Task Episode 6, “Out Beyond Ideas Of Wrongdoing And Rightdoing, There Is A River,” sees Robbie (Tom Pelphrey, Blindspot), the Dark Hearts, and the FBI clash by the river as the chase for him and the drugs comes to a shocking conclusion. But as the dust settles, questions still need to be answered, and the remaining pieces of shattered lives need to be put back together.
The first 20 minutes of Task Episode 6 are some of the most tense and riveting TV around. Picking up with Brandis (Mark Ruffalo, The Adam Project) and Robbie’s confrontation that capped last week’s episode, the situation soon spirals out of control when Jayson (Sam Keeley) recklessly charges into the situation, determined to get his drugs back. As the situation descends into chaos, bodies start falling as old scores finally get settled, and new ones are borne.
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Everything about this sequence is perfect. The camera work, acting, and the timing of when to jump from one group to another, as multiple fights play out, are all incredible. The chaos of the moment, as things continue to deteriorate in confusion, is palpable. The anxiety of the unknown hangs over everything, as the communal force of the entire cast breathes life into the weight of the scene.
Task Episode 6 features some of the most tense sequences of TV this year.
The biggest moment of this sequence falls to the series’ two stars. Tom Pelphrey and Mark Ruffalo have some incredible interactions together. The actors deliver their best work in the series to date in these moments, which is saying something. Pelphery continues to create a complicated and nuanced character in Robbie, while Ruffalo creates a supporting counterpoint to the other’s desperation. The kindness and concern the two men share is a calm and bittersweet moment amid the storm of violence and uncertainty.
The other standout character in Task Episode 6‘s big opening is Lizzie (Alison Oliver, Saltburn). Still haunted by her failures earlier in the series, she sets out to make good on the trust others have placed in her. Oliver does an incredible job of bringing strength to her character, while never fully shedding the fear that has previously ruled her. She is always scared, but she refuses to let that fear stop her.
Once the dust settles, the remainder of Task Episode 6 sees the characters sifting through the remains as questions are asked and lives are pieced back together. The FBI informs the task force that they’ll be doing an investigation into the entire team. While this is presented as a routine procedure, it’s clear in tone and intent that it’s connected to something deeper.
Task Episode 6 does a great job of making sure every character gets their due. Every emotional moment and frustrated confrontation that plays out in the wake of the fight is handled with care and never feels rushed. But while all of the scenes resonate with power, the biggest one again falls to Ruffalo.
Mark Ruffalo continues to shine, backed up by an extraordinarily committed cast.
When Brandis visits Sam, he discovers that the boy is one of many being kept in a renovated prison. The temporary housing facility he was supposed to go to recently lost funding, so there is no other place for him. Cut to Brandis arriving at home with Sam in tow, informing his daughters that he has decided to let the orphaned boy stay with them for the time being.
What plays out between Brandis, Emily (Silvia Dionicio), and Sara (Phoebe Fox) is moving and elegantly handled. While his daughters question Tom’s decision, Dionicio and Fox do a great job of never coming across as angry or judgmental towards their struggling father. As Brandis explains himself while making their new charge a peanut butter sandwich, Ruffalo does a great job of letting the character’s full pain and confusion spill from him.
The choice to have Ruffalo doing something as commonplace as making a sandwich, as he struggles to explain the feelings that motivated him to create what is likely an ill-conceived choice, is genius. The use of an everyday element within this emotional scene grounds it. Tom’s life is spiralling, he’s trying to justify his guilt-borne decisions to his daughters, who are both going through their own crises, and here he is: making a sandwich. It doesn’t seem like it should matter, and yet, I can’t believe the scene works the same without it.
Task Episode 6 does everything it needed to and so much more. It manages to deliver both the chaos and violence of its opening while balancing it against the emotional elements of the narrative. From camera to cast, everything about the episode plays out perfectly. Task Episode 6 is possibly the best single episode of television I’ve seen this year.
Task Episode 6 is streaming now on HBO Max.
