Task - Episode 2 ‘Family Statements’ explained

Warning: Major spoilers ahead

As news spreads about the deadly raid on drug dealer Deric’s home, Dark Hearts biker gang member Jayson vows revenge. Meanwhile, gang leader Perry shares his concern that the attack is bringing negative attention on the Dark Hearts – and is curious to know where Deric’s young boy, Sam, is.

Between them, the pair discuss what was lost in the robbery – noting that a shipment of their drugs was taken. Knowing the thieves will need to quickly sell off the stolen narcotics, the pair decide to set a trap. Aware the FBI is sniffing around the scene, they plan to distract task force leader, Tom, who they declare a “paper pusher they don’t need to worry about”.

However, Tom has connections who reveal that Jayson, the leader of the Dark Hearts faction in Delaware County, killed a man named Billy for the gang – Robbie’s brother.

Following their botched robbery, Robbie and Cliff are now in possession of young Sam, as well as a duffel bag filled with fentanyl. Knowing they’re in trouble the longer they hang on to it, Robbie reasons that their only recourse is to sell the drugs on. Already traumatised by what went down, Cliff is enraged at the prospect of getting in deeper.

Robbie reassures Cliff that things will work out fine and sends him out for test strips so they can test how potent the fentanyl is. He then leaves Sam in the care of Maeve, claiming he’s the son of a friend. Maeve is not stupid, however, and realises who Sam’s father is after overhearing Deric’s name and knowing about the search for the missing child. While at home, Robbie also promises to attend a father-daughter dance with his little girl, Harper, later that week.

As Robbie’s plan is laid out, the Task Force are on the hunt for Sam. They start by digging through the youngster’s records, which show he has been brought up and largely neglected by gang members. They then go through the victims of the robbery, including the family of Robbie and Cliff’s accomplice, Peaches.

Peaches, whose real name was Kenny Pollard, was engaged to be married, and his devastated fiancée is left heartbroken at his criminal connections. Her father, however, flies into a rage, saying he knew that Peaches was a bad egg. However, when the Dark Hearts discover Peaches’ involvement, they decide to take their rage out on his family instead.

The Task Force get a break in the case when they realise a connection between the Dark Hearts and fentanyl tracking, with Grasso believing that with so many houses being targeted, there may be a man on the inside bringing the operation down.

Away from the case, Tom’s daughter Emily opens up about her life to a therapist, revealing her dad’s drinking problem has driven a wedge between them. She also talks about her convicted brother Ethan, who at one point had hopes of being a football player, but was deeply troubled. She fears that prison will not provide him with the help he truly needs – and feels torn between her brother and her adopted family, who don’t want her to testify on his behalf.

Later that evening, Emily joins Tom and his other daughter, Sara, for dinner, where they discuss Ethan’s upcoming sentencing for his crimes. The discussion of delivering a family impact statement at the hearing results in all three getting into an argument over the best course of action. While Emily wants to help her brother, Sara is furious she would consider it.

It’s then revealed the reason Ethan is in prison is because he threw Sara’s mother and Tom’s wife, Susan, down a flight of stairs after coming off his medication for a psychiatric disorder, ultimately breaking her neck and killing her. He pleaded guilty to murder in the third degree – and faces 15 years in prison.

Tom is left helpless as he is caught between his adopted and biological daughter, with Sara questioning how he would feel if Ethan gets an early release. When he doesn’t respond, Sara disowns Emily, who promptly leaves.

Back at Robbie’s home, Maeve decides to hand Sam over to the FBI. She plans to leave him at a food store before making an anonymous tip so he can be found. When the team arrive on the scene, Maeve goes to leave – only to find Sam in her car, having made his own way back. When she’s asked by Tom if she saw the boy, she wrongly identifies another kid, before taking Sam back to her house and facing off with Robbie over the situation he’s got the family into.