Mark Ruffalo returns to the small screen in “Task,” a gritty crime drama miniseries set to premiere on HBO this September. Created by Brad Ingelsby, the series follows Ruffalo’s character, Tom, an FBI agent heading a task force assigned to stop a wave of violent robberies affecting working-class suburbs in Philadelphia. Ruffalo faces off against Tom Pelphrey, who portrays Robbie Prendergrast, a seemingly ordinary garbage man and family man secretly orchestrating the crimes. The show blends suspenseful crime elements with deep, personal stories, focusing on the complicated lives behind the investigation.
Exploring Faith and the Unseen in the Lives of ‘Task’ Characters
The show delves beyond crime procedural tropes, examining the intricate emotional and spiritual struggles of its lead characters. Creator Brad Ingelsby drew inspiration from his uncle’s journey, who left the priesthood, and his reflections on faith and doubt, shaping Tom’s character as a man grappling with belief amid tragedy. Ingelsby also spotlighted the overlooked but insightful roles of everyday workers, such as mail carriers and trash collectors, as a unique lens through which to explore hidden knowledge in communities. This fresh perspective fuels the series’ complex portrayal of Robbie, the trash man involved in the criminal plot.
“Task is really inspired by two things, I would say. One is my uncle being a priest — he left the priesthood — and me being very interested in that idea of faith and his relationship to faith, and that idea of sort of having faith and losing faith, and that really informs Mark’s character in the show and what his view of faith is in the midst of this tragedy. Then, the other part of it is just having had a conversation with our tech advisor one time, I don’t even know what spurred it, but we were talking about a crime or something like that, and he was saying the people that actually know the most about you and are the most invisible are our mailmen — they come through your neighborhood every single day; they know your building — and trash men because they’re going through your trash every week. They’re coming around once or twice a week. So, that idea was very interesting to me. I feel like we hadn’t seen it before, a trash man who was involved in this scheme.” —Brad Ingelsby, Creator
Two Opposing Forces: Faith’s Role in Tom and Robbie’s Conflict
Faith serves as a key theme connecting Tom and Robbie, whose differing outlooks drive the story forward. While Tom deals with the fallout of a painful event, Robbie’s perspective is shaped by his own troubled past and attempts to maintain his fragmented family. Ingelsby’s deep ties to Pennsylvania anchor the series in authenticity, enriching the narrative with a genuine sense of place and community familiar to the creator’s experience. The state’s working-class suburbs serve not just as a backdrop but as an integral character in the unfolding drama.
“Then, I was just really trying to come up with a plot to explore these two characters. Ruffalo, of course, being a guy that had experienced this tremendous tragedy in his life, and then the [Tom] Pelphrey character, who has a different level of faith and different understanding of faith, and there’s a sort of childlike kind of quality about him. I really like the idea of setting these guys on a collision course. And then, Pennsylvania really is just, I think it’s the blood in my veins. I think it’s what I know. It’s where I grew up. It’s where I live now. It’s just having an understanding of the world and the people here that maybe I don’t have of other places.” —Brad Ingelsby, Creator
Why Mark Ruffalo Was the Natural Choice for the Role of Tom
Selecting Mark Ruffalo was a defining moment that set the tone for “Task.” Ingelsby saw Ruffalo as an ideal match to portray Tom — a former priest turned FBI agent with layers of emotional depth. Known for his nuanced performances in films like “Foxcatcher” and “Spotlight,” and his recent Oscar-nominated work in “Poor Things,” Ruffalo brought the right mix of gravitas and humanity. His ability to embody a complex, deeply reflective character convinced the creative team early on that he was the right actor for the role.
“So I never write for, like, one actor. I always feel like that’s a bit of a dangerous thing. You get too attached to somebody. But as soon as the character was written, it’s a tricky part because it’s a guy that you have to believe was a priest at one time. He’s from a certain part of the country. It’s northeast. It’s working-class Pennsylvania. So, as soon as we started to put the pieces together, ‘Well, who could play this part?’ It was so obvious to us that Mark had that. I could believe him as a deep thinker. I could believe him as a priest. I could believe him as someone who would adopt these children. So, when you start to think about all the different layers of the character, I just loved the idea that it could be Mark.” —Brad Ingelsby, Creator
Mark Ruffalo Brings Warmth and Humor to a Weighty Story
Ruffalo’s involvement elevated the series beyond a dark crime story by infusing it with moments of levity and warmth. Ingelsby encouraged him to introduce humor where possible, balancing the somber tone of the narrative with the realities of everyday life. These subtle human moments make the character more relatable and add emotional depth to the unfolding drama. Ruffalo’s improvisational contributions, including small touches like the idea of a “Hershey Kiss” prop, enhanced the authenticity of the character’s experience.
“Luckily, when we pitched, and he read the first few episodes, he responded to it. Then, of course, he brings so much to the part. I think one of the things that Mark was able to bring to the part, and you’ll see that as you watch more episodes, and what I encouraged him to bring was some humor, too. It’s a heavy show at times. The subject matter is heavy, and I think Mark is really funny, and he’s able to find the comedy in the everyday, in the mundane details of life. I think he brings a great sense of warmth, but also a great sense of humor to the part as a guy caught in this extraordinary case, but also this extraordinary life event. So, it was almost like the deeper we got into the script, I felt like, ‘Man, this would be perfect for Mark Ruffalo.’ I’m so grateful that he responded to the part in the way that he did, and for all the extra layers and extra humor he brought to the part.” —Brad Ingelsby, Creator
Ingelsby revealed how Ruffalo’s comedic instincts added unique charm to the role: “Eat the Hershey Kiss.” This detail, created by Ruffalo himself, exemplifies the actor’s ability to humanize the character in subtle yet memorable ways.
