Task Episode 1 Ending Explained & Robbie’s Plan With The Kid
Warning! Spoilers for Task episode 1 ahead!
HBO’s Task kicked off with its first episode, beginning the cat and mouse game between Mark Ruffalo’s Tom and Tom Pelphrey’s Robbie. This first installment in the series was used predominantly to introduce these two characters—single fathers who have been through significant tragedy, but have taken very different paths. Then, Task episode 1‘s ending sets up their continued “cops and robbers” dynamic.
Task‘s Robbie is a garbage man with two kids who lives with his adult niece, Maeve (Emilia Jones), in her deceased father’s home. To make ends meet, Robbie and his buddy Cliff (Raul Castillo) began a series of home invasions, targeting drug houses (which he identifies through their trash). This draws the attention of the FBI, which forms a task force led by Ruffalo’s Tom.
Though Tom had been taking a break from field work at the start of Task episode 1, he was called back to lead the team aimed at taking down these drug-house robbers. He’s joined by a trio of relatively inexperienced agents: Lizzie (Alison Oliver), Aleah (Thuso Mbedu), and Anthony (Fabien Frankel).
Robbie and Cliff had a pretty good system going for them, so Tom and his team in Task didn’t have much to go on. However, this changed by the end of episode 1. Things quickly went downhill for the group of criminals when their buddy Peaches (Owen Teague) was shot and killed. Robbie and Cliff were forced to kill the house’s occupants, not realizing that a child was sleeping in the basement.
Robbie Taking The Kid Home Is Definitely How Tom & The FBI Will Catch Him
The ending of Task episode 1 reveals that Robbie took the boy from the drug house home with him. This was, of course, a pretty risky move, but Robbie had few other choices. The kid had come up from the basement after Robbie and Cliff had removed their masks, so he saw their faces and could, therefore, help the police identify them. If Robbie had been more cruel, he would have killed the boy.
We see in Task episode 1 that Robbie isn’t a heartless criminal. He is a loving father, and though he is willing to kill drug dealers if it comes down to it, murdering children is another story. In this premiere episode’s final moments, we see Robbie gently carrying the sleeping boy into Maeve’s house. Taking him was the only way Robbie could protect himself, but it’s sure to doom him in the long term.
Now that a kid has been added to the situation, Tom and his task force are sure to turn up the heat on their investigation. This is a matter of kidnapping, so the entire community will now be on the lookout for the young boy in Robbie’s possession. What’s more, Peaches’ body can now be used as a lead for finding Robbie and Cliff. Robbie’s mercy will likely be his undoing.
What Happened To Tom’s Wife & Kids In Task?
The cat and mouse game between Tom and Robbie stands at the center of Task, but it’s made clear in the premiere episode that it’s the similarities between these characters that make this series unique. Both the “cop” and “robber” have been through tragedy. In Tom’s case, this revolves around his wife’s death and the tragic involvement of his son.
Though it’s never explicitly stated what happened with Tom’s family in Task episode 1, there are plenty of clues. Tom’s son is in prison awaiting sentencing for third-degree murder, and, while meeting with the family’s lawyer, he can be seen reading legal documents that detail the crime. It looks as if Tom’s son stopped taking his medications and experienced a psychological episode before pushing his mother down the stairs.
The tragic reality that Tom’s own son killed his wife has taken a significant toll on this character. We see that he used to be a priest, but his faith was shattered. Tom refuses to visit his son in prison and has developed a drinking problem. Said and done, all of this could make focusing on the investigation in Task a bit difficult.
What Happened To Robbie’s Brother & Wife?
Robbie’s situation is still mysterious in Task. We know that his wife suddenly left, leaving him to move in with his brother, Billy, and his daughter. However, Billy died unexpectedly. We don’t know exactly how this happened, but Robbie’s criminal experience suggests a possible connection. All we know for sure is that Billy’s death had a major impact on Robbie’s family.
Future episodes of Task are sure to reveal the full story of what happened to Robbie’s wife and brother. Details are guaranteed to come to the surface, especially now that Robbie has brought another child into the mix.
How Robbie Bringing The Kid Home Sets Up Task Episode 2
We saw in Task episode 1 that things are pretty tense in Robbie’s home. Maeve is still a young woman, but she has dedicated her free time to caring for Robbie’s children. She loves her cousins, but she resents the responsibility that has been placed on her. Another kid will only add to this resentment. Maeve also suspects that Robbie has been up to no good, and this child will only confirm that fact.
Task episode 2 will explore the shift in dynamics that this kid will add to Robbie’s home. Moreover, the added crime of kidnapping will put further pressure on Tom and his task force to find those responsible. The stage is now set for Task to fully dive into this game of cat and mouse—a dynamic made all the more intriguing by the tragic and complicated morality of its central characters.
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