Task puts a family man at the center of a robbery investigation and turns it into one of the best shows of its season. The HBO drama, created by Brad Ingelsby, follows FBI agent Tom Brandis, played by Mark Ruffalo, as he leads a task force hunting a string of violent robberies tied to outlaw motorcycle gangs. The first season premiered on September 7, 2025 with seven episodes, and it earned a 7.7 from critics on Metacritic.
Trailer, via HBO Max.
The Brandis Agent
Tom Brandis is not a standard TV agent. He is a family man, husband to Emily Brandis, played by Silvia Dionicio, and father to a young son. His wife’s quiet, uneasy presence gives the show its tension. Brandis is smart, careful, and he knows exactly what he is getting into when he takes on the case, even if his family does not.
Ruffalo carries the series with a performance that moves between cold calculation and guarded tenderness. The show keeps Brandis close to the action, letting the audience see how the work changes him, not just at the office but in the house, where his wife watches him with growing worry. It is a subtle, careful piece of acting, and the show’s success rests on it.
The Prendergrast Family
Robbie Prendergrast, played by Tom Pelphrey, is the unsuspecting family man who is at the center of the crimes. Maeve Prendergrast, played by Emilia Jones, is his wife. Together, Pelphrey and Jones build a portrait of a family living a quiet life while their husband’s business pulls him toward violence. Pelphrey’s win of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series was a clear sign of how critics viewed the show’s cast.
The show’s strength is in how it treats the Prendergrasts. They are not villains. They are people caught up in something far beyond themselves, and the series spends real time with their home life, their worries, and their love for each other. That intimacy pays off in the later episodes, where the cracks between the two families widen.
The Task Force
The supporting cast gives the show depth beyond its leads. Fabien Frankel plays Anthony Grasso, Raúl Castillo plays Cliff Broward, and Jamie McShane plays Perry ‘Dizzy’ Dorazo. These agents are not side characters; they move the investigation forward, and each brings their own doubts and instincts to the table. The show does not treat them as fodder for the main plot. It gives them room to be human.
The Emmys
Task received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including acting nods for Ruffalo and Pelphrey. Pelphrey’s win was a clear sign of how critics viewed the show’s cast.
The show was originally billed as a limited series. Its strong reception led to a renewal in November 2025, with Ruffalo, Plimpton and Dionicio returning for a second season. The second season also added new faces, including Mahershala Ali.
| Season One | Season Two | |
|---|---|---|
| Premiere Date | September 7, 2025 | Not yet aired |
| Episodes | 7 | Not yet aired |
| Cast | Ruffalo, Plimpton, Dionicio | Ruffalo, Plimpton, Dionicio, plus Ali |
| Status | Completed | Renewed, not yet aired |
| Emmy Nominations | 6, including acting nods for Ruffalo and Pelphrey | Not yet announced |
The Verdict
Task earns its 7.7. It is a show that understands tension, character, and the cost of doing the right thing. The second season is on the horizon, and the show’s creators have room to grow. For now, the first season stands as a strong entry in the crime drama genre, one that respects its characters and rewards its audience.
The score is a fair one. Seven episodes, strong performances, and a clear emotional payoff make Task a show worth watching.
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