A Diverse Ensemble Cast Enhances the Story’s Depth
“Task” features a broad and talented supporting cast that complements Ruffalo and Pelphrey’s central performances. Emilia Jones, Jamie McShane, Sam Keeley, Thuso Mbedu, Fabien Frankel, Alison Oliver, Raúl Castillo, Silvia Dionicio, Phoebe Fox, and Martha Plimpton are among the key players portraying a mix of family members, law enforcement, and criminal associates. Ingelsby described the narrative as revolving around three interconnected groups, including Ruffalo’s FBI task force, Pelphrey’s family and crew, and an influential biker gang, all slowly drawn together as the story progresses.
“Yeah, I think that’s really what the show is. I think if you look at it structurally, it’s a show that every episode continues to push these three groups of people, or these three families, together, and it’s all building towards a collision. What we set out to do is start these groups of people — it’s Ruffalo, it’s the task force, it’s Pelphrey, it’s his group, and then the bikers come in — far away from each other. Then, each episode, they get a little closer, a little closer, and we push them towards the point of collision.” —Brad Ingelsby, Creator
Building Toward a Dramatic Collision of Complex Characters
Ingelsby framed “Task” as a “collision course” series, a departure from his previous work that centered around a whodunit mystery. Instead of focusing on uncovering a killer, the tension arises from the impending confrontation of characters whose lives are intricately woven and morally multi-faceted. Viewers are encouraged to empathize with flawed people on both sides of the conflict, creating a deeply human and suspenseful experience.
“I won’t spoil when that happens or how it happens, but I always pitched the show as a collision course show. If [Mare of Easttown] was a whodunit and the tension was who was the killer, I think this show is a collision course show, and the tension comes from, I hope, if we’ve done our job, ‘Man, I like all of these people, and I know they’re going to collide. I’m scared to see what’s going to happen when that occurs.'” —Brad Ingelsby, Creator
He also emphasized his preference for writing compelling, layered characters over intricate plots, aiming to depict people whose true natures emerge gradually and unexpectedly. This approach allows the audience to find complex connections and emotional depth within each figure.
“I really see myself as a character writer; I don’t think I’m particularly strong at plot. So, what I like about writing characters and, as you said, morally complex characters, is just being able to dive in and allow an audience to experience complex characters — people that you think you understand, but then something’s revealed about them that illuminates the backstory of their life in a way you didn’t expect. I’ve found in my own life that people are incredibly complex, and they change, and what you believe about them isn’t true, and I always try to write characters in that way, and really try to give them many layers, and try to make them as human as possible to find some piece of connective tissue in each character. That’s, to me, what the great joy is. With Tom Pelphrey, he’s a guy who does awful things, but he’s a family man. He loves his kids. Tom, Ruffalo’s character, is trying to straddle these two women in his life, his daughter and his adopted daughter, and he’s saying things you probably shouldn’t say to each of them to assuage one side.” —Brad Ingelsby, Creator
Each Episode Aims to Reveal New Layers and Surprises
True to Ingelsby’s storytelling style, “Task” embraces complexity by continually peeling back layers in each episode, revealing unexpected aspects of the characters while maintaining their essence. This gradual uncovering offers viewers a rich and nuanced understanding of the story’s players over the course of the series.
“It’s hard. Life is hard. It’s complex, and I want to get to that. I want these characters to have dimension. That, to me, is a great joy of it, is to just keep going deeper and deeper and deeper. What you think you know about a character you’re surprised by in the next episode. So, that to me is a great joy. I don’t know that I have a gift for it, but I do like to go really deep with characters and look for ways to surprise an audience, while also still feeling honest to who the character is. That, to me, is the great joy of writing a TV show. You get to spend hours and hours and hours with characters in a way that you don’t get to do in a movie.” —Brad Ingelsby, Creator
Ingelsby also hinted at the extensive runtime of episodes, a deliberate choice to fully accommodate the story’s depth and character development.
“If you like it long, there’s not one episode that’s short. We were always up against time with this show. There was just way too much going on there, way too many characters. So, if you like long episodes, you will like Task.” —Brad Ingelsby, Creator
Anticipation Builds for the September Premiere on HBO
“Task” represents Brad Ingelsby’s return after the success of “Mare of Easttown,” promising a similarly immersive and character-driven narrative with intense emotional stakes. Mark Ruffalo’s portrayal of Tom, alongside Tom Pelphrey’s Robbie, offers a compelling clash between two morally complex individuals shaped by trauma and conflicting faith. With a talented ensemble and a setting rooted in Pennsylvania’s working-class environment, the show aims to captivate audiences seeking a crime drama rich in humanity and nuance. The series will debut on HBO on September 7, inviting viewers to experience a thoughtful, intense exploration of crime, faith, and unseen forces intertwined in everyday lives.
