Big news for Philly TV fans: A crossover of Task and Mare of Easttown is in the works.
Task, the crime thriller starring Mark Ruffalo that just received six Emmy nominations for its debut season this week, has cast Julianne Nicholson to reprise her Mare of Easttown role as Lori Ross, Variety reported on Thursday.
Playing the best friend to Kate Winslet’s titular Mare Sheehan character, Nicholson won an Emmy in 2021 for her heartwrenching performance as the mother of (spoiler alert!) the young boy revealed as the killer Sheehan was investigating.
More details about how her character will factor into Task are under wraps. But we know that the new season follows Ruffalo’s ex-priest-turned-FBI agent — a performance that earned him an Emmy nod — as he leads another task force that will clash with the DEA.
It’s the first time that the worlds of Task and Mare have officially collided, though both shows were created by Berwyn writer Brad Ingelsby and filmed in the Philadelphia area. There’s also some overlap in their creative teams, from production and costume design to dialect coaching. (Ingelsby recognizes the importance of getting the signature Delco accent just right.)
That connection, Ingelsby told The Inquirer last year, was intentional.
“We weren’t trying to separate Task from Mare. In fact, we were actually going the other way and saying, ‘No, it’s OK to use the same streets,’” said Ingelsby, who received an Emmy nomination recognizing his writing for the Task finale. “If there’s something architecturally that can connect the two worlds, let’s wrap our arms around it.”
Mare was initially developed as a limited series, but talk of a potential second season has persisted in the years since its release. Ingelsby has said the door is always open for a continuation of the show and earlier this year, Winslet reportedly said recent conversations with HBO were promising enough that she believes there’s a “strong likelihood” filming could begin in 2027.
It’s not yet clear whether Winslet could make a cameo in Task when the two shows crossover.
Task started shooting its second season in Manayunk this week with a largely new cast including Oscar winner Mahershala Ali (playing the rival to Ruffalo’s character), Henry Melling, Edgar Ramirez, Aminah Nieves, and Adam Nagaitis.
A premiere date is yet to be announced.