Is Task Based on a True Story?

Created by Brad Ingelsby, HBO’s ‘Task’ is a crime drama miniseries that follows two protagonists on wildly different journeys that lead them to the same destination. One is an FBI agent named Tom Brandis, an ex-priest, who is put in charge of a task force to investigate a series of robberies. The other is Robbie Prendergrast, a waste management worker, who is orchestrating said robberies. As their paths converge, both characters find themselves at the crossroads, while the lines between right and wrong are thinned. The characters reflect real struggles as faced by working-class people, which makes them seem incredibly realistic.

Task is Fictional But Inspired by Real People

‘Task’ is a fictional story created by Brad Ingelsby, best known for creating another HBO crime series, ‘Mare of Easttown.’ In ‘Task,’ he takes the audience back to the suburbs of Delaware County (where he hails from) to deliver a character-driven story. The region serves as a major inspiration for Ingelsby’s stories, and he often draws characteristics from his family, friends, and acquaintances to create his protagonists. In the case of ‘Task,’ the seed of the story germinated in his mind when he started thinking about Tom Brandis’ character. He was inspired by his uncle, who used to be an Augustinian priest before he left the church to marry the woman he loved. The conflict in his faith before and after leaving the priesthood deeply interested Ingelsby, and it led him to create Tom. The show’s creator also came across a former priest-turned-FBI agent when he sought technical advice for the show.

Ingelsby didn’t have to look far for the character of Robbie, as well, the idea of which originated from a conversation the writer had with one of his tech advisors. They’d been talking about crime when the advisor pointed out that people like mailmen and trash men are so ingrained in our daily routines that they often go without notice, but they are the ones who have the opportunity to know personal things about us. He pointed out that a person only needs to go through your trash to find out all kinds of things about you. As the writer thought about it, he became fascinated with the idea of writing the story of a trash man who uses his job as a way to rob people.

The same approach went into the creation of the fictional biker gang called Dark Hearts. The show’s creator had been interested in knowing more about the local motorcycle gang when he was a child, so he decided to explore that side of the world through ‘Task.’ To keep things authentic, he brought in an advisor who used to be a part of a biker gang and could guide the show’s writers and actors about the ins and outs of such gangs. In the same vein, two technical experts were brought on board to help the show create a realistic depiction of Tom Brandis’ task force. Their insights helped the team understand the complex dynamics of a task force and create a show that retains a gritty realism, despite being fictional. 

Task Blurs the Lines Between Heroes and Villains

While ‘Task’ is the story of an FBI agent chasing after a criminal, it does not exactly draw a line between good and bad. In fact, as Brad Ingelsby started writing the story, he realised that the seemingly polar opposite characters of Tom and Robbie were more alike than he previously imagined. As he leaned into their similarities, despite the differences in their circumstances, he started to draw clear parallels between them, which becomes evident from the first scene of the show. One of the major things that the story focuses on is Tom’s struggle with faith, given his history as a priest. Before the events of the show, his wife meets a tragic death, and he becomes a single dad, trying to connect with his teenage daughter.

In the same vein, Robbie is haunted by the violent end to his brother’s life, and since his wife walks out on him, he, too, becomes a single dad who must take care of his family. He, too, goes through a cycle of grief that tests his faith. These parallels are just the beginning of the many similarities we see between them, through which the writer establishes the fact that things are never as black and white as they seem. With their flaws and follies, Ingelsby creates the portraits of people who, despite being fictional, feel as if they are plucked from reality. In the face of their extenuating circumstances, we also see them deal with the problems that are highly realistic and relate to the everyday struggles of the working class. Through them, the show becomes a mirror of society and allows the audience to connect with the characters and their stories on a deeper level.

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