Ruffalo-Led “Task” Cast Powers HBO Max to No. 1 on Sept. 9

Lead HBO’s new crime drama “Task,” starring Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey, surged to the top of HBO Max’s viewership charts on Tuesday, propelled by acclaim for its ensemble cast’s performances and authentic regional accents.

Nut Graf The Philadelphia-set series, created by Brad Ingelsby, follows an FBI agent’s cat-and-mouse hunt for a family man-turned-robber-and viewers tuned in en masse after the show’s Sept. 7 debut, citing standout work by Ruffalo, Pelphrey and supporting players whose performances have sparked social media buzz.

Main Part Viewership data released on Sept. 9 confirm “Task” clinched HBO Max’s highest single-day streaming numbers, overtaking last season’s top series. Critics praised Ruffalo’s layered portrayal of ex-priest-turned-agent Tom Brandis and Pelphrey’s conflicted Robbie Prendergrast, whose moral ambiguity anchors the drama.

Supporting cast members Emilia Jones, Fabien Frankel and Martha Plimpton were singled out for bringing depth to their roles in the seven-episode run, with Jones’s compassionate turn as Maeve Prendergrast drawing particular attention for its emotional resonance.

Much of the buzz centers on the cast’s authentic Pennsylvania accents, which Mark Ruffalo revealed were honed under a Mare of Easttown dialect coach hired for the series. He told Entertainment Weekly the coaching sessions helped the actors capture the region’s vocal nuances without veering into caricature.

Episode 2, airing Sunday, is expected to build on this momentum by deepening the personal stakes for Brandis and Prendergrast. HBO executives say the network will closely monitor audience engagement as “Task” unfolds weekly through October.