PHILADELPHIA — The Delco crime thriller "Task," starring Mark Ruffalo, will be getting a second season, HBO announced on Thursday.

From "Mare of Easttown" creator and Berwyn native Brad Ingelsby, the first season of the series followed an FBI task force led by Tom Brandis (Ruffalo) — a former priest and grieving widower — as they tracked down thieves robbing drug houses in the Philly suburbs. "Ozark" actor Tom Pelphrey, who grew up in Howell Township, played Robbie, the mastermind behind the thefts.

It was a tense cat-and-mouse narrative with surprisingly tender and occasionally funny performances as both protagonists struggled to be good dads.

The drama was filmed across Delaware and Chester Counties as well as Philadelphia, with some locations as far as Union Township. The cast, which also featured Fabien Frankel ("House of Dragon"), Emilia Jones ("CODA"), Thuso Mbedu ("The Woman King"), Martha Plimpton ("The Regime"), Alison Oliver ("Conversations with Friends"), and Jamie McShane ("Sons of Anarchy"), lived in the region for about six months during filming in 2024.

Many gushed about their time in Philadelphia, especially praising the dining scene. Jones, who plays Maeve, loved the Delco accent so much she still wears a “Delco” necklace.

Like many Inglesby projects, "Task" was infused with local Philly flair, from incredibly accurate Delco and South Philly accents (courtesy of "Mare" dialect coach Susanne Sulby) to Rita’s and Wawa shout-outs.

South Philly-raised filmmaker Jeremiah Zagar, son of beloved mosaicist Isaiah Zagar, worked closely with Inglesby on the project as an executive producer and director, along with "Gilded Age" director Salli Richardson-Whitfield.

Ruffalo also served as executive producer.

Ingelsby has made it his mission to continue making shows about Delco that are actually filmed in this region; Season 2 of "Task" furthers his efforts to stay close to home while delivering blockbuster television.

HBO said "Task" was one of their “top three fastest-growing, debut seasons.”

“We knew well in advance of its launch that we had a powerful drama series on our hands, but it has been so rewarding to witness the audience’s fervor and embrace of this show as it grew week after week,” said HBO Programming’s executive vice president Francesca Orsi, the head of the studio’s drama series and films, in a statement.

“Rarely does a writer balance humanistic storytelling with intricate, explosive plotting but Brad Ingelsby is one of our industry’s greats and we have no doubt he will strike as profoundly and addictively once again in season two.”

A second season means the production will return to the region in a big way — however (spoiler alert) several major characters don’t survive season one, so expect to see a largely new cast.

©2025 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Visit inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.