SPOILER WARNING: This story incorporates spoilers from Episode 6 of HBO’s “Task,” now streaming on HBO Max.
As considered one of the young recruits on HBO’s “Task,” Delaware County detective Anthony Grasso (Fabien Frankel) is an enigmatic figure, all the time able to spring into motion to assist Tom Brandis (Mark Ruffalo) locate a missing child in a small-town Philadelphia suburb. Throughout the series, though, small hints have suggested that somebody within the tight-knit FBI task force has been leaking information to the motorcycle gang the Dark Hearts, leaving Tom to wonder who may very well be the mole inside his inner circle of colleagues.
It’s in Episode 5 that we learn that Grasso has been leaking information to Jayson (Sam Keeley), considered one of the leaders of the Dark Hearts in regards to the whereabouts of Cliff Broward (Raúl Castillo), revealing that Sam (Ben Doherty) is alive and has been staying with Robbie Prendergrast (Tom Pelphrey) after the deaths of Sam’s parents during a drug-house robbery.
As Episode 6 begins with the FBI and Dark Hearts each surrounding Robbie in the midst of the woods, all the things that Grasso has worked toward suddenly involves a halt after the Dark Hearts murder Lizzie (Alison Oliver), his closest confidante on the duty force, leaving her body on the side of the road after running her over. While Grasso attempts to grapple along with his grief over Lizzie’s shocking death, he finds himself cornered by Tom about his past with the nefarious motorcycle gang.
Variety spoke with Frankel about Grasso and Tom’s final confrontation, whether the detective was using Lizzie in earlier episodes, and the Catholic guilt riddled throughout the series.
Courtesy of Peter Kramer/HBO
Originally of Episode 6, Grasso and Lizzie find themselves in the midst of crossfire with the Dark Hearts within the woods. When considered one of the Dark Hearts is about to shoot at Lizzie, Grasso fires the gun right next to her ear, which causes her world to go silent. When he fires the weapon, is he entirely aware of what’s happening with Lizzie as she’s attempting to get well throughout the heat of the moment?
He’s aware that if he can’t solve or create the potential to unravel the version of this example, things for him are going to go horribly mistaken. What he doesn’t quite realize until Lizzie is shot near her ear is that [his action] goes to cost the lives of people who he genuinely cares about.
We see Grasso tell Perry (Jamie McShane) and Jayson to flee the scene, which ultimately leads them to killing Lizzie as they run her over on the bridge. After all the things Grasso has been through with the Dark Hearts, what’s the moment that he regrets his past with them? Is it due to Lizzie’s death, or is it much earlier within the season?
He all the time has had a tinge of regret about getting involved with the Dark Hearts. There’s the Catholic guilt complex, which is what he has, like “I’ve done mistaken and I need to repent,” but obviously at no point throughout the first three episodes is there any awareness that it’s going to escalate where it does. Lizzie’s death is ultimately the overshadowing moment where all his worst nightmares are realized.
Everyone keeps telling Grasso to maneuver on from Lizzie’s death, as he’s actively still grieving her while the duty force home is getting investigated. We see him throughout the episode as he’s reflecting on his short time together with her, and the way she’s made this impression on him.
He’s already developed an enormous bond together with her. It’s funny, because I used to be getting asked in press if Lizzie is part of his plan of if he was using her all along, which is what I didn’t imagine. I do know that when Brad [Ingelsby] was writing the show, he didn’t think that was the case. These are two individuals who genuinely really get along and develop an actual friendship. He never finally ends up sleeping together with her attributable to the undeniable fact that he’s afraid of the wedding bed and that he doesn’t need to do more mistaken within the eyes of his Catholicism and his relationship together with her, per his relationship with the Dark Hearts. He just genuinely cares about her.
I never saw that he was using Lizzie, especially during considered one of their first scenes together in Episode 2 when he makes everyone within the bar that she frequents cheer for her.
I’m glad you didn’t see it like that, because he’s just attempting to make her feel good! He cares about her and he can see that she’s a little bit of a lost puppy on this police force. He feels sorry for her — not that he feels sorry for her in every aspect, but in that aspect of her relationship with being a police officer.
In the ultimate moments of the episode, Tom approaches Grasso in regards to the past complaints against him at his previous job, and that he’s aware of his past with the Dark Hearts. The 2 have a conversation about past sins, and there’s a line about how “God doesn’t appear to forget,” in reference to Tom’s past as a priest. If Grasso had confessed to Tom in that exact moment, would he have been forgiven?
That’s such a fantastic query. The entire point of the conversation is forgiven by who? I’m not a really religious person, but I imagine in God and I don’t know where I discover when it comes to the religious spectrum, but actually what I feel is that forgiveness has to come back from inside yourself. I suppose if inside yourself comes from God, then I don’t know if Tom forgiving Grasso would make him feel forgiven. Brad talked a lot about it, and he was saying that when he was a child that he really struggled along with his Catholicism. My mom’s Catholic and I imagine plenty of Catholic people should grow up with this sense of guilt within the eyes of the Lord.
For Grasso, I don’t know if that guilt would ever be completely alleviated. I suppose that the rationale he desires to turn himself in is to take a few of that weight off. He would probably have a better time forgiving himself if he confessed.
How does the ultimate line that Tom says to him before he leaves keep on with him internally? Tom gives him the prospect to admit about leaking the data to the Dark Hearts, and Grasso chooses to not.
It’s funny, because we talked about that scene and that line a lot on set. Brad had written a version of that scene where the scene ended with Tom leaving and saying something like “I’m coming for you,” and Grasso says “So come.” The concept is that it’s Grasso’s last stand. It’s a real moment of defiance, even when he knows in his subconscious that he’s going to show himself in already by that time.
You co-founded a production company along with your brother called “Marcel Monique Pictures” last 12 months, across the time that you just were filming on “Task.” What did you learn from working with Brad Ingelsby and the team behind the series that you just would like to bring onto your organization’s future projects?
What Brad does and has done higher than anyone I’ve ever met is surround himself with the kindest people to work with. Brad’s selection is all the time interested by who’s the individual that goes to make this experience a more enjoyable one, somewhat than who’s the perfect person for the job. I used to be like, “ what? That’s the solution to make movies.” Make them with people you’re keen on and work with your folks and family. Take probabilities on people you’re keen on, because they’ll work the toughest for and with you since you’ll get rewarded tenfold.
This interview has been edited and condensed.