Brad Ingelsby, the creator of the Emmy-winning Mare of Easttown, is heading back to his Pennsylvania roots with a brand-new HBO series, Task. Much like his breakout hit, the show is set in Delaware County and dives deep into the grit and heart of working-class life in the region.
A New Story in the “Brad Ingelsby Cinematic Universe”
The series stars Mark Ruffalo as a former priest who has traded the pulpit for the FBI. His latest mission: investigating a string of robberies orchestrated by a desperate single father, played by Tom Pelphrey (Ozark, Love & Death). Ruffalo jokingly refers to Ingelsby’s interconnected world as “the ICU”—the Brad Ingelsby Cinematic Universe.
“I’ve been in the ICU,” Ruffalo told USA Today with a laugh, describing the world Ingelsby continues to build out of Pennsylvania stories.
Compassion Over Crime
While Mare of Easttown focused on the fallout of a murder in a small town, Ruffalo says Task approaches its central conflict differently. “It’s a compassionate and empathetic take on cops and robbers,” he explained. “You’re meant to see both sides, to understand why these characters do what they do.”
For Ingelsby, the show is another love letter to the people and places that shaped him. “I wanted to tell a story about the people I grew up with,” he told Variety. “These are the people I know and care about. Honestly, I’d be happy to write about this area for the rest of my career.”
Filming in DelCo
Although Task is set in Philadelphia, cameras rolled throughout Delaware County and Chester County during the spring and summer of 2024. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Episode 1 was partially filmed inside a real Downingtown home, with set decorators giving it the perfect lived-in look. Other filming locations included Coatesville, Ridley, Aston, Upper Chichester, Marcus Hook, Chadds Ford, and even scenic stretches of Ridley Creek State Park and Wissahickon Valley Park.
The Challenge of the “DelCo” Accent
One of the trickiest parts for the cast wasn’t the emotional weight of the story—it was the DelCo accent. Ruffalo admitted that despite the help of dialect coach Susanne Sulby, nailing the sound was no easy task.
“I kept wanting to slip into Wisconsin or New York,” Ruffalo told reporters. “The accent is unique—it’s got a mix of the South, Baltimore, Italian, and Irish all swirled together.”
Pelphrey echoed the struggle, confessing to THR, “That accent was honestly keeping me up at night.”
When to Watch
Task premiered on Sunday, September 7, 2025, on HBO, kicking off its seven-episode run. New episodes air weekly on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and stream on HBO Max.