ^ "Michael Keaton In Talks For New HBO Limited Series 'TASK'". Geek Vibes Nation. April 7, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  16. ^ Porter, Rick (December 11, 2023). "Tom Pelphrey Boards 'Mare of Easttown' Creator's Next HBO Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  17. ^ Bell, Brianna (December 13, 2023). "Emilia Jones, Thuso Mbedu Join HBO's Untitled Task Force Project From Brad Ingelsby". Variety. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  18. ^ Cordero, Rosy (December 18, 2023). "Raúl Castillo, Jamie McShane & Sam Keeley Join HBO's Brad Ingelsby Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  19. ^ Hailu, Selome (December 20, 2023). "Fabien Frankel and Alison Oliver Added to HBO's Untitled Task Force Project From Brad Ingelsby". Variety. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  20. ^ Grobar, Matt (March 8, 2024). "Owen Teague, Dominic Colón & Margarita Levieva Join Brad Ingelsby's HBO Task Force Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  21. ^ Grobar, Matt (March 12, 2024). "HBO's Task Force Drama From Brad Ingelsby Adds Raphael Sbarge, Mickey Sumner, Elvis Nolasco & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  22. ^ Grobar, Matt (March 19, 2024). "Isaach De Bankolé, Phoebe Fox, Silvia Dionicio & Coral Peña To Recur On HBO's Task Force Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  23. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 12, 2024). "Martha Plimpton & Mireille Enos Confirmed For Brad Ingelsby's HBO Series 'Task'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  24. ^ Bunch, Jesse (March 1, 2024). "A follow-up to 'Mare of Easttown' is filming in Delco". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  25. ^ Tannenbaum, Michael (March 1, 2024). "'Mare of Easttown' creator's next HBO show, starring Mark Ruffalo, seeks actors in Philly area". Philly Voice. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  26. ^ Schwartz, Ryan (August 12, 2025). "Mark Ruffalo's Task, From Mare of Easttown EP, Gets September Premiere Date on HBO — Watch Trailer". TVLine. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  27. ^ "Task: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  28. ^ "Task: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
[edit]