task web series review
Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Tom Pelphrey, Emilia Jones, Martha Plimpton, Alison Oliver, Fabian Frankel, Thuso Mbedu, Raul Castillo, Silvia Dionisio
Producer: Brad Inglesby
Star Rating: ★★★★1/2
If Brad Inglesby’s Mare of Easttown was about grieving mothers, his follow-up with The Task is about fathers and the burden and guilt of the responsibilities they carry. This is not a drill. Inglesby’s new HBO show is undoubtedly an interesting move, boasting great writing and excellent performances from the cast. Consisting of 7 episodes, The Task is a crime drama that is never a mystery. In place of intrigue, there is deep compassion for both parties involved in the chase. That’s what sets Task apart, Inglesby is interested in people and their reasons, fears and mistakes – never manipulating one side of the story to prioritize the other. It slowly but surely takes over you with its extraordinary power.
Base
The first episode sets the drama in a Philadelphia suburb, introducing both parties involved and giving viewers a choice about who to worry about most. At one end, there is Tom Brandis (Mark Ruffalo), an FBI agent who spends his days at university career fairs aimlessly sharing brochures on why someone should join the FBI. For garbage collector Robbie (Tom Pelphrey), his job, teaming up with his best friend, Cliff (Raul Castillo), gives him the opportunity to seize what they’ve been dealing with, which sets the duo up to rob the same houses at night.
Robbie’s sister Maeve (heartbroken CODA star Emilia Jones) is unaware of this and has taken on more household responsibilities than she asked for. Meanwhile, Tom is assigned to a three-man task force to investigate a series of home invasions. It consists of Lizzie (Alison Oliver), Aleha (Thuso Mbedu) and Anthony (Fabian Frankel). When a robbery goes horribly wrong, leaving a member of The Dark Hearts biker gang facing violent consequences, Tom and his task force are given a few days to solve the case.
As the cat-and-mouse chase begins, the show, co-directed by Jeremiah Zagar and Salli Richardson-Whitfield, expands to include more characters, past interactions, and cliffhangers. It’s full of heartbreak, sudden deaths and heartbreaking resolutions, making for a mesmerizing moral tale of our constant need to protect our kin. Inglesby’s writing makes even the smallest supporting turns count in the cast, weaving a rich tapestry of characters steeped in the despair of crime and violence.
what works
Tom and Robbie may seem to be on opposite ends of the landscape, but they are inherently tied in their cruel fates. Episode 6 in particular is extraordinary. Written and shot stunningly by Alex Deisenhoff and Eli Smolkin, the hour-long title delivers a much-needed culmination between a heartbreaking thread of connection between two extremes and shared parental suffering.
The task is powered by the performances of its cast, with Castillo and Oliver being standouts. Tom Pelphrey has always been good, and this may be the performance of his career. The way he shows his devotion to Robbie’s grief and remorse in later episodes is heartbreaking to watch. His bubbly presence matches well with the subdued energy that Mark Ruffalo brings to Brandis. He consistently evokes the deep emotional complexities of his priest-turned-FBI agent, understated emotion and conveying much through tough physicality.
The work is sometimes frustrating and deeply saddening, but ultimately rewarding. Inglesby wants you to be patient with these guys. He wants you to stand close, and watch carefully and unobtrusively. Let them find their way, let them lose, let them see what they have done. Like the best work, the task holds us close and allows us to see the world anew with a remnant of hope. It’s one of the best shows of the year, one that lingers long after it’s over.
