Published Aug 23, 2026, 2:57 PM EDT
Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant with expertise in new streaming releases. He's published over 2800 articles at SR, including weekly recommendation guides and dozens of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions.
Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently lives in Greater Boston.
HBO Max has a vast library of modern masterpieces and all-time-great classic series, but this near-perfect 7-part thriller has one of its best casts ever assembled. While the casting is one of the top highlights of this 2026 Emmy-nominated series, it is also celebrated for its masterful storytelling and outstanding script, which allows the talented cast to fully embody the narrative and bring the screenplay's inner emotional depth to life on screen. Even though it's billed as a crime thriller, the performances in this HBO series elevate it to a prestigious degree.
HBO's Task already had one of the best ensemble casts out of any new series released in 2025, but after adding several new A-listers for the upcoming season 2, including Mahershala Ali, Édgar Ramírez, Tim Blake Nelson, and Jharrel Jerome, Task officially has one of TV's most stacked casts. Led by Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey, who were both nominated in acting categories at the upcoming 2026 Emmy Awards, Task is grippingly tense, surprisingly philosophical, and tackles complex human emotions in ways that other crime series of its kind can only emulate.
Task season 1 already featured a robust cast led by Ruffalo's broken yet resilient FBI agent Tom Brandis, Pelphrey's desperate but deeply human criminal Robbie Prendergrast, Emilia Jones' fierce and scrappy Maeve, Fabien Frankel's polished yet deceptive Anthony, Alison Oliver's eager yet inexperienced Elizabeth, and Jamie McShane's snakelike and dangerous gang leader Perry.
While these actors all offer exceptional performances in Task season 1, they only represent the main and supporting cast. Even more great roles can be found in Sam Keeley's hot-headed bike Jayson, Martha Pimpton's no-nonsense FBI supervisor Kathleen, Thuso Mbedu's intuitive and smart agent Aleah, Sara, Tom's grieving biological daughter played by Phoebe Fox, and Emily, Tom's adoptive daughter caught in the crosshairs of great tragedy.
Series creator Brad Ingelsby, known for his celebrated series Mare of Easttown, gives so much to each character's development that none of them feel unnecessary to the overarching plot. Task provides some of the greatest recent evidence that exceptional writing can inspire truly outstanding performances across the board, from its biggest A-list stars down to its supporting roles. What's more, Mare of Easttown star Julianne Nicholson will be appearing in Task season 2 as her character Lori Ross in an exciting crossover effort.
Even though only a handful of Task season 1's cast will transfer over to season 2, the additions of major players like Mahershala Ali, Édgar Ramírez, Tim Blake Nelson, and Jharrel Jerome indicate that the overall cast of Task is only getting better. Ali is one of the most recognized and acclaimed actors of his generation, earning two Academy Awards after his breakout role in Netflix's House of Cards. Nelson is also a highly regarded actor, best known for his roles in The Lowdown, Watchmen, and Old Henry.
Task's Great Cast Proves It Deserves Its 96% RT Score
Task's cast is one of the key reasons why critics called it one of the best new shows of 2025, as evidenced by its near-perfect 96% Rotten Tomatoes score based on 83 reviews. IndieWire writes, "Ingelsby preserves the thrills of a relentless investigation while foregrounding his ensemble’s relatable experiences with guilt and forgiveness." Additionally, TV Guide notes, "As strong as it is as a crime thriller, it's even better as a study of the lives at its core, thanks to remarkable work from Ruffalo and Pelphrey." One of the most common assessments by critics was that the cast was simply phenomenal, hands down.
Task was so well-received that a second season was essentially demanded after originally being penned by Ingelsby as a miniseries. It also sparked the second season renewal of Mare of Easttown and the aforementioned crossover that officially brings both series into a shared universe. There is no confirmation that Kate Winslet's Mare Sheehan will make an appearance in Task season 2 alongside Ruffalo, but there is certainly a chance of more crossovers between characters. If Winslet were to appear in Task season 2, it would have even more of an amazing cast and may go down as one of the greatest TV ensembles of the 21st century.
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