Common Side Effects Episodes 1-4 Review

Join Swimpedia as we review screeners of the first four episodes of Common Side Effects with minimal spoilers, and find out if this is the next Adult Swim hit series.

[MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD]

Common Side Effects is a new Adult Swim show created by Steve Hely and Joe Bennett, of Scavengers Reign fame. The show focuses on “shaman, weirdo-guy” Marshall Cuso, who discovers a mushroom that can heal anything and hopes to share this finding with the world. His attempts to bring the mushroom to light puts him directly in the crosshairs of the government, medical corporations, and plenty of other unique characters who want a piece of the action. Marshall’s former high school lab partner, Frances Applewhite, also holds down her own plotline throughout the four episodes available to critics, and her emotional journey just through these episodes alone is a tour de force for voice actress Emily Pendergast. We’ve come a long way in terms of female characters on Adult Swim, and Frances is just another evolution of that. The show also spends considerable time focusing on DEA agents Copano and Harrington, who provide comic relief compared to much more drama present throughout the rest of the series, but who also go through their own emotional arcs.

Besides the terrific Emily Pendergast, this show also features a standout cast of both relatively unknown actors and famous comedians, including several Adult Swim alumni. Executive producer Mike Judge plays Frances’ boss, the apathetic yet not-totally-evil drug company CEO Rick Kruger. Judge’s performance recalls his time as Hank Hill in later seasons of King of the Hill, with that familiar stoic voice bringing this character to life. Judge also voices almost every unimportant extra in this series, and that aspect is almost reminiscent of early Beavis and Butt-head. This even adds to the paranoia experienced by Marshall, where he thinks everyone is after him, and when they’re all voiced by Judge, maybe he’s onto something after all. Ultimately, you can tell that Judge genuinely believes in Hely and Bennett's wonderful project.

Critics have referred to Common Side Effects as “the cure for the common Adult Swim show,” but that’s not correct. What this show does that makes it stand out so much from other Adult Swim programming is the distinct “prestige TV” aesthetic that this show carries. While Common Side Effects falls more in the realm of "prestige TV" like The Sopranos, Better Call Saul, and Mad Men than Adult Swim's usual offerings, emotionally affecting series like The Venture Bros. and Moral Orel make up the wide tapestry of idiosyncratic series that Adult Swim has built over the years. This show boasts an outstanding opening that makes generous use of flutes with an original score rivaling JG Thirlwell’s iconic score for The Venture Bros. Though Common Side Effects might feel closer to Severance than Aqua Teen Hunger Force, it still fits in extremely well on Adult Swim and is primed to expand on the definition of what it means to be an Adult Swim show.

Similar to other “prestige TV,” Common Side Effects isn't as densely packed with jokes as the usual Adult Swim animated comedy, but the humor is there—from the subtle banter between Copano and Harrington, to a brutally funny setup/payoff in episode four. Unlike most other Adult Swim comedy series, the main selling point is the serialized drama underlying the arduous journey ahead for these characters. This is a prestige drama following the complicated web that forms around everyone, and the humor comes from their interactions and relationships in a secondary role. Additionally, Common Side Effects has a lightning-fast pace, with so many plotlines and characters thrown up in the air, but the show never seems to struggle with giving all of it equal screen time. Viewers will have a lot of fun trying to piece everything together with episode after episode that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The show invites you to guess what happens next, while you can’t wait to start the next episode after another jaw-dropping final scene.

With the current events surrounding the health care crisis in America, the plot of this show seems more relevant than ever, and it’s sure to resonate with plenty of people. The series was actually first screened to the public at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 as part of Adult Swim’s Night of New premieres. At that time, the series definitely got some initial buzz, as its quality alone speaks for itself and warrants your attention. However, when we got the first full-length trailer back in December announcing the official release date of the series, the circumstances were much different. Just a week before was the Luigi incident, and although this is not the place to go further into that, it’s clear that said situation had a ripple effect. Thus, for Adult Swim to now be releasing a show lambasting the health care industry with Marshall at the center of a complex, and sometimes violent, conspiracy, one can’t help but put two and two together. The series is remarkable on its own, but it’s possible that it may have a bigger splash and personal impact because of this connection, making it a show for our times.

Either way, returning to the series itself, Common Side Effects already accomplishes so much within its first four episodes that it’s entirely conceivable that the show wraps up all its main arcs within the first season. That said, it would be a joy to see these characters continue to grow and develop over multiple seasons, especially because Bennett’s impressive outing Scavengers Reign was cut short after its first season. Overall, Common Side Effects is a fantastic show that feels so different from anything else on TV right now. Adult Swim has given this series one of its most extensive marketing campaigns in years, and it’s so clear why they are so invested in it. If you loved Scavengers Reign, if you’re looking for your next “prestige TV” show, if you’re angry at the health care system, or if you just like hearing Mike Judge, this show is for you.

The first two episodes of Common Side Effects premiere on Adult Swim on Sunday, February 2nd at 11:30 PM, and next day on Max at 9:00 AM!