Warning! Spoilers for Task episode 4 ahead!

Task has all but achieved masterpiece level after the high-suspense events of episode 4. This HBO series has, so far, been a slow burn, and that steadily built tension is finally beginning to pay off. This isn’t to say that Task‘s first three episodes were duds, of course. Creator Brand Ingelsby is a master of developing exposition in a way that reels audiences in for a powerful delivery.

There will be a total of seven episodes in Task, so episode 4 carries the series just over the halfway mark. Previous episodes introduced the series’ cat-and-mouse characters—Mark Ruffalo’s Tom Brandis and Tom Pelphrey’s Robbie Prendergast. Both characters are sympathetic and likable, but only one can “win” at the end of the series. This knowledge has maintained Task‘s tension, and episode 4 is beginning to tip it over the edge.

Task’s Suspense Has Never Been Higher After Episode 4

Task‘s slow-burning formula has come to a head in episode 4. Robbie has been fighting tooth and nail to get out of the suffocating situation he has put himself in. If he could only move the fentanyl he stole, he could take his kids—possibly including the one he kidnapped—and get out of the country. However, it became clear in this episode of Task that a drug deal is out of the question.

Robbie’s efforts to get rid of the fentanyl led to his best friend, Cliff (Raúl Castillo), being killed. This scene was a tipping point for Task. It was a slow, silent, and terribly tragic death that was difficult to watch, especially since Robbie promised Cliff they would be okay. To make matters worse, the ending of Task episode 4 saw Tom discover footage of Robbie and Sam. He doesn’t have an ID yet, but it’s only a matter of time.

The Dark Hearts killing Cliff, followed by Tom receiving the footage of little Sam, effectively shows viewers that Robbie’s time is running out. The FBI is moments away from discovering their perp’s true identity, and with an informant tucked away, the Dark Hearts won’t be long after them. Robbie’s next move is sure to be a desperate one, turning this slow burn into an all-out inferno.

Task’s Slow-Burn Crime Story Rivals The Suspense Of HBO’s Classics Like True Detective & Mare Of Easttown

Credit:  HBO via MovieStillsDB

The fact that Task has managed to gradually build up the suspense over several episodes in this way is no small thing. Plenty of crime dramas have given this formula their best effort, but, unfortunately, lost their viewership along the way. HBO has proven itself particularly good at the slow-burn formula, however. Task is only the latest, following up True Detective (specifically, season 1) and Mare of Easttown.

Interestingly, Mare of Easttown comes from the same creator as Task. Ingelsby knows precisely how to balance out the action of a crime drama with personal and emotional stakes, gripping viewers with powerful character development before going in for the kill. Though it remains to be seen whether Task will stick the landing, it’s on its way to achieving a similar legacy as its HBO predecessors.

Task Has A Big Difference From HBO’s Best Slow-Burn Crime Thrillers

Though the effective slow-burn formula makes Task an easy comparison to True Detective and Mare of Easttown, there’s an intriguing difference here. These HBO classics are both whodunits, which feature a detective (or two) attempting to uncover the identity of a criminal. Task is a “howcatchem,” in which the killer is revealed to viewers from the very start.

Though howcatchems are just as common these days as whodunits, Task takes this further by presenting Robbie as a likable and loving family man. He’s not perfect, but he isn’t a bad person. This makes us all the more tense as we watch the FBI and Dark Hearts close in. Suffice it to say, I’ll be holding my breath during the next two episodes of this newest HBO masterpiece.

Release Date

2025 – 2025-00-00

Network

HBO

Directors

Jeremiah Zagar