Task creator Brad Ingelsby reveals why the crime series isn’t a whodunit like Mare of Easttown

After the rousing success of Mare of Easttown, creator Brad Ingelsby is back with a new venture, Task, and it is already creating waves. The latest HBO crime series is more than just a whodunit, it is in fact the multifaceted story around the lead characters played by Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey that draws the audience.

Even though the new series has the same setting as Mare of Easttown, the characters and the storyline are much different. While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, creator Brad Ingelsby shared that Task is distinct from its predecessor, despite the similarities. He said,

“There have been times in my life where I’ve thought that I want to do something completely different. I wasn’t thinking that way for this show. There were still more stories to tell here in Delaware County. What resonated with people (with Mare) was the specificity and the sense of place. I didn’t want to do another whodunit. That was Mare. I never wanted the audience to feel like we were trying to do Mare again — even though it shares some sense of place.”

Task premiered on HBO on September 7, 2025. Season 1 of the series comprises of seven episodes with new episodes airing weekly. The finale is slated to air on October 19, 2025. Along with Ruffalo and Pelphrey, the crime drama series also stars Emilia Jones, Fabien Frankel, Thuso Mbedu, Raul Castillo, Alison Oliver and Owen Teague.

What is Task about?

HBO’s Task revolves around a veteran FBI agent Tom Brandis (played by Ruffalo) who is investigating violent burglaries in suburban areas in Philadelphia. Tom was a priest who took a career in FBI after the death of his wife. His complex family dynamics and the challenging career makes his character central to the series. While speaking about Ruffalo’s character, Ingelsby shared that he drew inspirations from people in his life. He said,

“My uncle. He left the priesthood… I’ve always been quite intrigued by my uncle’s journey, so I wanted to tell a story about a guy who’s lost his faith — in this case, through a tragic incident (to Tom) that occurred within the family…Just like Mare was the story of a woman who wasn’t able to confront the death of her son, this is a story of a guy who has to forgive his own son on some level. I just had to figure out what the hell to do with the block to get him there.”

In Task, Pelphrey’s Robbie Pendergrast is a garbage collector who moonlights as a robber and drug dealer. But Robbie isn’t the quintennial villain we would come to learn. He is a family man who is dealing with his own grief and the robbery is means to provide a decent life for his family. The two lead characters share similarities and have their own struggles, which makes them appealing. As per Variety, Ingelsby said,

“There are parallels. As the story builds, you’ll find even more parallels up to the point where the two characters collide. It’s a story about two fathers, whereas “Mare” was a story about mothers. It’s also about two guys who are processing loss in different ways. With Robbie, it’s the loss of his brother and the absence of his wife and the real uncertainty as to whether she’s ever going to come home.”

He further added,

“With Tom, it’s understanding a profound loss in his life. They both love their families and are trying to take care of their families. They feel like maybe they let their families down. The deeper the show goes, the more you start to see how close these characters are. When they ultimately have scenes together, they see that as well and discover these pieces that connect them.”

While there have been speculations about Mare of Easttown coming back for another season, Ingelsby teased that the conversations are still on.

Watch Task on HBO.

ALSO READ: Wednesday Season 2: Owen Painter and Hunter Doohan discuss the dark family drama at the core of part 2

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