Mark Ruffalo wearing an FBI jacket and looking to his side in Task, Episode 5.Image via HBO
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Billy Fellows
Published 54 minutes ago
Billy is a Senior Features Author for Collider. Having written over 300 articles in just over a year, Billy regularly covers the biggest TV shows and films releasing while also analysing some of the most underrated properties that may slip your attention.
Having studied for an MA in Screenwriting at UAL in 2023, Billy honed his writing skills and also developed his ability to critique the work of other creative minds.
Before that, Billy studied politics at the University of Nottingham, which helped him to bring nuanced and scholarly analysis to the frameworks within which filmmakers and writers have framed their thematic messages.
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HBO's hit series Task not only dominated the charts upon its release, but also received high praise from both audiences and critics, earning a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Considering the quality and word of mouth, it shouldn't come as any surprise that Task has already been greenlit for a second season, which will seemingly see Mark Ruffalo's Tom Brandis returning to Brad Ingelsby's thrilling and poignant crime drama. While no cast members from Season 1 have been confirmed to return, Task has a unique opportunity to set itself apart from other TV crime dramas while keeping the show's core themes intact.
Mark Ruffalo's Tom Brandis Should Have a New FBI Task Force in Season 2
Considering his role as an executive producer and protagonist of Task, Ruffalo's return almost goes without saying, but that doesn't mean the other surviving task force members should return, too. In terms of storytelling, the whole point of this batch of misfits coming together was so that, in accomplishing their mission, they could heal some of their respective inner conflicts. This was not only achieved by the end of Task's Season 1 finale, "A Still Small Voice," but was done so in the best way possible.
Grasso (Fabien Frankel) redeemed himself by taking accountability for his past crimes and the death of Lizzie (Alison Oliver), while Aleah (Thuso Mbedu) learned to reconnect with people emotionally after her traumatic past of abuse. Any attempt to bring these characters back would only hurt their arcs or make them less interesting to watch. Even using Grasso as a tool for Tom to get inside a criminal game plan would feel extremely hollow, considering their farewell, where Tom essentially forced Grasso to absolve himself by not making him perform penance.
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Posts By Kareem Gantt Oct 26, 2025Giving Tom a new cast to interact with would help to reflect his own evolving character arc, with how he managed to balance being an FBI agent against his conflicted past as a former priest. A greater challenge for him could involve his becoming a mentor, embracing his responsibility as a leader in the Bureau. On a practical level, the entire point of the task force was that it wasn't a well-funded unit that happened to stumble onto a larger case, so it makes more sense for the FBI to tap new task candidates for a new case, rather than fund the same group again.
Only One Storyline Needs to Carry Over From 'Task' Season 1
Andrew Russel as Ethan on 'Task.'Image via HBO
Task shouldn't just have a new group of investigators, but a new group of antagonists to pursue. Obviously, Robbie (Tom Pelphrey) can't return, given the character's definitive fate, but neither should the villainous Dark Hearts. While they were fascinating, the organization is far less intriguing when it doesn't have Perry (Jamie McShane) and Jayson's (Sam Keeley) dynamic fueling further conflict within and without the criminal network. If Task simply introduced new leaders of the biker gang, the audience would only be invited to compare them to what came before, rather than seeing them as uniquely compelling characters in their own right.
That doesn't mean that all of the events of Season 1 should be ignored; the storyline that makes most sense to continue into Season 2 is Ethan's (Andrew Russel) journey as he seeks to rehabilitate himself in the wake of his adoptive father's forgiveness. Despite only physically appearing in two episodes, the complex emotions that each member of the Brandis family has for Ethan, coupled with the season's promising ending of Tom preparing for his son's eventual homecoming, mean that his storyline holds the most narrative potential heading into a second season.
'Task's New Cast and Focus Would Enhance Its Creator's Core Themes
Mark Ruffalo hugging Silvia Dionicio and Phoebe Fox in Task Episode 7.Image via HBO
Typically, it wouldn't be considered the norm for a TV show to keep one character and remove the others, even if The White Lotus has proven that it can work when done properly. However, what The White Lotus also proves is that such an approach allows creatives to take on a far more important role in shaping the continuity of certain themes. Mike White has done this, and it seems like something Ingelsby could excel at. Already, through Mare of Easttown and now Task, audiences have enjoyed watching Ingelsby share his explorations of the working-class areas of Philadelphia.
Creating a unique cast of characters and a new crime to solve would allow for a different look at how humans react to circumstances like poverty and being immersed in a world that has let them down. This wouldn't just prevent the storyline from feeling repetitive, but allow each season to function as its own character study, while contributing to a larger examination of the world Ingelsby seeks to portray. Rather than defining this world by returning faces, it would be defined by shared experiences and truths.
Overall, considering fans will have to wait until 2027 for Task's return, Ingelsby still has plenty of time to make up his mind about what kind of story he wants to tell and the characters he wants to use. However, he should absolutely consider the idea of refreshing Task with a new cast and case. The benefits of doing so far outweigh the idea of bringing back Aleah, Grasso, or any Dark Hearts members, which would likely stagnate Tom's personal arc right when Ruffalo's character is growing most.
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Task
Like Follow Followed TV-MA Crime Drama Release Date 2025 - 2025-00-00 Network HBO Directors Jeremiah Zagar
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Mark Ruffalo and Allison Oliver hold guns as they approach a crime scene in Task.Image via HBO
Mark Ruffalo in HBO's Task
Tom Pelphrey as Robbie getting into a car in TaskPeter Kramer / ©HBO / Courtesy Everett Collection
Mark Ruffalo looking suspicious in TaskPeter Kramer /©HBO / Courtesy Everett Collection
Alison Oliver in Task episode 2.Peter Kramer / HBOClose
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Tom Pelphrey
Robbie
Task is a crime drama set in the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia. It follows an FBI agent leading a task force to stop a series of violent robberies orchestrated by a seemingly ordinary family man, unraveling the complexities behind his dual life.
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