Task likely would have gone down in history as one of HBO’s best miniseries, but it was surprisingly picked up for a second season that will see Mark Ruffalo reprise his role as FBI Agent Tom Brandis. Although Season 1 ends with Brandis only beginning his path of healing, it also concludes with the climactic death of Robbie Prendergrast (Tom Pelphrey), a criminal who was dealing with his own personal family issues. Task was always going to face high expectations because of the dichotomy between Robbie and Brandis, which evolves beyond a simple cat-and-mouse game between two men on opposite sides of the law. However, the recent announcement that two-time Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali would be joining the second season suggests that showrunner Brad Ingelsby has another masterpiece on his hands.
While details about where Task Season 2 will go are minimal, Ali is set to play new character Eddie Barnes, a respected DEA agent who leads his own team. Since the first season featured a face-off between Brandis’ task force and Robbie’s crew, it would make sense to add another character who leads their own unit. That an actor of Ali’s quality would sign up for a continuing series indicates that Ingelsby has something very special in mind for the future of Task. While Brandis’ superior, Kathleen McGinty (Martha Plimpton), and the traitorous detective Anthony Grasso (Fabien Frankel) may very well be returning, the inclusion of a potential new nemesis for Ruffalo’s character will take Task in a different direction.
Mahershala Ali Needs a Role Like HBO’s ‘Task’
Ali is a brilliant actor who has unfortunately not been onscreen as often as his talents deserve due to the unusual development hell surrounding the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of Blade; after several directors departed the project and the script was reworked, Ali’s superhero project appears to be dead. Ali isn’t well-served by disappointing blockbuster fare like Jurassic World Rebirth, but he has already proven himself to be well-suited for an HBO series. True Detective was an interesting case in which Ali revamped the anthology show and built back its credibility, which had been eroded after the second season failed to match expectations. Inserting him into a show like Task, which already has an established ensemble of great actors, means that he will have even more space to develop a compelling character.
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We never thought these two would cross paths so soon.
Ali’s character is a logical addition because the season finale of Task leaves several unanswered questions regarding the different criminal organizations involved in the stashhouse that Robbie had stolen from. Even if the money is safely in the hands of his family, the Dark Hearts are still operating, which may explain why the DEA could be involved in the situation. Season 1 revealed that Tom is an inherently skeptical character who is generally unwilling to share responsibility with others, as he was initially dubious about commanding his own task unit; his confidence has likely been shaken further after Grasso’s betrayal. The conflict between the DEA and FBI, who may have different goals when it comes to the criminal situation in Pennsylvania, would seemingly be the complication that Task needs in order to develop into a more expansive series moving forward. Since the first season was so eloquent in fleshing out the backstories for both Robbie and Brandis, there’s an opportunity for Ali to offer an equally compelling story for Eddie that would explain his relevance to the story.
HBO’s ‘Task’ Can Sustain Its Quality Through Expanding Its Cast
The presence of a character like Ali’s Eddie would indicate that Task Season 2 is picking up on an interesting thread from Season 1 regarding the unreliable nature of law enforcement. Beyond Grasso’s role as an informant for the Dark Hearts, it’s hinted that the other members of the FBI can’t be trusted, which is why Tom needs to lock down his own unit. The DEA may have completely different motivations that have less to do with bringing the criminals to justice and more with the seizure of drugs. At the same time, the detail that Eddie is a “well-respected” member of the community would imply he is perceived very differently from Tom, who has kept his private life a secret after dealing with a personal tragedy. Tom’s reputation might be under fire even more in the next season, given that he had allowed Maeve (Emilia Jones) to leave the state without facing any further investigations.
The addition of a robust supporting cast is essential to Task because the show created a thoughtful balance of established names and rising stars. While Ruffalo was obviously a big draw in Season 1, the series also helped to highlight newer talents like Sam Keeley and Alison Oliver. Ali is the type of universally respected actor who can sustain viewer interest in Task, giving it more opportunities to bring in emerging stars with the potential of being breakouts. It also proves that Task‘s renewal was not an impromptu decision based on the positive reaction to Season 1, but part of a plan that Ingelsby had from the beginning; if the writing for Season 2 is strong enough that one of the greatest living actors wants to be involved, then there is even more reason to believe in the future of Task.