Task’s Tom Pelphrey Just Wanted Maeve and the Kids to Be Okay

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Spoilers follow for Task finale “A Still Small Voice.”

Though Tom Pelphrey isn’t physically *in* the last episode of the series *Task*, his character is still central to the story. Created by Brad Ingelsby—who also made the popular HBO miniseries *Mare of Easttown*—*Task* follows two interconnected storylines. We see Robbie (played by Pelphrey), a garbage collector who repeatedly steals from the Dark Hearts biker gang – the same group who killed his brother. Simultaneously, the series follows Tom (Mark Ruffalo), an ex-priest and FBI agent who’s pulled back into service to investigate a series of home invasions.

The storyline deliberately keeps Robbie and Tom separated, building suspense until the fifth episode, “Vagrants.” That’s when Tom’s investigation leads him to Robbie’s home. Tom manages to get inside by pretending to have a legitimate reason for being there, but Robbie quickly sees through the deception and takes him hostage. Despite the dangerous situation, they have a revealing conversation and realize they have more in common than they thought, even though they’re on opposite sides of the law. Tragedy strikes in episode six when Robbie is killed during a violent encounter with the Dark Hearts, leaving his children to be raised by his 21-year-old niece, Maeve. The final episode, “A Still Small Voice,” focuses on the aftermath of Robbie’s death and how his family deals with the loss of a loving but flawed man who was willing to take risks without always thinking through the consequences.

By the end of Robbie’s story, we understand him deeply, but we don’t learn much about his past. I always developed enough backstory to inform his actions in the script, but I prefer not to create details that don’t directly serve the story. I spent a lot of time thinking about Robbie’s relationship with his brother, Billy – their childhood, shared interests, and their father’s presence (or lack thereof). If their father wasn’t around much, Billy essentially became a father figure and someone Robbie looked up to. Those kinds of details are helpful when they impact what happens in the story.

When we first meet Robbie, he’s gently carrying his son, and that single moment immediately told me so much about his character. I wondered if you, as a reader, felt that same impact from the script. Our director, Jeremiah Zagar, comes from a documentary background, so he pays close attention to realistic details – especially in how people move and express themselves. Brad, the writer, strives for that same level of specificity and realism in his work. Jeremiah’s direction perfectly captured what Brad was trying to convey. A lot of the emotional nuance came to life on set. He created a really comfortable, safe environment – almost like a childhood blanket fort – where we could explore how these characters would naturally interact. He’d ask us things like, ‘How would you pick him up? How would you touch his face?’ It felt very organic and allowed us to discover those moments together.

How did you build such a believable family dynamic? Emilia and I connected right away – we spent three hours just chatting over coffee! Before filming began, we also did fun things like bowling with the kids and their families. Our acting coach, Noele Gentile, is fantastic with children. She often works with Jeremiah and runs workshops using simple acting exercises. She included Emilia and me in these sessions, which helped us start to understand the relationships between our characters. It’s important to let kids be themselves, so we avoided anything that felt forced or overly complicated.

Robbie is primarily defined by his dedication to his family, but early in the first episode, he asks Maeve, “I didn’t realize you were so unhappy.” This raises the question of whether he’s so focused on *his* idea of family happiness that he overlooks her feelings. I think he is. There’s another moment where she casually mentions she’s 21, and he responds with surprise, asking when that happened. This hints at how much he’s missing. Her father’s death will drastically change her, and it’s understandable how that could become the ‘new normal’ without him noticing. She’s grieving, and that sadness persists, but Robbie is so caught up in his own life that he doesn’t fully register it. When she explains her unhappiness stems from *where* she is, it’s a shock – he assumed it was just about her father. It makes you realize how easy it would be to misinterpret her feelings and attribute them to something else.

The first episode opens with Robbie seemingly lost in thought, making future plans and considering online dating, just as a robbery is about to go wrong. He feels ready to move forward with his life and generally believes things will work out for the best, focusing on the positive rather than potential problems. He assumes their robberies have been successful so far and expects that to continue, ignoring the significant risk involved. He believes they have a system that works and doesn’t consider the dangers of repeating it. This optimism, while endearing, reveals a tendency to avoid thinking about worst-case scenarios or having backup plans. While he desires connection and a fresh start, he isn’t one to dwell on what could go wrong.

