Episode 2 of Task, HBO’s new crime drama created by Mare of Easttown showrunner Brad Ingelsby, premieres Sunday, Sept. 14, at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and streaming on HBO Max.
The series broadens the typical police-procedural focus to follow a task force, a family man turned robber and a pair of gangsters as their stories collide in the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia. The season opener ended with Robbie Prendergrast, played by Tom Pelphrey, and his accomplices caught in a robbery that left four people dead. Rather than kill a child who witnesses the scene, Robbie abducts the boy, Sam, and brings him into his own household, escalating an already fraught situation and intensifying the FBI’s hunt led by Agent Tom Brandis, portrayed by Mark Ruffalo.
Episode 2 is titled "Family Statements." Viewers can expect the investigation to deepen and the consequences of Robbie’s decision to reverberate through both his family and the task force. New episodes of Task will air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET through the series finale on Oct. 19.
HBO has scheduled seven episodes in total. The episode rollout is: Episode 1, "Crossings," on Sunday, Sept. 7; Episode 2, "Family Statements," on Sunday, Sept. 14; Episode 3, "Nobody’s Stronger Than Forgiveness," on Sunday, Sept. 21; Episode 4, "All Roads," on Sunday, Sept. 27; Episode 5, "Vagrants," on Sunday, Oct. 5; Episode 6, "Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a river," on Sunday, Oct. 12; and Episode 7, "A Still Small Voice," on Sunday, Oct. 19.
Task is available to subscribers of HBO and HBO Max. Current HBO Max subscription tiers include a monthly ad-supported plan and ad-free options; advertised pricing includes a $9.99-per-month ad tier, a $16.99-per-month ad-free tier, and a $20.99-per-month ultimate ad-free tier. Annual plans and bundled packages with Hulu and Disney+ are also offered, with varying prices for ad-supported and ad-free options.
The ensemble cast features Mark Ruffalo as Agent Tom Brandis and Tom Pelphrey as Robbie Prendergrast. Emilia Jones plays Maeve Prendergrast. Supporting cast members include Jamie McShane as Perry Dorazo, Sam Keeley as Jayson Wilkes, Thuso Mbedu as Aleah Clinton, Fabien Frankel as Anthony Grasso, Alison Oliver as Lizzie Stover, Raúl Castillo as Cliff Broward, Silvia Dionicio as Emily Brandis, Phoebe Fox as Sara Brandis and Martha Plimpton as Kathleen McGinty.
Critics and viewers have noted Ingelsby’s continued interest in the moral complexity of working-class communities and the ripple effects of crime on families. Task departs from single-case, hero-focused narratives by interweaving multiple perspectives: law enforcement trying to prevent a gang war, criminals whose crimes imperil their own families, and victims caught between those forces.
Sunday’s episode will be available live on HBO and on HBO Max for streaming immediately after the broadcast. Viewers without an existing subscription can sign up for HBO Max through its direct platform, through many pay-TV providers, or via bundled streaming packages that include HBO Max alongside other services.