Type keyword(s) to search

Features

Task episode 2 ending explained: What is Robbie's connection to Sam?

Task Episode 2 ends with Robbie and Cliff discovering their stolen duffel contains fentanyl, escalating danger as the Dark Hearts mobilize for revenge and an internal mole hunt
posted by Sudipta Sinha
Monday 9/15/2025 at 4:33AM EDT
  • A scene from Task episode 2 (Image via YouTube/@HBOMax)
    A scene from Task episode 2 (Image via YouTube/@HBOMax)

    Task Episode 2, titled “Family Statements,’ is the latest installment of the crime drama miniseries that was aired on September 14, 2025, on HBO. Created by Brad Ingelsby, the series takes place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where a garbage man, Robbie Prendergast (Tom Pelphrey), commits a string of robberies, and an FBI agent, Tom Brandis (Mark Ruffalo), is tasked with stopping him.  

    The second episode further explores the connection between Robbie and Sam (Ben Lewis Doherty), a young boy whom Robbie kidnapped and brought along with him after a robbery escalated into a standoff in the last episode. Sam had seen Robbie's face, but the kind-hearted burglar could not bring himself to kill the child. Instead, he takes the boy along with him, and the latter surprisingly develops a strong connection with him and his team.  

    Robbie’s niece Maeve (Emilia Jones) tries to free the boy without exposing her family’s crimes. Late at night, she sneaks Sam out, planning to abandon him near her workplace and anonymously alert authorities using a stranger’s forgotten phone. However, Sam quietly climbs back into her car, foiling the plan. When Maeve calls in the tip, the police task force, led by Tom Brandis, quickly surrounds the area. Forced to improvise, Maeve hides Sam in the trunk and barely slips past a roadblock before returning home, terrified and furious with Robbie. 

    The aftermath of abducting Sam in Task Episode 2

    In Task Episode 2, the FBI task force searches tirelessly through the night for missing child Sam, unaware he is safe at Robbie Prendergrast’s house and oblivious to the danger surrounding him. In the morning, Robbie is seen excusing himself from work while Maeve hurriedly gets his kids off to school. 

    Once alone, Robbie’s friend and partner Cliff (Raúl Castillo) grows anxious: the mysterious contact “MZ” never mentioned the Nances had a child, and their recent heist has left multiple bodies behind, including that of their friend Peaches (Owen Teague). Opening the stolen duffel bag, Robbie and Cliff discover not cash but a large stash of fentanyl—far more valuable yet far riskier to move.

    Robbie insists he has always found a way out, but Cliff warns that this situation is unprecedented. Meanwhile, Dark Hearts leader Jayson (Sam Keeley) learns of the killings and calls an “emergency church meeting” to rally the gang. 

    Over breakfast pancakes, Robbie lies to Sam while revealing personal motives: his late brother Billy died mysteriously while involved with the Dark Hearts. Maeve later realizes Sam’s real identity, and a quick online search exposes the dangerous criminal web Robbie has dragged them into.

    The truth about Ethan killing Susan

    In Task Episode 2, the story of Tom’s personal life proceeds in parallel with the investigation into the robberies. Tom’s family faces turmoil: his daughter Emily (Silvia Dionicio) debates giving a statement at her brother Ethan’s (Andrew Russel) sentencing, while Sara (Phoebe Fox) insists his crime deserves maximum punishment. 

    The truth is revealed—Ethan, off his medication, accidentally killed Tom’s wife Susan (Mireille Enos), by pushing her down the stairs, fracturing the family beyond repair. As tensions boil over, Emily runs out, highlighting the devastating emotional cost of both the case and Tom’s personal life.

    On the other hand, Tom and Detective Anthony Grasso (Fabien Frankel) begin their investigation by questioning Kaylee Prater (Rachel Poletick), Peaches’ fiancée, but she knows nothing about his crimes and becomes too hysterical to continue. Returning to their makeshift task force headquarters, Grasso emphasizes that the Dark Hearts’ survival hinges on eliminating weak links, and if a mole exists within the gang, they’ll expose them quickly—especially with missing fentanyl and a child at risk. 

    Dark Hearts leader Perry (Jamie McShane) pressures Jayson (Sam Keeley) about the drugs while dismissing Tom as a mere “pencil-pusher.” Meanwhile, Robbie and Cliff fail to meet with their mysterious contact, “MZ,” adding to their instability.

    Check in for more news and updates in the world of TV shows and entertainment. 
     

    TOPICS: Mark Ruffalo, Task episode 2


More Mark Ruffalo on Primetimer: