Diksha Sundriyal
The final episode of HBO’s ‘Task’ brings a riveting conclusion to the story of Tom Brandis, which began with the robberies executed by Robbie Prendergrast. The previous episode ended with Tom updating Aleah about Grasso’s betrayal, and the finale opens with the same scene. As Aleah discovers that Grasso’s actions led to Lizzie’s death, she wants to look further into it, but Tom reminds her that the case has now been taken over from them. Still, she insists on looking into Wissahickon Park, and he promises her they will do it in the morning. The next becomes pivotal as significant events happen in succession, bringing the story to a fitting end. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Tom and Aleah’s Search Leads to an Important Clue
Grasso’s boss, Michael Dorsey, meets with Vincent and informs him that a drug dealer named Lee purchased 11 kg of fentanyl, which was sold to him by a young woman. Dorsey believes the money can still be recovered, but Vincent and the gang are more concerned about finding Jayson. He calls Perry and gives him an ultimatum. If Jayson is killed by the next morning, they will let Perry go. For a minute, Perry decides to go forward with it and waits for an unsuspecting Jayson with a knife. But he changes his mind, which means he has now invited even more trouble. At the Brandis house, Sam settles in as Emily and Sarah make a list of all the things he needs. Tom advises them to let him buy stuff so he can decorate his room and feel more at home.
Sarah asks him how long Sam is going to stay with them, and Tom clarifies that it will be until a permanent home is found for him. That could be a few weeks or a few months. This prompts Sarah to ask if, through Sam, Tom is trying to make up for Ethan. He says no, but doesn’t seem too convinced himself. Elsewhere, Grasso meets his sister, Frankie, and warns her that some things are going to come out about him. He doesn’t go into the details but tells her that he got involved with the wrong people, which is how he was able to pay for their mother’s care home and Frankie’s house. He also reveals that he is going to surrender himself the next morning, and when she tells him to rethink it, he says that he cannot live with the guilt anymore.
Tom and Aleah go to Wissahickon Park, where they find Cliff’s car and his phone, which is beat up. However, since it is basically the middle of nowhere, they know that there will be a limited number of phones that pinged in the area, through which they can take the investigation further. Meanwhile, Eryn’s body is found, and in her hand, Perry’s chain. At their hiding place, Jayson asks Perry how long they can hide out for, which leads Perry to wonder what happened to the real drugs. It is clear that Robbie had set the trap to lure them out, which means he would have already sold the drug, and there is only one person he could have left the money to.
Jayson and Perry’s Relationship Comes to an End
Convinced that Maeve has the money, Jayson calls his man and asks him to pay a visit to Maeve. This call is overheard by Donna, who becomes concerned about the young woman. At the house, Maeve tells her friend about the bag full of money. She thinks she should give it to the cops and get it over with, but she knows that Robbie died so that he could leave the money for his kids, which makes her want to keep it. However, she also knows that someone would be looking for that money, and she doesn’t want to attract more trouble. Her friend advises her to hide the money, so that if the cops come looking and they find it, she can tell them it was all Robbie and she never knew about the money. After some time passes and no one comes for the money, she can do with it as she pleases.
While Maeve hides the money in the chicken coop, Tom and Aleah visit Kathleen. Convinced that they have a way to pin Grasso, lest he escapes again, they ask her for several favors. They tell her about Wissahickon Park and the possibility of the phone being switched by Grasso. But to confirm that, they need access to evidence. While she is at it, Tom asks her to get their guns back as well. Meanwhile, Donna reaches out to Vincent and tells him about Jayson’s call. When she talks about Maeve, Vincent realizes that Dorsey may have been talking about her when he mentioned the money. But before that, he needs to know where Jayson is.
In an effort to protect Maeve, Donna gives up Perry and Jayson’s location, and Vincent and his men make their way to their safe house. Around the same time, while Perry tries to get some sense of calm in the stream, Jayson gets a call informing him about Eryn’s death and Perry’s chain in her hands. Realizing that his mentor and father-figure has killed his wife, Jayson seeks him out and stabs him in the heart. Perry has no time to explain himself, but he had already heard the sound of motorbikes, and in his dying breaths, he tells Jayson to run.
All Roads Converge to Maeve
Sam, Sarah, and Emily have a light-hearted moment as they decorate Sam’s room with posters of wild animals. This reminds Sarah of Ethan, who also used to love animals, and how, once, when a neighbor’s dog went missing, Ethan was the only one who kept looking until the dog was found. Sarah’s words warm Emily’s heart, and the conversation ends with the trio deciding to go get ice cream. While Tom and Aleah wait for Kathleen, she asks him about Sam. He reveals his and his wife’s status as registered foster parents and why he thought Sam was better off with him, at least temporarily. Aleah says that she’s glad Sam has him, and it makes Tom feel a little better about his decision.
