If HBO’s upcoming crime drama Task feels like Heat mixed with Mare Of Easttown, that makes sense, as it comes from the mind of Brad Ingelsby, who created the latter. Over the course of seven episodes, Task unleashes twists, turns and betrayals, combined with thrilling action, engrossing tension and powerful performances from Mark Ruffalo, Ozark’s Tom Pelphrey and CODA’s Emilia Jones.
The story unfolds in and around Philadelphia, and Ingelsby was determined that Task was shot there, too. Where, exactly? Take a look below to find out.
What happens in Task?
Tom Brandis (Ruffalo) is a former priest turned FBI agent struggling in the aftermath of his wife’s death. She was the reason Tom left the priesthood, and in the wake of her passing he’s turned to drinking, to the concern of his daughter Sara (Phoebe Fox) and two adopted children.
Despite his issues, Tom is called in by his bureau chief, Kathleen (Martha Plimpton), to organise and lead a task force following a number of robberies in Delaware County’s drug houses. These are being committed by Robbie Prendergrast (Pelphrey) and Cliff Broward (Raul Castillo), two garbage men who are robbing the money from the notorious Dark Hearts motorcycle gang.
While Tom and Robbie’s professions couldn’t be more different, they both are struggling with their home lives, and to build a better life for the people around them. Following the departure of his wife and the murder of his brother, Robbie is trying to raise his 21-year-old niece, Maeve (Emilia Jones), and his young son and daughter – which becomes even more complicated when the Dark Hearts and FBI start to close in on him.
Where was Task filmed?
As someone who was born and raised on the outskirts of Philadelphia, making sure Task was authentic to Delaware County and the people who live there was key to Ingelsby.
‘The sense of duty and family I observed growing up in Delaware County has become a subject I’m very passionate about,’ says Ingelsby. ‘I like writing characters and stories set in this region of Pennsylvania and I wasn’t scared to return to a place I’ve come to know so well because it’s in the blood in my veins, and I knew there was more material to mine.’
In order to achieve that, Ingelsby primarily shot the show in Delaware County, as he did with Mare Of Easttown.
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
With four siblings and an extended family still living in Delaware County, Ingelsby immediately knew where he wanted to shoot Task even as he was writing the show. Over the course of its seven episodes, Task spans the picturesque Ridley Creek State Park, which is over 2,606 acres and has 12 miles of hiking paths and five miles of bike paths.
They also filmed at Neumann University, a private Catholic university in Aston, Pennsylvania, and the Marcus Hook Community Center along the Delaware river. Production also incorporated some iconic local haunts, including the bar Dixon’s Lounge in Folsom and Upland Diner in Chester, as well as one of the many Rita’s Italian Ice spots in the area.
Philadelphia and beyond
Throughout Task, its characters venture outside Delaware County and into nearby Philadelphia. For scenes shot in the City of Brotherly Love, Ingelsby used Ralph’s Italian Restaurant, a classic Italian spot open since 1900.
For the show’s various sequences set out in nature, they filmed at Marsh Creek State Park in north central Chester Country, about an hour west of Philadelphia. They also shot 20 miles north of there at the Sixpenny Creek Quarry in French Creek State Park; Bangor Quarry, a borough 87 miles north of Philadelphia; and Woy Bridge, 192 miles west of Philadelphia.
Who stars in Task?
Four-time Academy Award nominee Mark Ruffalo is the star turn in Task. The Spotlight and Poor Things star, aka the Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, previously won Emmy Awards for his turns in the TV movie The Normal Heart and mini-series I Know This Much Is True. Ruffalo’s character in Task is loosely based on Ingelsby’s uncle, a former priest who left the Augustinian church.
‘Task comes off as a procedural, but thanks to Brad’s deep sense of humanity, the authenticity and fallibility of these characters ring true when Tom and his task force try to make a black-and-white case of the law,’ says Ruffalo. ‘What Brad achieves with his beautiful and true-to-life writing is a great deal of heart and soul.’
Audiences will know Tom Pelphrey from the Netflix series Ozark, for which he received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama series. He also appeared in Iron Fist, A Man In Full and the David Fincher movie Mank, as well as Outer Range and HBO’s Love & Death.
Meanwhile, Emilia Jones – the daughter of Welsh singer Aled Jones – is best known for her role in the 2021 Oscar winner CODA, which also landed her a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress. She has appeared in Locke & Key on Netflix, and she’ll pop up in Edgar Wright’s eagerly anticipated The Running Man in November.
Castillo has appeared in the HBO series Looking. Plimpton, of course, is a Tony and Emmy winner known for The Good Wife and The Goonies.
The rest of the cast includes: Mireille Enos (The Killing) as Tom’s deceased wife Susan; Jamie McShane (Sons Of Anarchy, Bloodline), who is part of the task force; Thuso Mbedu (The Woman King) as Aleah, a tight-lipped federal agent; Fabien Frankel (House Of The Dragon) as Anthony, a detective that’s just arrived from Philadelphia; and Alison Olivier (Conversations With Friends) as Lizzie, a state patrol officer struggling to fit in.
How can I watch Task?
The first of Task’s seven episodes will premiere on HBO on September 7, 2025. It will air in the UK weekly from September 8 on Sky and NOW.
Is there a trailer for Task?
There is, and you can check it out below.
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