Crime is a risky business. The bigger the payoff, the bigger the risk, and the stakes can be unbelievably high if you mess with the wrong people. The limited series Task explores how quickly things can spiral out of control when a drug robbery turns deadly and a group of criminals become the target of both law enforcement and the unforgiving operation that has lost both personnel and product as a result of their actions, the latest compelling television from Mare of Easttown creator Brad Ingelsby.
In the opening installment of this seven-episode series, Robbie (Tom Pelphrey) and Cliff (Raúl Castillo) find their latest mark as they scout drug houses under the guise of picking up garbage. An understandably hostile response from the people they’re robbing leads to drastic consequences that put Robbie and Cliff in severe danger. Priest-turned-FBI agent Tom (Mark Ruffalo) leads a team to track down their mystery suspects, while Perry (Jamie McShane) takes a more ruthless approach to ensuring that he tracks down what belongs to him and makes those responsible pay severely.
There’s no better frame of reference to set audience expectations for this series than Mare of Easttown. The key difference is that the criminals get a major focus as significant as law enforcement, and it’s known who they are from the start, even if the identity of a mole in the task force isn’t revealed until midway through the series’ run. It’s dark, grueling, and very much irreversible, and anyone is subject to being killed off in the middle of an episode, not protected by top billing and just as susceptible to being caught in the crossfire of an extremely precarious situation with multiple parties all fighting to survive.
Ruffalo returns to HBO after winning an Emmy for playing twin brothers in I Know This Much is True, and he brings a gentleness to Tom, who is grieving not only the loss of his wife but also the splintering of his family due to his son’s incarceration, that gives this show a needed light touch. The group brought together to aid Tom includes talented young actors Fabien Frankel, Thuso Mbedu, and Alison Oliver, each of whom bring personality and a degree of unseasoned persistence and vulnerability to their characters that make them very compelling, balanced out by the disgruntled pessimism expressed by Ruffalo’s boss Kathleen, played by the always-terrific Emmy winner Martha Plimpton.
Emmy nominee Pelphrey, a fan favorite from Ozark as the well-intentioned but highly problematic brother of Laura Linney’s character, humanizes Robbie in a way that makes him immediately sympathetic despite the unforgivable acts he and Cliff commit. Castillo is dependably good, and the standout from their sector of the story is Emilia Jones, who continues to choose terrific roles and delivers a passionate performance as Maeve, who isn’t involved in Robbie’s criminal activity but who can’t entirely separate herself from what he’s done and its implications. Even the organized crime elements aren’t devoid of humanity, and every person watching this show might be rooting for a different faction to prevail, or at least for them all to experience some degree of redemption.
While also set in the Philadelphia suburbs, this show doesn’t feel quite as location-specific as Mare of Easttown. There is some humor to be found, but Tom is not Mare, and this series ultimately leans more into the dark underbelly of its premise, looking at how one bad decision can spiral into unforeseen consequences and pave a brutal path of destruction. Seven episodes feels like a solid length which enables both the building of characters and suspense and the opportunity for relatively quick resolution as things turn even more sour and only some players emerge alive. HBO is still very much in the business of delivering prestige television as its latest gripping and engaging limited series potently demonstrates.
Series Rating: 8/10
