WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for Task episode 5!
After episode 3 introduced the mystery of a secret informant within the task force, Task episode 5 finally confirms their identity. Though Brad Ingelsby’s Task departs from Mare of Easttown’s murder mystery formula, the new HBO series has still managed to keep audiences guessing by integrating some mysteries and big twists within the investigation.
The biggest of those was finding out which Task character was secretly feeding inside information about the group of thieves from the task force to the Dark Hearts gang. Though the task force unit is a small group consisting of just Mark Ruffalo’s Tom, Fabien Frankel’s Grasso, Alison Oliver’s Lizzie, and Thuso Mbedu’s Aleah, the series still made intriguing cases for any one of them to be the informant.
After Task episode 3’s ending hinted more at Grasso being the secret informant, episode 4 included some clues that the culprit could have actually been Tom’s boss, Martha Plimpton’s Kathleen. However, the latter turned out to be a red herring, with Task episode 5 revealing the informant’s identity and confirming the most widespread theory.
Task Episode 5 Confirms The Theory That Fabien Frankel's Grasso Is The Informant
It’s confirmed in Task episode 5 that the informant feeding information to the Dark Hearts is Anthony Grasso. A more local Delaware County detective, Grasso has secretly been in contact with Dark Hearts member Jayson, giving him crucial intel about Cliff Broward being one of the thieves and the time and location of the FBI’s meeting with Cliff in the park.
In Task episode 5, we finally see Grasso actually meet up with Jayson under a bridge to discuss the investigation. While Jayson and the Dark Hearts believed that Sam was dead after Robbie’s crew killed his parents, Grasso showed him a picture of the child to confirm that he’s still alive and being held.
The biggest question still left after the HBO miniseries' informant reveal is why Grasso is working with the Dark Hearts. Grasso had hinted at being corrupt in Task episode 3 when making a speech at a bar about Lizzie being one of the few honorable cops left out there, but there wasn’t any indication then of a personal link to the Dark Hearts.
Task's Big Twist Gives Fabien Frankel An HBO Villain Track Record
Unfortunately, Anthony Grasso being revealed as a secret villain character in Task gives actor Fabien Frankel a bad track record for his HBO shows. Frankel’s biggest TV role outside Task is Criston Cole in House of the Dragon, who grew to become one of the show’s most-hated characters about halfway through season 1.
While Criston Cole was more likable in the first few episodes of House of the Dragon as he was chosen to join the Kingsguard and began a forbidden romance with young Princess Rhaenyra, that all changed when Rhaenyra refused to run away with Cole. After that point, the knight blamed his sins and guilt over breaking his Kingsguard vows on Rhaenyra, spending years essentially dedicating himself to her downfall while having an affair with her former best friend.
