Warning: spoilers for Task ahead.
After seven action-packed episodes, new HBO Max series Task has drawn to a close with an explosive ending.
In the final episode of the series (released on October 20), we saw Jayson (Sam Keeley) fulfill his fatal revenge plot against Perry (Jamie McShane) for the death of Jayson’s wife Eryn (Margarita Levieva), before Grasso (Fabien Frankel) shot and killed Jayson from the backseat of his car. All that’s left for Tom (Mark Ruffalo) and Maeve (Emilia Jones) to do is pick up the pieces and try to put their own families first.
Everything has been neatly wrapped up with as many answers as we’re likely going to get – but that doesn’t mean Task season 2 is completely off the table. The crime show was originally billed as a miniseries, but as we know, such labels don’t mean much in the fickle world of show renewals.
I’ve got my own theory when it comes to whether or not we could see new episodes, too based on the fact that Task creator Brad Ingelsby is also the man responsible for Mare of Easttown, the hit Kate Winslet drama that’s also set in Delaware County.
There was some talk of a Mare of Easttown season 2, but it never got off the ground, and to me, the ending of Task neatly sets up the crossover we’ve all been waiting for – and Ingelsby might have already given the game away.
Task season 2 could be the Mare of Easttown crossover that actually works
Full disclosure: I never wanted there to be a Mare of Easttown season 2. On its own, the series is one of the best pieces of television the 21st century has produced so far. Every storyline that was introduced was succinct and wrapped up with total satisfaction, which meant there was absolutely no ambiguity when it came to the final episode. Indeed, it’s that last point that, for me, meant a season 2 wasn’t necessary.
However, the conclusion of Task feels a lot more open-ended. It feels like Tom and Maeve have only just hit the reset button when it comes to their home lives, having to start again from scratch after the drama involving the Dark Hearts motorcycle gang that has irrevocably changed them both.
There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a character change and grow, and I think Ingelsby knows that. In fact, he seems just as on board with a potential crossover as I am.
“I think there were still more stories to be told about people in Delaware County,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “They exist in the same world, so it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Mare (Winslet) walked into a Wawa [convenience store] that Tom was in. I don’t have a story in mind that’s a crossover, but I love the idea of their worlds intersecting.”
There is a flaw in Ingelsby’s plan, though. At the time of writing, HBO has yet to commission Task season 2, and as far as we know has no plans to do so. However, that doesn’t mean we should feel despondent.
“I’d love to do another season of Task if there’s an appetite for it,” Ingelsby told Decider. “As long as people want to watch these stories, then I’ll continue to write them.”
To my mind, this sounds very much like a case of two plus two equalling four… so let’s keep our fingers crossed and our eyes peeled.
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