Mark Ruffalo’s Blockbuster HBO Series Ends Run with Massive Streaming Achievement

HBO’s Task has been a ratings hit for the entire duration of its run, which ended on Sunday in epic fashion. The crime drama has now completed 45 days on the HBO Max viewership charts, most of which it spent stationed at the number one spot despite competition from Peacemaker. The show hails from Brad Inglesby, who previously delivered the all-time classic HBO hit Mare of Easttown, starring Kate Winslet. Task stars Mark Ruffalo as an FBI agent who is redeployed on the field after a lengthy time out, and Tom Pelphrey as the robber he’s supposed to track down.

According to FlixPatrol, it remained the number one show globally on the HBO Max charts following its finale, which received widespread acclaim. The show itself is sitting at a 95% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus reads, “Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey are superb in Task, a culturally-specific crime story that’s unrelentingly bleak but equally riveting.” In her recap of the final episode, Collider’s Carly Lane described it as “a bittersweet resolution to a story that began with bloody vengeance.”

While the seven-episode show was positioned as a limited series, Inglesby recently indicated in an interview with People that he’d be open to returning, and possibly even writing a crossover with Mare of Easttown. “If people respond to Task and keep responding to Task, I’d love to tell more stories about this place,” he said. This wouldn’t be the first time that HBO has ordered follow-ups to a show marketed as a miniseries. Most prominently, the mystery drama Big Little Lies returned for a second season on popular demand; HBO has also left the door open for Damon Lindelof to develop more seasons of Watchmen, which was always supposed to have a limited run.

2025 Has Been a Landmark Year for Limited Series

Task has emerged as a massive hit in a year filled with stand-out miniseries, such as Netflix’s Adolescence, FX’s Dying for Sex, the Robert De Niro-led Zero Day, and the Western American Primeval. Apple’s Chief of War, meanwhile, was also converted into a returning show following its successful run. Last year, the FX on Hulu blockbuster Shōgun received a similar green light for follow-ups after having initially been conceived as a limited series.

You can watch Task on HBO Max, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.