Two weeks after its series finale, Task has passed an impressive Rotten Tomatoes milestone that gives it a leg up against HBO’s best crime miniseries in recent years. Becoming a certified streaming hit on HBO Max, Task‘s finale aired on October 19 with warm responses from audiences and critics alike, with plenty of praise for the episode being aimed at stars Mark Ruffalo and Emilia Jones.
Task marked writer-creator Brad Ingelsby’s first HBO miniseries since his highly accomplished Mare of Easttown in 2021, which starred Kate Winslet, Evan Peters, Julianne Nicholson, and Jean Smart. The show went on to win three Emmys in acting categories for Winslet, Peters, and Nicholson, with its critical and audience acclaim quickly earning it a place among HBO’s best miniseries of all time. As such, Task had high standards to live up to.
While the 2025 crime drama had a slower start with critics compared to Mare of Easttown, Task has now surpassed the latter to become Brad Ingelsby’s highest-rated show on Rotten Tomatoes. Following its seventh and final episode, Task currently holds a “Certified Fresh” 96% score from critics, beating Mare of Easttown‘s impressive 95% score.
This marks a substantial increase for Task from when the series’ first Rotten Tomatoes score dropped. Ahead of its September 7 premiere, Task debuted to just a 71% score from critics on the review aggregator, which initially seemed to signal a letdown in quality compared to Mare of Easttown. However, as the series went on, its acclaim from critics and audiences alike surged.
By September 30, following the release of the intense episode 4, Task‘s Rotten Tomatoes score had equaled that of Mare of Easttown, with both then sitting at 95% from critics. Over the course of four weeks, Task had seen a 24-point increase to its Rotten Tomatoes rating, emphasizing the success of the cat-and-mouse thriller’s slow-burn premise. Even after the series’ conclusion, Task‘s success hasn’t slowed down as it surpasses Mare of Easttown‘s impressively high score.
Of course, it’s important to note that Task‘s Popcornmeter score from audiences remains lower than Mare of Easttown‘s rating. Task‘s score currently sits at 73% from audiences, whereas Mare of Easttown‘s 94% audience rating is much more in line with its critical reception.
|
Show |
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Task |
96% |
73% |
|
Mare of Easttown |
95% |
94% |
Still, the substantial improvement of Task with critics bodes well for the series to rival Mare of Easttown in another sector. The show is positioned as a strong early contender for the 2026 Emmy Awards, with buzz growing around Task‘s cast members like Mark Ruffalo, Tom Pelphrey, Emilia Jones, and Fabien Frankel for the acting categories. Additionally, writing, directing, and drama series nominations seem very probable for Task next year.
