Another small-town Philly crime story has hit HBO after the massive success of Mare of Easttown four years ago. Task comes from the creator of Kate Winslet‘s critically acclaimed show, Brad Ingelsby. Mark Ruffalo leads this crime thriller, which adapts a lot of spiritual elements from Inglesby’s earlier show. However, Task and Mare of Easttown are not directly related.
While Winslet’s show was a whodunnit murder mystery, Ruffalo’s show deals with a cat-and-mouse chase between cops and violent robbers. Opposite Ruffalo, we also get a brilliant performance from Tom Pelphrey. The Ozark actor plays an unassuming family man who is the mastermind behind the violent robberies.
The two shows also share similarities in their color palettes and themes of grief and generational trauma, besides the Delaware County connection. Ingelsby addressed the similar setting of the stories during the NYC premiere of the show. He shared, “I think there were still more stories to be told about people in Delaware County” (via THR).
While Task isn’t a sequel to Mare of Easttown, Ingelsby likes the possibility of a crossover between the two shows. He shared that he wouldn’t be surprised to see Mare walk into a Wawa and meet Ruffalo’s Tom in it. He shared:
They exist in the same world, so it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Mare walked into a Wawa that Tom was in. I don’t have a story in mind that’s a crossover, but I love the idea of their worlds intersecting.
Pelphrey was also all in for the crossover idea, sharing, “Welcome to the new MCU.” He further added that he was a big fan of Ingelsby’s previous show. He shared, “If there’s a version where those things crossover, I think that would make a lot of people very happy.” Ingelsby also hinted at the possibility of a second season for Task as long as audiences have an interest in this season.
Mark Ruffalo’s Task Is a Character-Driven Mystery Drama Much Like Kate Winslet’s Show
Brad Ingelsby’s work on Mare of Easttown leaned heavily on the character study of the people in the Easttown suburb. Kate Winslet’s Mare wasn’t just a detective investigating a murder; she was a former local sports hero who later had to cope with her son’s suicide and the collapse of her marriage. On top of that, she then had to face people’s doubts about her skills after the multiple incidents in the town.
Ingelsby brings a similar focus to Task. The lead character, played by Mark Ruffalo, is called back into the field after taking time off to deal with a family tragedy. Like Mare, he has a bit of a drinking problem. However, Ingelsby ensures that the character study isn’t limited to the protagonists.
In Winslet’s series, we saw Mare’s family and friends navigating their own grief, as well as the struggles of the families of the murdered girl and missing girls. When it comes to Task, we have some nuanced performances.
Tom Pelphrey’s Robbie shifts seamlessly between shades of good and bad, while Emilia Jones stands out in her role as Robbie’s 21-year-old niece. Ruffalo’s crew in the series consists of state trooper Lizzie, played by Alison Oliver, Aleah, played by Thuso Mbedu, and detective Anthony, played by House of the Dragon fame Fabien Frankel. Each of these characters also has some backstory.
Ruffalo earlier told THR about his preparation for the role, where he had a lot of support. He shared, “So much of it was what [Tom’s] dealing with personally. But I also had just the most incredible technical advisor, Scott Duffy, who is an FBI agent.” Ingelsby further shared why he picked The Avengers actor for the role:
I think Mark Ruffalo, as a person, has many of the admirable qualities of Tom as a character, and those are compassion, empathy, always looking to find the good in people and incredibly humble. When you start to list the qualities that Tom Brandis has, he’s in the seminary; he’s from the northeast; he’s a father; he’s a theologian — you have a list of perfect actors that is really small and Mark is at the top of that list.
As for Pelphrey’s casting, Ingelsby shared that the actor’s “infectious” laughter landed him the role. He shared about Pelphrey’s casting, “He has the physicality to play Robbie.’ He also has the humanity to be a father, to care for his kids and he’s really sensational.”
Task Release Guide: Episode Dates and Where to Stream
Task also stars Emilia Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Raúl Castillo, Jamie McShane, Sam Keeley, Fabien Frankel, and Amanda Mahlaba. The first episode of the show premiered on HBO on September 7, 2025. New episodes will roll out on Sundays until the seventh and final episode of the season. Here are the release dates and details of each episode:
| Episode No. | Task Episode Title | Credits | Release Date |
| 1 | Crossings | Directed by: Jeremiah Zagar Written by: Brad Ingelsby | September 7, 2025 |
| 2 | Family Statements | Written by: Brad Ingelsby | September 14, 2025 |
| 3 | Nobody’s Stronger Than Forgiveness | Written by: Brad Ingelsby | September 21, 2025 |
| 4 | All Roads | Teleplay by : Brad Ingelsby Story by : Brad Ingelsby & David Obzud | September 28, 2025 |
| 5 | Vagrants | Teleplay by : Brad Ingelsby Story by : Brad Ingelsby & David Obzud | October 5, 2025 |
| 6 | Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a river. | Directed by: Salli Richardson-Whitfield Teleplay by : Brad Ingelsby Story by : Brad Ingelsby & David Obzud | October 12, 2025 |
| 7 | A Still Small Voice | Written by: Brad Ingelsby | October 19, 2025 |
The first episode of the show has received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the show boasts an 89% approval rating based on 35 critic reviews. The website consensus read, “Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey are superb in Task, a culturally-specific crime story that’s unrelentingly bleak but equally riveting.”
What do you think of Mark Ruffalo’s new gritty crime thriller Task? Let us know in the comments below!
New episodes of Task will be released on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The first episode is now available for streaming on HBO Max. Mare of Easttown is also available on HBO Max.
