HBO has returned to the gritty, rain-soaked streets just outside Philadelphia with its latest Sunday night crime drama, Task. Premiering on September 7, 2025, at 9 PM ET/PT, the seven-episode limited series marks the comeback of Brad Ingelsby, the creator who made waves with 2021’s Mare of Easttown. While Task doesn’t bring back Kate Winslet’s iconic detective, it does offer a fresh ensemble of characters wrestling with trauma, poverty, and the relentless cycles of crime and punishment that seem to haunt this corner of Pennsylvania.
Like its predecessor, Task is steeped in the cultural quirks and blue-collar realities of the Philadelphia suburbs—think Acme grocery bags, Wawas, scrapple, and, of course, the ever-present rallying cry of “Go Birds.” But, as USA Today notes, this time Ingelsby trades the whodunit for a high-stakes game of cops and robbers, set against the gray-and-brown palette that’s become his signature. The show’s opening moments are a masterclass in wordless storytelling, introducing viewers to two men on opposite sides of the law: Tom Brandis, a fallen FBI agent played by Mark Ruffalo, and Robbie Prendergrast, a garbage man-turned-thief portrayed by Tom Pelphrey.
Brandis, once a Catholic priest, is still reeling from a family tragedy that’s left him a shell of his former self. According to The Decider, he’s been relegated to staffing career fair booths, his investigative spark dulled by grief and guilt. But when a series of stash house robberies targeting the notorious Dark Hearts biker gang threatens to ignite gang warfare, the FBI calls him back into action. Brandis is tasked with assembling a ragtag team of local law enforcement—among them, a shaky state trooper (Alison Oliver), a domestic violence survivor (Thuso Mbedu), and a pretty-boy detective (Fabien Frankel)—to stop the escalating violence before the streets run red.
The heart of Task beats with the struggles of Robbie Prendergrast. By day, he’s a well-liked garbage collector; by night, he’s leading a crew on daring home invasions of drug dens. His targets are specific: the stash houses of the Dark Hearts, a biker gang that controls much of rural Pennsylvania’s drug trade. Robbie’s motivations are as tangled as the streets he prowls—he’s desperate for cash to support his kids and perhaps, as Vulture observes, to heal wounds that run deeper than any bank account. His adult niece, Maeve (Emilia Jones), is left to raise his children, her own life on hold while he chases what he believes is freedom from poverty and past mistakes.
Pelphrey’s performance as Robbie is nothing short of revelatory. As USA Today puts it, “With his grizzled beard and kind eyes, he makes an ideal foil for Ruffalo’s oafish and blunt task-force leader.” The show’s tension crackles in every encounter between these two men—Brandis, the agent seeking redemption and penance, and Robbie, the working-class striver whose hope is as fierce as his desperation. Both are haunted by grief, both are locked in fractious relationships with the women in their lives—Brandis with his teenage daughter Emily (Silvia Dionicio), and Robbie with Maeve, who’s just about had enough of his mess.
And what a mess it is. The robberies, initially dismissed by the FBI as small-time, quickly spiral out of control when one heist goes sideways, leaving bodies in its wake. Suddenly, the stakes are higher—not just for Robbie and his crew, but for the entire community as the threat of a gang war looms. The Dark Hearts, led by elder statesman Perry (Jamie McShane) and his hot-headed protégé Jayson (Sam Keeley), are drawn into the fray, their grip on the local drug trade threatened as violence escalates.
Yet, for all its darkness, Task refuses to paint its characters in black and white. According to USA Today, “Both men are good, both men are bad and both men have made terrible mistakes.” The show’s moral complexity is reminiscent of classics like The Wire, but it’s infused with Ingelsby’s uniquely Philly sensibility—equal parts compassion and world-weariness. There’s not an ounce of levity to be found, but the pace is brisk, the stakes are real, and the characters are so richly drawn that you can’t help but root for them, flaws and all.
The ensemble cast is a who’s who of rising stars and familiar faces. In addition to Ruffalo and Pelphrey, the series features Alison Oliver, Thuso Mbedu, Fabien Frankel, Raúl Castillo, Silvia Dionicio, Phoebe Fox, and Martha Plimpton. Each brings depth and authenticity to their roles, whether it’s the rookie cop trying to prove herself or the biker gang matriarch fighting to keep her family together. The show even nods to its shared universe with Mare of Easttown; eagle-eyed viewers will spot the Easttown PD at a job fair in the opening episode, a wink to fans of Ingelsby’s previous hit.
Task is also notable for its commitment to regional specificity. As Vulture details, Ingelsby peppers the script with references to scrapple, water ice, and shopping at the Acme, trusting that audiences can find their way without heavy-handed exposition. This confidence in storytelling allows the series to focus on what matters: the slow-burn unraveling of its characters as they navigate a world that’s often unfair, sometimes brutal, but always achingly real.
For those eager to dive in, new episodes air every Sunday at 9 PM on HBO and HBO Max, with the finale scheduled for October 19, 2025. The episode titles themselves hint at the show’s philosophical bent—“Crossings,” “Nobody’s Stronger Than Forgiveness,” and “A Still Small Voice” suggest a journey as much about inner reckoning as external conflict. HBO Max subscriptions start at $9.99 per month with ads, climbing to $20.99 for the ultimate ad-free experience, and bundles are available for those looking to pair with other streaming platforms.
In the end, Task is not a show for the faint of heart. Its relentless gloom can be punishing, and, as Vulture quips, “Bingeing the whole thing would be like slugging cough syrup.” But for viewers willing to sit with its discomfort, to walk alongside its broken heroes as they search for meaning in the shadows, the reward is a drama as gripping as it is unflinching—a worthy successor to Mare of Easttown and a testament to the power of place, pain, and the possibility of redemption.
