I was employed as a reporter by a newspaper in Chester, Pennsylvania, when I needed to relocate. I found an apartment that was the ideal size and price, but I quickly dismissed it when I discovered that it was inhabited by members of a motorcycle club. Apparently biker activity has only grown since I left the area. A new HBO series, TASK, features Mark Ruffalo as Tom Brandis, an FBI agent whose investigation into violent home robberies soon evolves into a confrontation with the ruthless bike gang (here referred to as the Dark Hearts), which operates a drug trade in Delaware County. 

The series, produced by Brad Inglesby, the creator of HBO’s Mare of Easttown, which starred Kate Winslet as a detective in the same county, offers another snapshot into a depressed area of our country at a time when people are struggling to make ends meet. A criminal gang holds sway over a community, leaving many innocent women and children caught in the crossfire.

Martha Plimpton and Mark Ruffalo

Brandis, a former priest, finds himself working a career fair at a local college when he is unexpectedly assigned to the task force. His supervisor officer, Kath McGinty (Martha Plimpton – where have you been?), reveals that resources are limited. Instead of FBI agents, Brandis’ team is composed of three young and untested local law enforcement officers for a job that comes with significant risks. They are forced to settle in a rundown safe house that is fortunate enough to have running water and electricity. 

Robbie Prendergrast (a brilliant Tom Pelphrey) and Cliff Broward (Raul Castillo), two garbage collectors for J&W Sanitation, have good intentions (if robbing drug dealers can be considered such), but they are ill-equipped to handle the aftermath. During their rounds, they stumble upon the stash homes run by the bikers, sensing a significant event about to unfold. They plan to raid the house when the bikers are away, but unfortunately, the drug deal is delayed. When Robbie, Cliff, and a young third man nicknamed Peaches, arrive, a shootout ensues, resulting in the deaths of three bikers and Peaches. Instead of money, Robbie and Cliff escape with a duffel bag filled with fentanyl. 

Tom Pelphrey

But there’s a significant complication. Sam, a ten-year-old whose father was killed, is alive. Robbie, who has two children of his own and, by all appearances, is a good father, is unable to kill the boy. Maeve, Robbie’s niece, has been taking care of his two children and now has another child to look after. She reluctantly agrees, but when she sees a news report and recognizes the missing child as Sam, she tries to leave him at a bargain store. Sam sneaks back into the car, and Maeve is forced to bring him back home. 

The shootout means the FBI must ramp up its work and additional officers are brought in to supplement Tom’s team. Brandis soon learns that there’s a leak. Someone is passing along information to the bikers. Kath promises to dig deeper into the backgrounds of the three young officers assigned to his team. 

Brandis is taking on one of the toughest assignments of his career when his personal life is a mess. Tom and his wife, Susan, have a biological daughter, Sara (Phoebe Fox).  But they adopted two children, Emily and Ethan. When he became a teen, Ethan developed serious psychological problems, hearing voices that told him to do terrible things. After he killed Susan, Ethan was charged with the crime. Tom has never been able to forgive his son and has never visited him in prison, creating a rift with Emily, who regularly sees her brother. Ethan is now eligible for parole and a member of the family must read a statement. Will it be Tom?

Emilia Jones

TASK is multi-layered. Robbie dreams about a better life for himself and his kids, but seeing few options, turns to crime. He’s willing to do whatever it takes, but, in the end, places his children and niece in danger. While the series is heavily male, it’s the women who stand out as they battle to keep themselves and their families safe. A standout is Emilia Jones as Maeve, whose bravery and tenacity makes the men around her look small and cowardly. The two women on Tom’s task force, Aleah Clinton (Thuso Mbedu) and Lizzie Stover (Alison Oliver), are polar opposites, but band together to prove their worth. And Eryn (Margarita Levieva), married to Jayson (Sam Keeley), the head of the bike gang, is running out of time to save herself and her children. 

Ruffalo is terrific as Tom, who remains conflicted about his beliefs. Anthony Grasso (Fabien Frankel), a Delaware County detective and a member of the task force, is curious about Tom’s former life as a priest, always asking him questions. Were people scared when they were dying? Yes, Tom tells him. After confession, when a person admits to horrible deeds and gets off with saying three Hail Marys and two Our Fathers, is that it? Tom says that confession was something invented by people so sinners could shed their shame. In the end, they still have to face God. And when Anthony asks if Tom gave people penance, he says. “I never did. People do enough beating themselves up.”

Photos courtesy of HBO