E013 | Task (2025) – Adoption on the Small Screen

Season 1 of HBO's Task centers former priest, alcoholic, adoptive father, FBI agent, Tom Brandis (played by Mark Ruffalo), who heads up a task force of dubiously-selected young agents as they hunt down a pair of guys robbing violent motorcycle gang-owned stash houses. As melodramatic as the plotline may be, the series quickly became a Pop! favorite for its truthful portrayal of the complexities in adoption.

Thank you to Pop! Star Candace for the recommendation.

Task was created by Brad Ingelsby.

This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on March 4, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon:

Covenant House is the largest, primarily privately funded charity in North and Central America providing immediate and long-term support for young people facing homelessness and survivors of trafficking, including many former foster youth and adoptees. Their website provides data on this population, and resources to support.

Grow Beyond Words maintains a directory of adoption-competent, licensed mental health professionals in the US. InterCountry Adoptee Voices maintains a similar, international directory.

Joe Otterson, "'Task' Renewed for Season 2 at HBO With Mark Ruffalo Returning," Variety (November 20, 2025)

Who wrote this scene with the priest at the end? Task Episode 7, "A Still Small Voice," was written by Brad Ingelsby, and directed by Jeremiah Zagar.

The Adoption Pop! theme music is The Chase by Audiogreen.

We'd love to hear what you thought of this episode, and what you'd like for us to cover in the future. Find, follow, like, and subscribe to Adoption Pop! at our website, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Podcast journalist Haley Radke is at adopteeson.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Filmmaker Kristal Parke is at kristalparke.net, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

Cultural critic Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack. You can find her book recommendations here.