The HBO Max runaway hit Task, was picked up for a second season shortly after the October 19 finale aired, but creator Brad Ingelsby says he never intended for a second season, he always saw the show as a limited series. He shares during the Deadline Contenders TV panel what it was that made him change his mind. “If it wasn’t such a good time on set I don’t think I would have done it. It was such a wonderful time, we all had such a fun experience great collaboration. I don’t think I planned on doing a second season at all really. It wasn’t until we got done that I thought I could go back to work with those people.”
In season one of the HBO crime series we followed FBI agent Tom Brandis (Mark Ruffalo) as he investigates an unassuming family man Robbie Pendergast (Tom Pelphrey) and a series of trap house robberies in Philadelphia. “Trap houses” being locations used exclusively for drug trafficking.
Ingelsby continues to spill about what’s in store for the sophomore season, “I did feel Mark [Ruffalo’s] storyline line had a bit of an engine in terms of the emotional arc of the show in terms of what happens when his son comes home. What did that look like? How do you deal with that. That to me was very interesting to explore and something I felt we often get to see on screen so that excited me. Then I had to come up with the other side of the story and get someone as good as this guy because you know you need those two opposites on a collision course.”
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Pelphry reminisced about diving into Robbie’s mind for the first time. “This happens a few times maybe if you’re lucky in life. As soon as I read Task I felt I understood Robbie in my soul. It really doesn’t happen often but when it does you think uh-oh I have to do this now, I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I can’t do this. I see him I feel him he came alive in me as I’m reading this.”
He goes on to share how impressed his partner Kaley Cuoco was with the writing. “We got sent the first two scripts early on and my partner read it and said this is maybe the best pilot script in TV I’ve ever read.”
Mark Ruffalo is confirmed to return as FBI agent Tom Brandis, who may or may not be at odds with Oscar winner Mahershala Ali who will be joining the cast as DEA agent Eddie Barnes. Though it’s seemingly the end of the road for Tom Pelphry, {SPOILER ALERT} as Robbie Pendergast dies in season one, he jokes that he would love to come back in season two as a flashback, with Ingelsby adding support to the idea “ “We’d all love Tom to come back he’s the all time best!”
Pelphry jokingly replied: “I’m showing up on that set whether I get paid or not!”
Check back Monday for the panel video.
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