From Brad Ingelsby, who previously gave us Mare of Easttown back in 2021, also on HBO.
So HBO gave him a three year deal, so Task is his latest offering.
Another crime/drama miniseries, where no doubt people will request a second season.
Mark Ruffalo gives a brilliant performance, alongside Tom Pelphrey, Emilia Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Raúl Castillo, Jamie McShane, Sam Keeley, Fabien Frankel, Alison Oliver, Silvia Dionicio, & Martha Plimpton.
Similar to his previous HBO series, Task is only 7 episodes long. But what is this about you ask? It's not your usual Hollywood glossy look at America. It's bleak, slow to start, but packs a punch.
Philadelphia-based FBI agent Tom Brandis is put in charge of a task force investigating a string of violent robberies against stash houses run by outlaw motorcycle gangs.
Spoiler alert for the seventh and final episode ahead. This did stream Monday on HBO Max (the latest and hopefully LAST streaming service to launch down under) which will launch It – Welcome to Derry next week.
Tom and Aleah look for evidence to prove Grasso is the source of the leak in the task force, Grasso struggles to deal with his feelings of guilt, Perry is under pressure to turn on Jayson, and Jayson tries desperately to find the money, unaware that the Dark Hearts are hunting him.
So how does it all go down?
Well it is full on, following a huge, action packed episode six.
I really enjoyed this series after a slow start. Like episode one was real slow. The build was real, but the episode was long and at times super drawn out. I did end up smashing episodes 2-7 back-to-back not week to week.
In, A Still Small Voice, Tom tells Aleah that Grasso was accused of leaking information to the Dark Hearts several years ago.
He says he believes Grasso was the source of the leak to the Dark Hearts about their current investigation as well, but that their options are limited because they have no real evidence. She persuades Tom that the two of them should go to Wissahickon Park to look for such evidence. When they visit the park the next morning, they find the stolen car Cliff was driving when the Dark Hearts attacked him. In the car they find the phone he was using at the time. They ask Kathleen to get them Ray Lyman's phone so that they can prove it was used by Grasso to direct Cliff to that location. Kathleen obliges.
They discover that a different phone has been substituted in evidence for Ray's phone, and that this different phone made calls from Grasso's neighborhood.
Meanwhile, Eryn's body is found in the lake where she was drowned by Perry. A chain with Perry's initials is clutched in her hand.
Grasso visits his sister Frankie. He tells her that "some things are going to come out" about him because he has been involved in wrongdoing that got a young woman killed. To her dismay, he admits that this wrongdoing is the source of the money he has provided to help their family, including her, in recent years. He says he can no longer live with his actions and plans to turn himself in.
Vincent meets with Chief Dorsey. He tells Dorsey that due to the killing of an FBI task force member in the shootout, they must "cut ties" with anyone involved in the task force's investigation. Dorsey agrees and indicates he plans to kill Grasso and make it look like suicide.
Perry, hiding with Jayson at an isolated house owned by Donna's late mother, calls Vincent to find out "where I stand." Vincent tells him that he must kill Jayson by the next morning if he is not to face retribution from the Dark Hearts. Perry arms himself with a knife for the purpose, but cannot bring himself to kill his protege.
Vincent visits Donna. She discloses that she overheard Breaker talking with Jayson about going to see Maeve, who is Billy's daughter and Robbie's niece. Pressed by Vincent, Donna tells him where Perry and Jayson are hiding, and Vincent sends his henchmen to deal with them.
Breaker calls Jayson to reveal that Eryn's body has been found, along with evidence that Perry killed her. Perry, swimming nearby, sees Vincent's people approaching and tries to warn Jayson, but Jayson stabs him to death and then flees.
Chief Dorsey goes to Grasso's house to carry out his plan, but Grasso surprises him and holds him at gunpoint. As they talk, Vincent appears and shoots both Dorsey and Grasso, killing Dorsey and wounding Grasso. Grasso returns fire, killing Vincent. Dorsey told Grasso that the Dark Hearts would seek out Maeve. Grasso drives off to intervene, unaware that Kathleen is monitoring his phone and has alerted Tom.
Grasso arrives at Maeve's house, bleeding badly from his wound but able to warn her to leave immediately with the children. She is intercepted by Jayson and Breaker, who force her to reveal where she has hidden the money. Tom and Aleah arrive and enter the house looking for Maeve. Aleah is attacked by Breaker but after a prolonged struggle manages to shoot him. Jayson tries to escape with the money by using Maeve to shield himself from Tom and Aleah. The wounded Grasso has hidden in Jayson's car; he surprises Jayson and shoots him dead, saving Maeve.
Grasso is taken to the hospital to recover. Kathleen is told by her boss in no uncertain terms to close the case.
Tom visits Grasso, who asks whether Tom, the former priest, will give him "a penance" for what he has done. Tom replies that he has never given anyone a penance because he believes people punish themselves enough for their sins. Tom decides not to tell anyone about the bag of money he found when Jayson was killed. Weeks later, Maeve takes Harper and Wyatt and they leave town to start a new life.
At home, Tom makes peace with Emily, promising he will always keep her safe. Tom, Emily and Sara attend Ethan's sentencing hearing, where Tom has decided to make a "family impact statement." He states that despite the many challenges of dealing with Ethan's mental illness and despite Ethan's actions that caused his wife's death, he forgives and loves him and will welcome him back to their home when his sentence is over. Ethan listens silently, tears running down his face.
Some time later, Tom is informed that a foster family has taken an interest in Sam. Father Daniel urges him to think about whether it would be best for Sam to remain with the Brandis family, given the problems they may have to deal with in the future. Tom decides that it is best for Sam to have a new family. After Sam leaves, Tom repaints Ethan's room, where Sam has been staying, making it ready for the time when Ethan will come home.
What a ride. This could be one of HBO's best series of 2025. I look forward to seeing It – Welcome to Derry's first episode next Monday at a special screening. I may even do a special post for that.
I loved the recent It films, so I am excited for their final one hour series of 2025.
Until next time. At least it's not 40 degrees today. I clearly knew bad weather was coming early with my new series title, Scorchin' Summer Streamin' 25.
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