It’s an unwritten rule that any fictional, worn-down detective with a dark past has to get his next case handed to him by a boss who hates the job even more than he does. Thankfully, “Task” doesn’t hesitate in filling that criteria. And the person they’ve picked to bark orders at Mark Ruffalo’s FBI agent Tom Brandis might catch the attention of any ’80s kid who knows where One Eyed Willie’s treasure is buried.
Taking on the role of Kathleen McGinty is Martha Plimpton, better known by fans of “The Goonies” as Stephanie Steinbrenner. Stef was the best friend of the panic-stricken cheerleader, Andy (Kerri Green), and the eventual love interest of Mouth (Corey Feldman) during the legendary treasure hunt that involved forgotten booby traps. What’s great to see from Plimpton in “Task” is that she hasn’t lost the sharp tongue that made her stand out so brilliantly in the Richard Donner-directed adventure movie and has seemingly only gained more attitude since she helped save the Goon Docks 40 years ago. Since then, she has appeared in a wide range of shows and films, spanning heartbreaking romances to box-office-breaking Disney movies.
Martha Plimpton has had a varied career since The Goonies
While some child stars tend to veer away from acting careers, Plimpton stuck it out and, in doing so, made some notable appearances on television and film after watching One Eyed Willie’s ship sail away. After “The Goonies,” Plimpton appeared in movies such as the Peter Weir-directed adaptation of “The Mosquito Coast” alongside Harrison Ford, and “Parenthood,” sharing the screen with Steve Martin and Keanu Reeves. Later, she starred in the movie “200 Cigarettes” with Paul Rudd and Kate Hudson before making appearances in shows like “ER,” “Medium,” “Fringe,” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”
In the early 2000s, Plimpton continued to appear in a variety of beloved shows, including “The Good Wife” “The Blacklist” and “Raising Hope,” while also making a brief appearance in the soul-crushing romance movie starring Robert Pattinson, “Remember Me,” which had that story-wrecking ending. In 2019, Plimpton also provided her vocal talents as Yelen, the leader of the Northuldra in “Frozen II,” which went on to earn $1.4 billion worldwide. While contributing to one adored children’s film is all well and good, there was one family-friendly adventure that fans had been desperate to see her reappear in.
Task star Martha Plimpton might still appear in a Goonies sequel
After escaping a maze of movie development delays, “The Goonies” sequel looked to have finally found a way out earlier this year when it was reported that a new writer had been tasked with getting the gang of treasure seekers back together. The announcement made for a dramatic shift in the project, given that only a year prior, Plimpton herself had told fans not to get their hopes up. Taking to Instagram in 2024, the actor squashed rumors saying, “People, there is no ‘Goonies 2’ script, there is no one ‘attached,’ Spielberg is not directing. It’s not real.” It was in early 2025, though, that news broke that “Old Henry” screenwriter Potsy Ponciroli had been tasked with mapping out a new movie proving that the Goonies were good enough for a comeback, after all.
As it stands, there’s still no confirmation on just which members of the original group will be making an appearance in the new film, if at all. If any of them get the call, though, we can only hope that Plimpton ends up being among them, given that she was really was one of the best of the titular team. She’s already proven here in a single episode of “Task” that the sharp-mouthed attitude that got her the part of Stef is still alive and well. Let’s just hope her character stays alive when the task force is done with this unpredictable case.
