HBO’s Task: Top Quality, Yet Not Particularly Special TV
If I tell you that a series is an HBO original show, it most likely gives you the idea that the show will be of a higher quality than your average program. Not every HBO series will be uniquely suited to every viewer – a show might just not be your cup of tea – but it’s hard to deny that a good portion of the better TV over the past couple of decades has come from the premium TV network.
Task is a seven-episode miniseries that feels extremely like what you’d expect HBO to deliver. The acting is top-notch. It’s well-written. And, it has a story that feels more grounded in reality when compared to other shows of this type.
Despite all of its strengths though, I’d argue that Task doesn’t have anything especially noteworthy or original in it that really sets it apart as truly spectacular or memorable. I think that most people who watch Task will like it and appreciate it as above average TV, but I don’t suspect many viewers would rank it as one of the best shows they’ve watched in recent years. Basically, this is a really good show that’s missing that special something that makes a program phenomenal.
Story-wise, we focus on (you guessed it) a task force. This particular task force is headed by FBI agent Tom Brandis, who’s got enough problems going on at home that he would benefit from a second task force helping him deal with all of his personal issues. Still, he’s chosen as the man for the job. Tom and three other law enforcement officers (chosen from different departments) are investigating a string of robberies of stash houses that are all run by the same ruthless motorcycle gang. The plot thickens when one robbery goes wrong and a little boy goes missing.
Meanwhile, we also see the goings on of the men committing the robberies, most specifically their leader, Robbie Prendergrast. Like Agent Brandis, Robbie could also benefit from a special task force to deal with all of his personal issues, which include his wife having left him alone to care for their two kids, and also living under the same roof as his 21-year-old niece, Maeve, whose father (Robbie’s brother) was murdered by the biker gang Robbie’s been stealing from.
None of the story of Task is particularly original. It feels like crime drama TV shows like this are a dime a dozen. Since we’re dealing with a basic story, the acting and writing are really going to make or break the show. As I mentioned earlier, both are first-rate.
Mark Ruffalo stars as the lead agent and I enjoy him in the role. He’s been collecting big paydays as a member of the Avengers for so long, it’s nice to see him play a character that requires more talent and actual acting. The very bearded Tom Pelphrey stars as Robbie and he really does a fine job too. He’s able to expertly walk the line between playing a criminal, but also being likeable, while also feeling not too much like he’s just the villain with the good heart trope.
The rest of the cast does a fine job, though no one really stands out. I think part of that does have to do with how unoriginal the characters feel. There’s Tom’s boss, the grizzled vet on the verge of retiring. There are evil bikers. There’s the screw-up member of the task force who needs to get her act together. The innocent kid. The wiser-than-her-years character (Robbie’s niece). Of course, there’s a rat too. The acting is good enough that you don’t really mind it while you’re watching it.
There are a few very well-written scenes, as well as one or two great overall scenes that stand out, particularly towards the middle episodes. The writing definitely helps elevate the show. Task isn’t a show that thinks its audience is dumb, and everything, even things that are not really super believable, is explained in a way that mostly makes sense.
The show does have a little bit of a problem with its pacing when it comes to the overall story. At first, things happen very fast, but then, after episode 5, everything really slows down too much. This is a seven-episode series that should’ve been tightened up to five episodes.
There are no real surprises either with Task. I’m not saying every show needs some big twist, but everything pretty much happens exactly how you expect it to. It feels sometimes like the show’s creators are just going through the motions of doing what it’ll take to make a quality show without throwing in any secret ingredients to make it outstanding.
Still, overall, Task is up to the task of being a quality show. There are far worse programs out there that you could be spending seven or so hours with, and if you enjoy crime dramas, you can’t go wrong with this one. Task is good, HBO-quality TV, but I don’t think you’ll be thinking about it too much down the road after the end credits roll.
Grade: 7.5/10