NEED TO KNOW
A starry upcoming HBO series teases a tale of forgiveness, heartbreak and family.
The trailer for the new drama Task was released on Tuesday, Aug. 12, and sees Mark Ruffalo as FBI agent Tom leading a task force to end a string of violent robberies.
Tom Pelphrey, known for playing Ben Davis in Ozark, stars opposite Ruffalo as untrusting family man Robbie, who is embroiled in a life of crime.
“It’s easy to talk about forgiveness and mercy when it’s not your loss,” Pelphrey’s Robbie says at the top of the trailer, as a snapshot of a home invasion flashes on the screen.
Peter Kramer/HBO
The focus cuts to Ruffalo’s Tom, who meets with FBI honcho Kathleen, portrayed by Martha Plimpton. The senior employee assigns him to the task force. She is later heard saying, “We need to find this crew before a turf war escalates.”
Meanwhile, Robbie explains his motive behind the crimes. “I’m going to take their money so we can have a better life,” the father of two tells his partner.
Tensions seem to arise between Robbie and his partner. She is seen accusing him of ruining their kids’ lives and leaving the family. Tom, meanwhile, also has issues in his home life that result in arguments at the dinner table and tearful confessions.
Tom appears to eventually close in on Robbie, and they face each other at gunpoint.
“Even if I wanted to go home, I don’t know the way no more,” the criminal admits.
Peter Kramer/HBO
The seven-episode series comes from Mare of Easttown’s Brad Ingelsby and also stars Emilia Jones, Jamie McShane, Sam Keeley, Thuso Mbedu, Fabien Frankel, Alison Oliver, Raúl Castillo, Silvia Dionicio and Phoebe Fox.
“Set in the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia, an FBI agent heads a task force to put an end to a string of violent robberies led by an unsuspecting family man,” the synopsis teases.
HBO
Ruffalo executive produced the show alongside Ingelsby, directors Jeremiah Zagar and Salli Richardson-Whitfield and more.
The Marvel alum was last seen on the small screen in 2023’s All the Light We Cannot See. The actor won an Emmy for his work as twin brothers in I Know This Much is True, which he also executive-produced. He is next set to star in Cooper Raiff’s comedy series Hal & Harper.
Pelphrey’s credits include Guiding Light, Outer Ranger and A Man in Full.
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Task premieres Sept. 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. New episodes will air weekly.