Task Is No Great Mystery

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Spoilers follow for Task through fifth episode “Vagrants,” which premiered on HBO on October 5. 

A recurring theme in the show is attractive men with a certain background revealing conflicting allegiances. It shouldn’t be a surprise that Anthony Grasso was the source of the task force leak – it fits the established pattern. Fabien Frankel’s character completes a troubling trio of handsome, conflicted men, alongside Mark Ruffalo’s Tom and Tom Pelphrey’s Robbie, and all the evidence indicated his involvement.

Tom is haunted by conflicting feelings – loyalty to his deceased wife and love for the son who caused her death. Robbie is similarly conflicted, unsure whether to pursue revenge for his brother’s murder by a biker gang or to escape and build a new life with his kids. Both men are stuck, unable to make a decision, and seem determined to self-destruct. Considering these parallels, it shouldn’t have been a surprise to learn who the double agent within *Task* was. The clues were always there, revealing how Grasso’s divided nature mirrored Tom and Robbie’s struggles. Grasso claims he doesn’t fully understand his Catholic faith, yet still feels guilty, and this internal conflict extends to his relationship with Lizzie, whom he dates but avoids intimacy with. (I’d be frustrated too!) When he publicly praised Lizzie’s goodness and declared she reminded him there were still “honorable blues” left, he inadvertently revealed his own lack of honor. He’s clearly trying too hard to appear virtuous!

The recent episode sheds more light on Grasso’s deep involvement with the Dark Hearts biker gang and how much he’s willing to risk. He’s not a new or casual informant; he has a significant level of trust with the gang’s leader, Jayson, meeting with him privately and communicating directly. He’s also actively working to protect Jayson from the police. Looking back at his actions throughout the series, it’s clear the show has been subtly hinting at his true allegiance all along. Earlier episodes revealed Grasso previously worked with organized crime for the county – the same kind of activity the Dark Hearts are involved in. He alerted authorities to the hit on the Dark Hearts’ stash house, seemingly because he was called in by the gang and arrived on the scene before other officers. His cynical view of faith and forgiveness suggests a willingness to operate outside the law, and he seems to have shared information about Tom’s past with Jayson, revealing a lack of respect for his boss. Interestingly, Grasso used the DJ name “Grassonova,” a nod to the infamous con man Casanova, known for manipulation and deceit – a fitting parallel to Grasso’s own character. The clues were there all along, but Grasso’s charm made it easy to overlook them.

It’s becoming clear that the show is less about *who* the betrayer is and more about *how* the betrayal unfolds. While Kathleen’s resentment and secretive phone call after learning about a leak make her a suspect, it feels more likely that Grasso is the one who will turn. He fits the established pattern of the story better. The connection between Tom and Robbie, hinted at from the very beginning through editing choices, always felt inevitable, and their brief, emotional scene in the recent episode was frustratingly short. We only got a quick glimpse of their connection – about twenty minutes – and it left viewers wanting much more.

Throughout the episode, Tom skillfully acts as both a field agent and negotiator, showcasing the qualities Kathleen recognized in him early on. While his attempt to mimic the sound of someone using the restroom with a Pepsi can falls flat, he remains calm even when Robbie threatens him with a gun. Tom tries to connect with Robbie by sharing personal stories and addressing him by name, hoping to establish a human connection. He appeals to Robbie’s love for his niece, Maeve, and children, arguing that revenge shouldn’t cost him those relationships. As Robbie points out, Tom is fundamentally a good person, treating even his perceived enemy with compassion – something Mark Ruffalo excels at portraying. Meanwhile, Michael Pelphrey, playing Robbie, finally gets to explore a wider range of emotions beyond pain. He playfully teases Tom about the failed soda trick, contemplates faith, and delivers a dryly humorous response to Tom’s tragic stories, quipping, “I’ve kidnapped the world’s most depressing human.”

The conversation flows naturally, and the connection between the two men is palpable. In just twenty minutes, the show *Task* finally achieves what it’s been building towards all season: highlighting the common ground between very different people and using that to promote understanding and forgiveness. Both men acknowledge their past mistakes, and this meeting prompts them to reflect on what they could have done differently. While it’s essential for the show that Tom and Robbie remain connected, Mark Ruffalo and Bill Pelphrey brilliantly portray how deeply this conversation impacts their characters, even if they’re unsure how to return to their former selves. The source of the task force’s leak wasn’t a surprise, but the bigger question is why the show didn’t include more scenes like this one.

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2025-10-06 05:56