Pop Culture Happy Hour – “Task” (HBO Series Review)

Date: September 24, 2025
Host: Glenn Weldon
Guests: Waylon Wong (co-host, NPR’s The Indicator), Roxana Haddadi (Vulture TV Critic)

Episode Overview

This episode delves into HBO’s new crime drama series Task, created by Brad Ingelsby (of Mare of Easttown fame). The panel analyzes its blend of crime thriller intrigue, heavy family drama, and unique Philadelphia setting. Hosts Glenn Weldon, Waylon Wong, and Roxana Haddadi offer contrasting takes on the show’s bleakness, emotional depth, performances, and regional authenticity, sparking a rich conversation about masculinity, grief, and what sets Task apart—or doesn’t—from its prestige-TV peers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Premise & Philly Setting

• Glenn Weldon [00:51]: Sets the table, describing Task as “a grim but, if you stick with it, a stealthily hopeful drama” set in the Philly suburbs, centering on world-weary FBI agent Tom (Mark Ruffalo) investigating criminal activity linked to rival gangs and family tragedies.
• Philly Bona Fides [08:04]: The show quickly establishes its Philadelphia roots, with rapid-fire local references (“KYW News Radio,” “Blue Route,” “Acme,” “water ice”) winning Weldon’s “Philly bingo” early in the pilot.

“Would I be as invested as I am in the show if it was set in, like, the Pittsburgh suburbs or, you know, Lancaster freaking County? That’s an open question. But my way in is so specific.” – Glenn Weldon [09:20]

2. Structure & Storytelling Styles

• Waylon Wong’s View [04:33]: Praises the structure as a “three way cat and mouse, with a bit of 'who’s the mole' thrown in.” She enjoys the pacing, layered performances, and the show’s willingness to flesh out even minor characters.

  • Criticism: Finds Ruffalo’s Tom saddled with too much “heavy, heavy baggage”—suggests the emotional weight could’ve been eased.

    “We could’ve done a Coco Chanel thing and taken off one sad thing before he left the house.” – Waylon Wong [05:18]

• Roxana Haddadi’s Take [06:25]: She cares little for the crime mechanics (“Sons of Anarchy light”), but the father-daughter dynamics and domestic malaise grab her. Her interest centers on “male loneliness” and its ripple effects on those around them.

  “If you, as a man, feel lost or aimless, how does that sort of permeate the people around you?... I’m like a real sucker for, like, what’s wrong with men these days?” – Roxana Haddadi [07:25]

3. Character Development, Performance, and Representation

• Accent Work [08:04]: The panel notes the commitment (and restraint) with the Philly accent, especially with Ruffalo’s Tom, who “worked very hard to get rid of it.”

• Male Protagonists [13:42]: Mark Ruffalo’s exhausted, heavyhearted Tom, and Tom Pelphrey's deep, nuanced Robbie, get special praise.

  “He’s so tired in this, and I think that really works.” – Roxana Haddadi on Ruffalo [13:44]

• Supporting Cast:

  • Martha Plimpton as Tom's boss stands out for injecting rare humor and life (“always eating, doing the Brad Pitt in Ocean’s movies” [11:43]).
  • Amelia Jones as Maeve is hailed as the most well-rounded female character, enduring hardship but delivering the show’s emotional thesis (see Quotes below).
  • Fabian Frankel subverts his “predictable, hotshot young cop” persona for more depth as the series progresses [13:47].
  • Children’s Performances [15:21]: Noted as “so good,” especially in scenes expressing generational impact of trauma.

• Critique of Female Characters [12:28]:

  “The men, for the most part, are better written than the women. With the exception of Maeve, who I think is pretty well rounded in her frustration with being stuck in this town.” – Roxana Haddadi [12:28]

4. The Show’s Central Themes: Loneliness, Grief, and Masculinity

• Glenn Weldon [15:54]: Explores the show’s fixation on “men talking about their feelings, but specifically grief,” and how both Tom and Robbie have mismanaged mourning, impacting themselves and others.

  “Forgiveness, which the show is all about, is something that absolutely no one should give out because absolutely no one ever deserv[es it], which is a really poisonous view of the world, and it’s not sustainable.” – Glenn Weldon [16:56]

• Discussions address how trauma and pain are transmitted generationally, and the ways male suffering distorts family dynamics.

5. Pacing & Viewing Recommendations

• Binge vs. Weekly [19:15]: Roxana and Waylon both suggest binging the first episodes is more satisfying, likening the show’s “snowballing steam” to The Bear’s early dynamics.

  “Maybe don’t watch it week to week. Maybe binge it.” – Roxana Haddadi [19:15]

• Caveat [20:01]: Sometimes feels like “a chore” to get through, with narrative arcs occasionally undercooked or catharses unearned.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “[The show] rushes to establish its Philly bona fides in the first five minutes... we’ve already won Philly bingo, and we didn’t need the free space. It’s amazing.” – Glenn Weldon [08:04]
• “Cutting up fruit for someone else and sharing a piece of cut fruit with someone else is like the ultimate act of, like, familial love and care. To me, it just spoke volumes...” – Waylon Wong on a small gesture between male characters [10:40]
• “My partner has said this about my taste, which is that I love watching guys being dudes. And this show has a lot of guys being dudes, but in ways you wouldn’t expect.” – Roxana Haddadi [12:57]
• Maeve’s Thesis: “What have you done to us?” – Maeve (Amelia Jones), quoted by Waylon Wong as the key line of the series [14:53]
• “The plotting of this thing, I think, really takes its time, and I really think it tests you to stick with it.” – Roxana Haddadi [14:47]
• “Chronic depressives commiserating... It’s that commiseration that makes the show for me.” – Glenn Weldon [17:10]
• “I took a picture of my TV like a boomer. Like, sent it to a group chat, being like, look at Mark Ruffalo.” – Waylon Wong, on Ruffalo’s “hunky” appeal in this role [20:19]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Show Introduction/Description: [00:51]
• First Impressions, Structure, & World-building: [04:33]
• Family Drama vs. Crime Mechanics: [06:25]
• Philadelphia Authenticity/Accents: [08:04]
• Subtext—Masculinity & Grief: [15:54]
• Maeve’s Key Line (and Emotional Thesis): [14:53]
• Children/Generational Trauma Scenes: [15:21]
• Recommendation on Viewing Style (Binge vs. Weekly): [19:15]
• Panel’s Lighter Moments & Final Thoughts: [20:19–21:12]

Conclusion

While Task courts the familiar tone and setting of Mare of Easttown, the panel agrees its most compelling feature is the tender, nuanced depiction of flawed men struggling with grief and connection against an authentically gritty Philadelphia backdrop. The show’s heavy-handed character baggage and leisurely pacing divide opinions, but its emotional richness, vivid performances, and lived-in sense of place make it well worth exploring—preferably in a binge. If you’re drawn to “guys being dudes,” intergenerational trauma, and Philly shibboleths, Task may just be your next obsession.

“Tell us what you think about Task. We’re on Facebook. We’re on Letterboxd. Or maybe, if you see us down ashore, maybe we can hop on our bikes and grab a hoagie and some water ice. Go Birds.” – Glenn Weldon [21:12]