Warning! Spoilers for Task episode 7 ahead!Task‘s emotional finale episode brought Tom and Robbie’s story to a meaningful close. The HBO crime thriller series kicked off with a classic cat-and-mouse game between Mark Ruffalo’s Tom and Tom Pelphrey’s Robbie, but, with every episode, the story evolved into something else entirely. By episode 7, it’s clear that Task is more about the emotional state of each character than the central conflict.
Pelphrey’s Robbie began robbing Dark Heart drug houses in an effort to put some heat on Jayson, the gang member who had murdered his brother, Billy. This mission for vengeance made him reckless, so it’s no surprise that things quickly fell apart. Lucky for Robbie, his pursuers—the FBI and the Dark Hearts—had troubles of their own to keep them distracted.
Ruffalo’s Tom is a surprisingly capable FBI agent, but his mental state was far from solid at the start of Task. His adopted son, Ethan, murdered his wife, Susan, while experiencing psychosis. As if this wasn’t enough, Tom learned that a member of his task force was passing information to the Dark Hearts. This led to the tragic deaths of Lizzie and Robbie.
Robbie’s theft in Task put a significant toll on the Dark Hearts, who had begun to tear themselves apart from the inside. Perry genuinely saw Jayson as a son and, therefore, was willing to do whatever it took to reclaim the drugs Robbie had stolen. However, what Jayson didn’t know was that Perry had murdered his wife, Eryn. It was only a matter of time before this dynamic exploded.
All of the above came to a head in the final episode of Task. With Robbie dead, Jayson put his sights on Maeve. Grasso learned of his plan and, although injured, attempted to prevent any other innocent women from suffering the consequences of his mistakes. Tom and Aleah arrived, and an intense firefight ensued. Still, the primary focus of Task‘s ending was the emotional consequences of it all.
Tom’s Emotional Choice About Ethan & Sam Explained
Throughout Task, Tom agonized over the tragic death of his wife at his son’s hand. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to visit Ethan in prison, and wasn’t sure how he would handle the upcoming sentencing hearing. A statement from Tom could allow Ethan to come home sooner rather than later, but he wasn’t sure if that was what he really wanted. This led to even more guilt.
After the disaster of his FBI task force vs. the Dark Hearts, Tom turned a corner regarding his feelings about Ethan. Grasso’s remorse for what he had done might have had something to do with it. Fostering little Sam, who was left parentless thanks to Robbie, undoubtedly contributed as well. Caring for the boy had brought Tom some peace, and seeing his daughter’s help only added to the healing.
Regardless of what exactly it did, Tom was able to forgive Ethan in Task‘s ending. He gave his statement in court and told Ethan that when the time came for him to be released, Tom would be there to welcome him home. It was a beautiful, but bittersweet moment, followed up by the news that a permanent home had been found for Sam.
Tom felt conflicted about saying goodbye to Sam. He was tempted to adopt the boy, just as he had adopted Ethan. However, his friend Daniel pointed out that, while this would have been good for Tom, it wasn’t the best move for Sam. When Ethan returned home, he would need his father’s full attention. Sam deserved parents who could give him everything. Ultimately, Tom made the selfless choice and said goodbye.
Robbie’s Sacrifice Allowed Maeve & The Kids to Move On
Tom’s choice to forgive Ethan and let go of Sam wasn’t his only selfless decision in Task. After the showdown at Maeve’s home, we see Tom look inside the bag of cash Robbie had left behind. We know he instantly understood where the cash had come from. However, later, when talking to his boss, Tom claimed that he hadn’t found any money at Maeve’s home.
Task‘s ending doesn’t show Maeve with the cash, and we never see the moment when Tom allows Maeve to keep it. The last we see of Maeve, she’s packing the kids up and leaving her father’s home behind. It’s implied that they are headed to Canada—about a six-hour drive—to start a new life, just as Robbie had intended.
