Episode four of Task marks just over the halfway point of this tense, cat-and-mouse police thriller, and while there are a few potential twists, it also exposes some cracks in the storytelling.
We pick up from last week’s intriguing ending: Tom’s task force convinced Ray to reveal some significant details about Cliff and his counterpart (Robbie). Using Ray’s phone, Tom fixed up a meeting with Cliff and Robbie in a local park. Cliff and Robbie think they’re ready to get rid of the gear (finally, yes!); Tom knows otherwise. The plan seems like a smart move. Of course, in this world, no plan goes to, well, plan.
At the same time, both Tom’s team and the Dark Hearts gang remain haunted by the idea of a mole in their ranks. That mirroring – Tom and Robbie, the law and the outlaws – has been a consistent device in this series, and it continues to add weight to the show’s cat-and-mouse dynamic.
The episode spends much of its hour on character threads that feel slightly sidelined by the looming park showdown. Emily continues to wrestle with the trauma of her brother’s actions, the guilt she feels over the death of her stepmother, and her uncertain place in the world. Elsewhere, Perry digs for answers within his own gang, while his relationship with Jayson boils over. These were all compelling beats, but they risked being drowned out by the narrative’s drive towards the climactic park sequence.
That climax is just about worth the build-up: Tom’s team makes a costly error in the park, stopping and searching the wrong car, leaving the Dark Hearts to seize the upper hand. In brutal fashion, Cliff is rammed off the road and soon eliminated, an outcome that felt pretty inevitable if we’re being honest.
Still, the episode underscores a lingering imbalance. The show can’t quite decide if it’s a sprawling character study or a tight, relentless thriller. Last week, we spent time getting under the skin of the task force; this week, apart from a fleeting but memorable Grasso-and-Lizzie subplot, much of that human detail is absent. With so many characters and such a complex conspiracy, Task sometimes feels like it’s aiming a little too high.
As for the moles, Perry edged closer to Robbie’s identity, and suspicions about Kathleen McGinty, Tom’s boss, being the task force’s mole raise the stakes even higher.
Task it remains gripping television, just not always as focused as it should be.
Paul Hirons
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
READ MORE: OUR EPISODE ONE REVIEW
READ MORE: OUR EPISODE TWO REVIEW
READ MORE: OUR EPISODE THREE REVIEW
Task is broadcast in the UK on Sky Atlantic and NOW