Task: The Complete First Season: Brad Ingelsby Delivers Another Riveting Crime Thriller (DVD)

The Show:

When writer Brad Ingelsby last graced our television screens back in 2021, he brought us the remarkably compelling miniseries "Mare of Easttown," a fascinating murder mystery that garnered him a WGA Award and an Emmy nomination (which he most definitely should have won). The show was an amazing success and resulted in an extended deal with HBO, which leads us to his next television effort known as "Task," another series that takes us to a small & remote town where the authorities attempt to deal with local crime along with their personal family issues. "Mare" is an incredibly hard act to follow, but could Ingelsby possibly give us another series that has the audience on the edge of their seats as its small town drama unfolds?

Taking place in Pennsylvania, the show follows Tom Brandis (Mark Ruffalo), an FBI agent who is currently working as a recruiter for the Bureau following a family tragedy. However, his boss, Kathleen (Martha Plimpton), soon assigns him to head up a task force to investigate a series of robberies of drug houses run by a gang called the Dark Hearts, with Aleah Clinton (Thuso Mbedu), Anthony Grasso (Fabien Frankel), and Lizzie Stover (Alison Oliver) filling out his team.

Meanwhile, we also follow those committing the robberies: Robbie Prendergrast (Tom Pelphrey) and his friend Cliff Broward (Raúl Castillo), who have been using their jobs as trash collectors to stake out the houses. When one of the robberies goes wrong, it leads to the death of a colleague, the acquisition of a bag full of drugs, and their kidnapping of a gang member's young son, whom Robbie brings home in the meantime. With the boy's life believed to be in jeopardy, Tom & his team must work tirelessly to find him and bring the thieves to justice, all while the gang conducts an investigation of their own.

With "Task," Brad Ingelsby delivers another gripping tale of ordinary people dealing with intense crime in a rather isolated area, driving the story forward with compelling twists & turns, emotional family drama (on both sides of the law), and fascinating, fleshed-out characters to follow throughout the entire seven-episode journey. Just like with "Mare," this is a series where you simply sit back and go where it takes you with its various story & character developments, all of which successfully pull us in thanks to Ingelsby's impressive ability to create people & places that feel remarkably real.

It is rather fair to say that not all of it works as well as it could have, specifically in regards to certain plot threads that aren't fully explored. There's a whole piece of backstory involving Tom's adopted son having murdered Tom's wife that's touched on throughout the series, but it never really gets delved into all that deeply, making it feel as though it was added merely to created a bit of additional tension & drama within the family (which includes Tom's biological daughter and his adopted daughter). It would also be accurate to say that it perhaps loses a bit of steam when it comes down to the last episode or two, a description that could also be directed at "Mare," though in that instance it was all in service of delivering a bombshell ending. With "Task," it pretty much comes to a close the way you would expect, still delivered in a strongly compelling manner, but not really pulling any big surprises.

Overall, "Task" is still quite a wild ride that acts as a worthy follow-up to Ingelsby's previous series, giving us all of the captivating pieces needed to turn this into a gripping crime thriller, including excellent performances from the entire ensemble, headed by four-time Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo. This makes it fantastic news that the show has already been renewed for a second season, with Ruffalo set to return to take on another case. At this point, Ingelsby has more than proven that he's pretty damn good at this specific type of show, so there seems little doubt that he'll wow us once again when it comes back. Season one was an impressive start, and now begins the long wait to see where its talented creator wants to take us next.

Video/Audio:

"Task: The Complete First Season" comes to DVD in a 2.00:1, 480p standard definition transfer of decent quality. The picture is typical DVD resolution, presenting an image that's very slightly hazy, but still quite watchable. On the other hand, the 5.1 Dolby Digital audio track is fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in excellent quality. Overall, taking into consideration that it's a lower-quality format, Warner Bros. has done a fine job in both areas for the show's physical release.

Special Features:

Task Unmasked (7 Featurettes): Brief behind the scenes looks at each of the seven episodes.

Philly Slang (2 Minutes): Brad Ingelsby, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Pelphrey, and Thuso Mbedu quiz each other on Philly slang.

Conclusion:

"Task: The Complete First Season" has creator Brad Ingelsby presenting us with yet another riveting tale of authorities trying to deal with crime in a small, isolated town, complete with compelling twists & turns, emotional family drama, and fascinating, fleshed-out characters brought to life by fantastic performances from the entire ensemble, ultimately making for a rather gripping little crime thriller that gives fans of the genre exactly what they want.

Score: 4/5

Now available on DVD.

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