Interestingly, Tom and Robbie were on opposite sides in Task, but, in a way, their combined efforts allowed Maeve to start a new life. Her father’s role in the Dark Hearts, and Robbie’s role as a criminal, could never hurt Maeve and her cousins again. This doesn’t wipe away all the wrong that Robbie had done. Still, it’s one of many examples in Task of how one good choice among several bad ones can still tip the scales in a positive direction.
Grasso Got A Chance At Redemption In Task’s Final Episode
It was made clear relatively early in Task that Grasso was the one passing information to the Dark Hearts. It’s revealed in the final episode that he did this purely for financial gain, paying off his sister’s house and ensuring that she and her kids had a comfortable life. It was wrong, but Grasso did it anyway.
Lizzie’s death was the end of Grasso’s justification for what he had done. The guilt was too much for him, and he decided in Task episode 7 that he would turn himself in. However, before he could, the Dark Hearts (through his corrupt chief), tried to take him out. This left Grasso injured, but determined to get to Maeve’s house and save her life.
Grasso gave everything in Task to save Maeve, and he was ultimately successful. However, the question here is whether he was successfully redeemed. Tom paid Grasso a visit in the hospital, and there was still a chill between these two characters. Grasso wanted Tom’s forgiveness, or even his rage. Tom didn’t give it, however. Instead, he only pointed out that no one would beat Grasso up about the situation more than himself.
Jayson & Perry’s Deaths In Task Explained
The primary antagonistic force within the Dark Hearts in Task was Jayson and Perry. All the conflict of the miniseries essentially got its start with Jayson, who found out that his wife, Eryn, was having an affair with fellow gang member Billy. After brutally murdering Billy (without the Dark Hearts’ knowledge), Jayson became a target of Robbie and Eryn’s combined efforts.
Perry was essentially Jayson’s mentor and father figure. He was determined to fix the mess that Robbie and Eryn had caused and thus get Jayson out of hot water, but everything went wrong. He killed Eryn in a desperate effort to silence her, but he hadn’t realized that she had gotten hold of his monogrammed necklace. Once Eryn’s body was recovered, the police and Dark Hearts alike knew who had murdered her.
When Jayson discovered the truth, he wasted no time killing Perry. What was interesting about this scene in Task, however, is that Perry still used his last breath to warn Jayson that their enemies were closing in. Although this allowed Jayson to get away and pursue Maeve, Grasso ultimately shot him in the head. Said and done, neither Jayson nor Perry walked away from their mess alive.
The Deeper Meaning Of HBO’s Task Explained
Task‘s ending brings its overarching theme full circle. Just as in creator Brad Ingelsby’s series Mare of Easttown, Task revolves significantly around the psychology of crime. It’s all about the why—why Robbie became a home invader, why Ethan killed his mother, why Grasso became an informant, etcetera. From there, Task explores the impact of crime, especially on (but not limited to) those within a parent-child dynamic.
Tom’s conflictedness over his son’s crimes, the consequences Maeve faced because of her father’s gang involvement, Sam’s tumultuous life growing up in crime, and Robbie’s children’s trauma as a result of their father’s choices are all prime examples. Even Perry and Jayson had a sort of parent-child relationship. These are messy, complicated ties full of complex trauma.
The ending of Task emphasized the disruption of trauma. We saw Tom not only forgive Ethan but also make the selfless choice of letting Sam go. Robbie made every bad choice he could, but he passed the baton to Maeve, who could do better with his kids.
Of course, none of it was perfect. Maeve still had to be a mom long before she was ready, and Sam will never fully shake the pain of his childhood. Tom can’t undo the truth that Ethan killed his wife. Grasso will have to deal with the pain of what he did forever. Task left a lot of pain in the story, but emphasized the beauty that its characters claimed for their futures—or for the futures of those they loved.
- Release Date
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2025 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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HBO
- Directors
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Jeremiah Zagar
