Task: The Complete First Season Blu Ray Review (Warner Bros.)

Task is a 2025 crime television series written, executive produced, and created by Brad Ingelsby (Out of the Furnace, Run All Night, Our Friend, American Woman, The Way Back, Mare of Easttown, and The Lost Bus). It was directed by Jeremiah Zagar (It’s in the Game: Madden NFL, Hustle, In a Dream, We the Animals, 7 Deadly Sins, Captivated: The Trials of Pamela Smart, and The Fix) and Salli Richardson-Whitfield (Eureka, Luke Cage, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Doom Patrol, The Punisher, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Black Lightning). It was executive produced by Ron Schmidt (Watchmen, House of the Dragon, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, Hellraiser franchise, Scream 4, and Dracula franchise). In the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia, experienced FBI agent Tom Brandis (played by: Mark Ruffalo from The Avengers franchise, Now You See Me franchise, The Dentist, Foxcatcher, Collateral, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Zodiac) is in charge of an elite task force to put an end to a string of brutal robberies led by an unsuspecting family man Robbie Prendergrast (played by: Tom Pelphrey from Ozark, Banshee, Iron Fist, Mank, Outer Range, and Guiding Light)!!!! Task is a gritty, tense, action packed, and suspensful television show from HBO. Tom Brandis is given the responsibility of stopping a small truck time crew that’s been causing all kinds of problems and violence in their community. Brad Ingelsby has always been a great writer so it’s no real surprise that Task is executed perfectly and it’s one of the best things on TV for the year. The talented Mark Ruffalo really shines as the determined FBI agent Tom Brandis. It’s crazy how big television is these days. Some of the most known actors are going to the small screen because it offers more than most feature films at the moment. This character is all about his work and it continues to interfere in his personal life but he’s dedicated to solving these cases. Tom Pelphrey is the charming criminal Robbie Prendergrast, he has 2 separate lives. He appears to be a normal family guy but he’s also a dangerous thief that will do whatever it takes to pull off his crimes. He is usually careful when it comes to planning but something goes terribly wrong that ends in tragedy. He has a code but it becomes an issue with some of his associates. He just wants to support his family but it’s becoming too much of a risk. The main characters for Task have an adrenaline fueled cat and mouse game with each other that just keeps building up. The rest of the supporting cast includes Emilia Jones (CODA), Jamie McShane (Sons of Anarchy), Martha Plimpton (The Goonies), Jack Kesy (Hellboy: The Crooked Man), Brian Goodman (What Doesn’t Kill You), Raúl Castillo (Smile 2), Sam Keeley (Kin), Fabien Frankel (House of the Dragon), Thuso Mbedu (The Woman King), Silvia Dionicio (Wu-Tang: An American Saga), Ben Lewis Doherty (Best Medicine), Alison Oliver (Saltburn), Phoebe Fox (Blue Iguana), Stephanie Kurtzuba (Tulsa King), Dominic Colón (Power), Kennedy Moyer (Roofman), Robert Berlin (Castle Falls), Margarita Levieva (Adventureland), and Owen Teague (IT). It takes it’s time to develop with it’s slow burn approach but it rewards it’s viewers for their patience. Task follows the classic cop versus crook formula and loaded with thrills. It mixes both crime and family in a smaller setting. The street smart robbers all wear masks while they take away from the powerful drug dealers in the community which includes a vicious biker gang. It’s bad and much worse in this nasty situation but the FBI is still trying resolve this war. A kidnapping takes place during one of the jobs which makes things more complicated. Task doesn’t shy away from it’s violent acts and gruesome aftermaths. I wanted more after the 7 episodes were done, I am really curious what they are going to do next for it’s follow up season. Task is quality in every possible way, HBO has been on fire lately when it comes to their recent TV productions. This is a must watch, it’s still steaming so give it a shot if you get a chance because it’s amazing. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from Warner Bros Pictures in association with HBO! These 1080p (2.00:1) transfers on all 7 episodes. It has stylish cinematography, sharp production design, and gritty locations for it’s visuals. It doesn’t really feel like television, it feels like more like cinema. Lately, a good amount of TV just stays on streaming so I’m happy that Task actually got it’s own physical media release. It has an English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track on all 3 discs. It has enough crime, violence, and action to keep the sound standing out on your home setup. All of the dialogue is crisp, the suspense is elevated, and the music has huge boost to it. It has English SDH subtitles. It has a little over 47 minutes of “Task Unmasked” for each episode so there’s 7 all together. The cast and crew show up to chat about what went down each week here and they go into great detail about it. I always enjoy these and most HBO productions do this for their shows. It gives a little more insight into everything in this wild world. It has the little over 2 minute “Philly Slang” that’s a trivia style game with the talent involved with Task. It comes with a slipcover. It’s available everywhere right now including Moviezyng.com, CHECK IT OUT!!!!