“Task” Star Sam Keeley Expertly Breaks Down Who Truly Won the Battle – and the War (Spoilers)

Right when you thought you had “Task” figured out, the Season one finale, “A Still Small Voice,” came in like a wrecking ball, leaving a trail of bodies and, sadly, shattered expectations. The episode didn’t just tie up loose ends; it ripped them apart and then rewove them into a web of betrayal, sacrifice, and brutal poetic justice. Let’s break down that explosive ending and what it means for the characters who managed to survive.

How Did the ‘Task” Finale End?

The final episode throws us straight into the chaotic endgame between Jayson Wilkes (Sam Keeley) and Robbie Prendergrast (Tom Pelphrey). Their conflict over a large stash of stolen fentanyl boils over and makes two desperate men with everything to lose. Robbie, ever the family man, wants to sell the drugs to secure a future for his kids. Jayson, on the other hand, needs that product to crawl back into the good graces of Perry, the Dark Hearts Mother Club, and salvage his crumbling honor.

In a twist that felt both shocking and inevitable, Jayson had murdered Robbie. But Robbie, even in death, gets the last laugh. He had already sold the fentanyl and sent Jayson on a wild goose chase for a bag of worthless magazines and newspapers. It’s a brilliant, tragic move from a man who knew he was already dead.

This brings us to the final, bloody confrontation. A desperate Jayson, fresh off killing his surrogate father, Perry (Jamie McShane), after learning he murdered Eryn, Jayson’s wife, makes a last-ditch play for the money at Maeve’s (Emilia Jones) house. But instead of a payday, he finds his end at the hands of Grasso (Fabien Frankel), the dirty FBI agent  of whom we’ve been suspicious.

The Truth About Agent Grasso

Admittedly, we all knew something was off with Agent Grasso. The finale confirms our worst fears: he’s the leak inside the FBI task force. After Tom Brandis (Mark Ruffalo) and his partner Aleah realize their inside man is crooked, they start tracking Grasso’s movements. Grasso, feeling the heat, tries to clean up his mess by eliminating loose ends. This leads his commanding officer to visit Grasso’s home, where he’s supposed to take him out. But in a stroke of luck for the dirty agent, a Dark Hearts member shows up and offs the commanding officer. 

Grasso’s final act is confronting Jayson at Maeve’s home. In a very tense shootout with FBI agents, Grasso kills Jayson, but is injured himself. He then is admitted to the hospital to await his punishment from OPS.  

Meanwhile, Maeve, still recouping from Jayson’s visit, sets out traveling with her and Robbie’s family. Tom, conflicted about Ethan, reads a statement in court. 

What the ‘Task’ Cast Says About the Ending

The finale’s unsparing conclusion wasn’t just a shock for viewers. Irish actor Sam Keeley, who delivers a masterful performance as the conflicted Jayson, admitted he was floored by the script. He didn’t want Jayson to be a “cookie-cutter evil guy,” but a man with a warped code of honor. Jayson actually believes he’s a family man protecting his circle, but as actor Keeley notes, his actions bring nothing but suffering to everyone around him.

The duel that occurred between Jayson and Robbie becomes the true dark heart of the series. Jayson’s obsession with reclaiming his status within the Dark Hearts drives him to commit one monstrous act after another. For him, retrieving the fentanyl wasn’t just about the money; it was about preserving his identity and the violent vision he had for his life. In the end, it cost him everything.

Winning the Battle – But Not the War

For Jayson and Robbie, their conflict was over much more than the duffel bag of stolen fentanyl. It was over Robbie’s brother’s death. Robbie, although losing the battle – and his life to Jayson – has the greatest payback. He helped provide for niece Maeve, and duped the Dark Hearts. That was totally winning the war.

A Few Final Thoughts

Creator Brad Ingelsby (of “Mare of Easttown”) is adept at writing sympathetic and conflicted characters. “Task” has an amazing cast, to include Keeley, McShane, Jones, Ruffalo, and particularly Tom Pelphrey, who played Robbie. All brought tough times and crime in DelCo to life.

A layered drama which dropped us into the eastern Pennsylvania world, “Task” grappled at times with a few pacing issues. However, it never seemed to drag anything out too long. At worst, it is a captivating and gritty heist drama; at best, actors like Pelphrey and Keeley should be up for next year’s Emmy awards.