Task – Series Review | HBO Max

TASK on HBO Max is a new crime thriller from the creator of Mare of Easttown. The story is very complete and unfolds over seven very strong episodes. The casting alone should draw you in, but the characters and plot will keep you there. Read our full Task series review here!

TASK is a new HBO limited series with seven episodes. I was very happy to binge-watch the entire thing, but I wouldn’t have minded if I could have made it last longer. With the episodes released weekly, you’ll have the chance to make it last.

This comes from the creator of the Kate Winslet series Mare of Easttown, but in this new series, there is a distinct Sons of Anarchy vibe. Once again, the casting is also brilliant, with Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey starring in the lead roles.

Continue reading our Task series review below. Find episode 1 on HBO Max on September 7, 2025.

Mark Ruffalo as FBI Agent Tom Brandis

While this is a thriller and crime series, there is much more to the story than “just” criminals and those chasing them. Mostly, we see every single character as a fleshed-out person. This includes a lot of pain and trauma.

For FBI Agent Tom Brandis (Mark Ruffalo), this includes the personal pain of having lost his wife and having a son in prison. After being assigned to attend career fairs to attract new FBI recruits, he is asked to create a new task force.

As we get to know Tom, there is so much more than meets the eye. From his career before joining the FBI to his family situation and his need to drink (a lot) every single night.

He is a mess, but he desperately wants to do good and make a difference. This is a perfect role for Mark Ruffalo, who seems to effortlessly breathe life into Tom Brandis in such a way that you root for him, even when he is an idiot.

Meet the FBI Task Force

His task force consists of three law enforcement officers from vastly different backgrounds. The three people in the Task Force are Anthony (Fabien Frankel), Lizzie (Alison Oliver), and Aleah (Thuso Mbedu).

These three characters, who all have obvious strengths and some dangerous weaknesses, will soon become a good team thanks to Tom Brandis. However, as you will see in early episodes, this team is not off to a great start.

Even their “office” is a rundown house that Tom himself needs to clean and prepare. Yeah, a Task Force may have been formed, but it doesn’t feel like the highest priority of the FBI.

The criminals hunted by the FBI

The story of Task is set in the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia, which is a perfect backdrop for the story that unfolds. The task force led by FBI agent Tom Brandis is meant to put an end to violent robberies.

These robberies have been targeting houses of other criminals and are led by the unsuspecting family man, Robbie (Tom Pelphrey). His literal partners in crime are Cliff (Raúl Castillo) and Peaches (Owen Teague).

However, the family aspect of Robbie means we also see the effect on his family, which is already a mess. His wife recently left him with their two kids, and his brother was murdered, so his niece lives with him and his kids.

This has resulted in his niece, Maeve (Emilia Jones), a very young adult herself, having become the de facto mother of the house. Not something she asked for, but she loves the kids and will do what she can for them.

Another child will also come to play a key role on a roundabout way: The sweet Sam (Ben Lewis Doherty). If that kid doesn’t soften your heart just a little bit, it must be made of stone.

The Dark Hearts

It turns out that Robbie has managed to go after some criminals affiliated with the biker gang Dark Hearts, which feels like a clone of Sons of Anarchy. And I do mean this as a huge compliment.

I have missed that show so much, so I welcomed it here.

Among the bikers in the Dark Hearts, we have characters that feel very familiar (again, if you have watched Sons of Anarchy), and they’re even portrayed by very familiar faces.

You’ll come across Jamie McShane (Wednesday), Sam Keeley (The Cured), and Colin Bates (Queer, Mayans M.C.).

Finally, as the boss of Tom Brandis and his FBI Task Force, we get the immense pleasure of seeing Martha Plimpton (Prime Target) portraying a tough-as-nails FBI agent Kathleen McGinty who always speaks her mind.

Watch Task on HBO Max

The creator of Task is Brad Ingelsby, who previously created the amazing Mare of Easttown. More recently, he also wrote Echo Valley. He also serves as the writer, showrunner, and executive producer of the series, so this truly is his project.

Also working as executive producers and directors on the seven episodes of the series are Jeremiah Zagar (We the Animals) and Salli Richardson-Whitfield. Also, yes, Mark Ruffalo is on board as an executive producer as well.

I’m not sure how to sell this HBO Max series to the ideal audience except to say that it delivers a little (sometimes a lot) of everything. It is very much about the world of crime, which results in a strong thriller plot. However, it also breaks your heart.

Task premieres on HBO Max on September 7, 2025. The episodes will release weekly, with the finale out on October 19, 2025.

Details

Creator: Brad Ingelsby
Directors: Jeremiah Zagar & Salli Richardson-Whitfield
Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Tom Pelphrey, Emilia Jones, Jamie McShane, Sam Keeley, Thuso Mbedu, Fabien Frankel, Alison Oliver, Raúl Castillo, Silvia Dionicio, Phoebe Fox, Martha Plimpton