"There's a lot of sparkling promise in this show, but it's buried under a lot of red herrings, false starts, and broken promises. Great performances are shrouded by the sheer number of characters vying for our attention. There's no way not to compare this show to Mare of Easttown, so here goes: Mare had a clear theme and executed its vision with startling and brutal audacity; Task is muddled, pulling the viewer in a million different directions without enough time spent on any one character."
"The episode begins with Tom haunted by voice-overs, warnings from the previous episode: "Suspect everyone." It's a bit corny, but sure, we get the vibe. This is a show heavily interested in the way paranoia turns us all into weapons of mass destruction in our communities, especially when everyone's looking to escape the ennui of their small-town blues. Everyone's trying to figure out who their actual enemy is."
Task displays evident promise but struggles under numerous red herrings, false starts, and broken promises. Strong performances often get lost amid an overcrowded cast and uneven character focus. The series lacks the thematic clarity and brutal audacity that distinguished Mare of Easttown, instead pulling viewers in many directions without sufficient time on any single character. Paranoia functions as a central theme, depicting how suspicion can weaponize communities. The Dark Hearts investigate internal betrayal while Robbie and Cliff attempt to reach Canada and police pursue leads in Sam's disappearance, initially centering suspicion on Cliff. Small positives include atmospheric fall energy and familiar procedural details.
Read at Vulture
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