Kathleen comes back with the phone that should be Ray Lyman’s, but when they call the number, the phone doesn’t ring. This proves that Grasso planted a fake as evidence, and the real phone is somewhere else. To track the phone, they need a court order, but there is no time for that. So, they seek out Kathleen’s highly motivated intern, who helps them with it. The phone is found in the close vicinity of Grasso’s house, so Tom and Aleah decide to follow him, while also tracking his movements. Meanwhile, Dorsey arrives at Grasso’s house too, but Grasso realizes what is about to happen, and he is prepared. He holds Dorsey at gunpoint and reveals his intention to give himself up. Dorsey tries to convince him otherwise, revealing that they know Maeve has the money.
But then a gang member arrives, and Grasso’s instincts lead him to kill Dorsey as well as the gang member. He also sustains a bullet to his chest, but he knows he must find Maeve and warn her. By the time he reaches her door, he has already lost a lot of blood. He warns her, and she immediately gets the kids in the car. Having forgotten the keys, she is forced to go back inside the house, but by then, Jayson is already there. He tells her to give him the money, and initially, she tries to feign ignorance, but when it comes to the kids, she decides to give it up. She takes Jayson to the coop and hands him the money, but by then, Tom and Aleah arrive at the house.
A Bloody Showdown Takes Place at Maeve’s Residence
The arrival of the FBI agents leads Jayson to hold Maeve at gunpoint and keep her mouth shut so she doesn’t cry out for help. Grasso, who is now holding on to dear life, warns Tom and Aleah that Jayson is already in the house. Tom and Aleah split up, and while he goes outside, towards the coop, Aleah is in the house, where she is intercepted by Jayson’s fellow gang member. A fight ensues between Aleah and the man, where it looks like he will kill her. However, she ends up shooting him dead, and the gunshot draws Tom back into the house.
With Tom gone, Jayson tries to make his way to the car, which gives Maeve the chance to call out for help. Now that Jayson is alone and wide in the open, Tom and Aleah try to corner him. However, it is Grasso who makes the fatal shot from the back of his car, killing Jayson on the spot. Turns out that when Maeve called for help, Harper tried to reach out to the cops. It seems that she found Grasso, who put her in the backseat of his car and made his way to Jayson’s car, waiting for him in his backseat. The moment Jayson reached his car, Grasso took the shot.
With Jayson dead, the case is officially closed. Grasso is taken to the hospital and is saved. When he asks Tom to give him his penance, Tom says that he never gave penance to anyone because he knows people torture themselves enough on their own. At the hospital, Kathleen asks Tom if he found the money in the Predergrast house, and he says he didn’t, suggesting that he left it for Maeve and never reported it. With the case solved, Tom now has no excuse to ignore what’s right in front of him. He must confront Ethan’s actions and what he wants to do next about it.
Tom Makes Critical Decisions Regarding Ethan and Sam
The night before Ethan’s hearing, Tom talks to Emily. He apologizes for being a lousy father and addresses the statement that needs to be made regarding Ethan. She says she is still working on it, and he tells her that they must speak the truth. The next day, Tom, Sarah, and Emily make their way to the hearing, where, it turns out, Tom has decided to make the statement. He tells the court about the difficulties that he and Susan faced when Ethan was still undiagnosed. They didn’t know how to help him, and he seemed to be getting worse. But then, he also talks about the good days, and how much joy Ethan brought them. He talks about the boy’s kindness and sensitivity, and how it was his illness that led to Susan’s tragic death.
In his closing words, he addresses Ethan, assuring him that he is forgiven and that when the time comes, he can always come home. It is not revealed what impact Tom’s statement had on Ethan’s sentence, but the next scene takes a few months leap. We see Tom and Sam in the garden, and they both seem at ease with each other, confirming that some time has passed since the hearing. When Sam goes inside the house, Tom is visited by the boy’s case worker and told that a permanent house has been found for him. This gives Tom mixed feelings because he thought Sam would be staying with him.
To get some clarity, Tom talks with Michael, who advises him to do what’s best for Sam, not himself. He asks Tom if he is ready to take the challenges that come with a growing boy like Sam. Not to forget, Ethan will be released soon, and when he comes back home, Tom will have too much on his plate, and he might not be able to do right by Sam. Painful as it is, Tom knows Michael is right, so the next day, he prepares the house to bid Sam farewell. His new family arrives, and while apprehensive, Sam leaves with them, and Tom is alone in the house again. He paints Sam’s room and makes it Ethan’s again. Meanwhile, Maeve and the kids pack their belongings in the car. They are leaving the house and moving somewhere else to get a fresh start. At his house, Tom looks out of the window and waits for a fresh start of his own.
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