Task is a new show coming to HBO, created by Brad Ingelsby, who previously worked on Mare of Easttown. Also set in Philadelphia, Task centers around a man named Tom Brandis, a former priest-turned-FBI agent, who is brought back into the field after a recent string of robberies, specifically at crack houses, that are committed by Robbie and his two buddies, Peaches and Cliff.
The episode begins with a quick montage showing the daily routines and lives of Tom and Robbie. Robbie is seemingly a regular garbage man with some notable exceptions, like studying a specific house where they pick up trash. We also learn that Robbie’s wife left him, and has been gone for a year, in a conversation with Cliff. Tom seems to be more of a temporary voice for the FBI, rather than a full-fledged investigator. At the agency’s internship meet-and-greet, he tells an undergraduate student that he’ll be back in the field soon. After this, we get back to Robbie and Cliff, who are back at work in front of the same crack house with the tattooed man in front, examining their garbage, when they decide to rob the house that night. We also get to meet the third member of the crew, Peaches, aka Peach Boy. They tell him they are robbing the house that night.
In the next scene, we get more information about Tom and his family. He is in an attorney’s office when he hears that a judge has confirmed sentencing for Tom’s son. The attorney asks him to talk to his daughter, Emily, about a possible impact statement, which could place weight on the judge when determining the length of the sentence. Of course, Emily seems unwilling to answer the question when asked.
Eventually, we get to the part where Robbie and the gang rob the crack house. Robbie and his boys rob a drug den for the sales money, and it’s revealed that gangs are starting to blame each other for the robbery, leading to a potential turf war between rival gangs. Tom is called in by Kathleen McGinty, a chief at the FBI, telling him that he is going back into the field. After begrudgingly obliging, he, along with a few other agents, is sent to their base of operations, an abandoned home that Tom tries his best to clean up. This scene is intercut with showing Robbie, Cliff, and Peaches just having fun in a lake. This contrast from the night before really shows you that, despite what they do, they are just good friends. Finally, the trio pulls another routine robbery, which becomes anything but routine when everything that can go wrong does.
This episode as a whole is mainly a character introduction (which is, of course, usually to be expected with the first episode), portraying the contrasting nature between Tom and Robbie. One is a family man with a united, but chaotic family dynamic, while the other has a calmer, but seemingly more distant life. It seems too early to call out specific weaknesses, but the next episodes could hold some bearings to bring up what was improved upon in the future installments. The first episode wasn’t bad and brings excitement for what the future holds for this miniseries.
Rating: 7.4/10