That’s a fascinating contrast. He often says everything happens for a reason, yet Robbie explicitly states he doesn’t believe in God and has never felt a divine presence. Was this intentional for his character?

Not really. Robbie’s concept of God is childlike, like what you might learn in Catholic school – a distant, impersonal figure. What I found compelling about Robbie is that he *does* have genuine faith, even if he doesn’t recognize it *as* faith in God. Tom, the ex-priest, understands these ideas intellectually, but he’s struggling because he’s lost his own faith and is worried about the future. He has knowledge Robbie lacks, but Robbie maintains a simple belief that things will ultimately be okay. It’s ironic that in that car scene, Robbie embodies a living faith while Tom is the one searching for it.

Knowing that the characters Tom and Robbie wouldn’t connect until much later in the series, how did you handle writing their first meeting? It felt like the entire story had been leading up to that moment. I was very aware of the growing tension and high stakes, especially after the violent events in episode four, with all the different plotlines coming together. Then, the script dedicated almost half an episode to just two characters sitting and talking in a car. [Laughs] Honestly, when I first read it, I thought it was a really brave choice. There were many other ways to bring Tom and Robbie together, but this felt incredibly fitting and well-executed. It’s a risk not every writer would take with so much else happening – some might have wanted to maintain a faster pace.

So, you filmed the car scenes with a real moving vehicle, not a green screen, correct? What were the benefits of doing it that way? Honestly, it was incredibly difficult that day. Brad even said I looked upset! It was really loud with all the equipment, and everything was shaking and clanging. During the first take, I couldn’t even hear Mark’s lines and wished we’d filmed on a soundstage where we could concentrate on the dialogue. But eventually, we figured things out because we were able to film everything live, and we only had one day to get it done.

There was this moment – I’m not even sure if it made the final cut – where a police car sped by with its lights flashing, heading in the opposite direction on the highway. You just don’t get those real, unexpected moments when you’re using a green screen. And it was the middle of summer in Pennsylvania, incredibly hot. Even just sitting in the car for a while – they had some air conditioning, thankfully, or we would have roasted – started to get to us. The heat and sunlight made the experience feel much more authentic. Ultimately, it’s a better way to film. I always think the less we have to *act* like we’re in those conditions, the better the performance will be.

The sixth episode looked incredibly demanding to film – was it as tough as it appeared? It definitely was tiring, but in a rewarding way. We were shooting in Pennsylvania during the summer heat, and the most challenging day involved a long fight scene with Sam Keeley, who plays Jayson. We filmed it from before lunch until sunset, and it lasted around eight hours. It was incredibly hot, and we both ended up limping back to the van, pretty sore for days afterward. Sam is a powerfully built guy, which added to the challenge.

Before I read the script, did you tell me Robbie would die in the sixth episode? I hadn’t been told. Brad was great and let me experience the story like a viewer, which I really appreciated. It was a very moving and well-done moment.

I found it significant that Tom didn’t offer any religious comfort or perform last rites; he simply held Robbie, which I interpreted as respecting Robbie’s views on God. He also made a very subtle sign of the cross on my forehead – I’m not sure if it made the final cut. I know this happened because after one take, I looked in a mirror and saw a cross clearly marked on my forehead in blood. Tom had gotten some blood on his hand while holding me, and when he quietly made the sign of the cross, it left a bloody mark. It was a really powerful moment.

Since you weren’t in the final episode, what did you think of the way the show wrapped up? I found it really moving to see Tom regain his faith, realizing he needed to let his son go and being able to forgive him. And the ending for Grasso was fantastic – a truly redemptive arc for that character. Personally, I was just relieved that Maeve and the kids were safe. I think a lot of viewers felt the same way – we’ve seen enough tragic endings in this show, and those characters deserved a happy outcome!

A director friend was considering a project and asked if Brad Ingelsby could review the script. I asked why Brad specifically, and my friend explained the script lacked emotional depth. I immediately understood – Brad consistently writes with genuine heart and earns that emotional resonance. It’s authentic, not contrived. Episode seven, in particular, was a great example of his willingness to explore complex emotions without offering easy answers or a perfectly tidy resolution.

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2025-10-20 06:00