LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� 鈥淭ask鈥� has tense standoffs between not-too-different cops and criminals. It has gunfights in the woods and heists that turn into bloodbaths that turn into kidnappings. Yet the show鈥檚 most dramatic and essential moment may be a guy reading from a piece of paper.
It helps that the guy doing the reading 鈥� a in court 鈥� is Mark Ruffalo, who is very likely to get an nomination next month for playing a former priest-turned-FBI agent seeking some kind of redemption for himself and his son who’s about to be sentenced for killing his mother, Ruffalo’s wife.
鈥淚 think that stuff was some of the earliest we wrote,鈥� 鈥淭ask鈥� creator and showrunner Brad Inglesby told The Associated Press in an interview. 鈥淚t was like, ‘OK, now, so that鈥檚 the emotional journey of the show and then we’ve got to figure out what the plot is.’鈥�
Inglesby, who previously took on a similar journey in similar Pennsylvania terrain in 2021’s said the idea was 鈥渁 man of faith and lost his faith in the face of this tragedy that sort of would have to have to find his way back to some belief.鈥� The title 鈥淭ask鈥� refers both to the police team Ruffalo leads the religious responsibilities that linger in him.
For the court statement, Inglesby read about experiences of real-life parents of children whose mental disabilities have brought domestic difficulties.
鈥淚 specifically remember reading a parent saying, 鈥業 hate Fridays. I hate going to school and seeing the parents pick up their kids because they鈥檙e going off to have a weekend. And for me, that鈥檚 the worst day because now I鈥檓 home with my child for two days on my own.鈥欌��
Inglesby has been writing films for 15 years, but really hit his professional stride with 鈥淢are of Easttown,鈥� his first foray into television, which won Winslet and her 鈥淒elco鈥� or Delaware County, Pennsylvania accent (think 鈥渨ater鈥� as 鈥渨ooder鈥�) an acting Emmy.
The screenwriter was born and raised in the area outside Philadelphia where urban and rural intertwine both physically and culturally. He moved back around the time of 鈥淢are,鈥� set 鈥淭ask鈥� there and spoke to the AP from his production office there.
That means he鈥檚 been walking around in the place, and among the people, he鈥檚 writing about.
鈥淚 feel the burden of it when I鈥檓 writing things all the time. I feel like if anything, it makes me very vigilant about getting the details right,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always somebody who says 鈥榯hey would never listen to that song or they would ever wear that T-shirt or they wouldn鈥檛 drink that beer.鈥欌��
He adds, 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to me. I want to do right by them. Even if they don鈥檛 like the characters or the decisions of the characters, I want them to feel like we got the place right.鈥�
鈥淭ask鈥� was intended as a limited series like 鈥淢are,鈥� but in November HBO announced a second season.
That means that for the forthcoming Emmys, in a move made in recent years by and 鈥淪hogun,鈥� it shifted from the limited categories to drama.
Along with Ruffalo, , who played the lost-soul criminal at the center of the story, is likely to get a nomination, and 鈥淭ask鈥� could easily get a raft of others.
Inglesby has never done a Season 2 of anything before.
鈥淚t鈥檚 still weird to me that we鈥檙e doing another season, because in my head, in many ways, the story had a clear end,鈥� he said.
The idea came from HBO. Inglesby entertained it simply because the collective cast and crew were such a good hang.
鈥淚t really started with just an openness to come back and just work on the show, and that really stemmed from, you know, really loving all of just the time we got to spend together,鈥� he said.
The Season 2 cast includes as a DEA agent. , who played against type but felt perfect as Ruffalo鈥檚 FBI supervisor, will be among the few returning.
鈥淪he was such a find because I just felt like we really need to have some humor in the show,鈥� Inglesby said, 鈥渁nd Martha鈥檚 able to find the humor always.鈥�
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