A thrilling ride through the intricacies of modern American healthcare and pharmaceutical development, Common Side Effects has been renewed for a second season ahead of its final episode airing. And rightfully so, as it opened to rave reviews from the beginning. The show itself is formatted as a half-hour animated comedy with stark elements of thriller and drama, and its serialized narrative structure carries the weight of the world through the figurative mycelial network that connects us all. The show is relatable and exciting, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end.
Not So “Common” Side Effects
The animation of Common Side Effects stands out as highly stylized and unique. It’s reminiscent of the dirty, shaky styles of the ’90s as seen in shows like Rocko’s Modern Life and Cow and Chicken, yet stands apart in eerily gorgeous stability. The oversized heads and undersized hands on somewhat blocky bodies seem purposeful, as though the character design is a statement on the ego of man.
There’s a dreamlike quality to the hallucination sequences that are unparalleled in other animations. The detailed backgrounds and unsettlingly smooth movement of each character stand out against the backdrop of modern animation. Each frame is reminiscent of a lo-fi YouTube music video and has a similar vibe to a low-stimulation show despite being high-stakes.
The announcement about its renewal for a second season came as no surprise to fans of the show. It follows Marshall Cuso (Dave King), Frances Applewhite (Emily Pendergast), and Socrates (a tortoise) as they try to navigate the pitfalls of the American healthcare and pharmaceutical industry while holding what seems to be the cure to everything: a single species of mushroom. The plot of this show will feel familiar to anybody who’s spent time with enthusiasts, as the pharmaceutical companies in Common Side Effects are intent on keeping the mushroom a secret.
Heavy Themes of Guilt, Greed, and Grief
Common Side Effects season 1 explores some deeply human themes as the characters navigate the complexity of their day-to-day lives, and also this world-shattering reality that they’ve got the cure to potentially every disease, no way to grow it, and the FDA breathing down their necks. It eloquently demonstrates the duality of life, that people need to hold their personal and professional lives, sometimes at odds with each other, separate. Frances was already navigating a rocky romantic relationship as well as her mother’s dementia and deteriorating health when she was made aware of Marshall’s discovery, which has put them both in danger.
She carries the guilt of the ongoing tension in her relationship with her as she moves through this story. Her trust in the company she works for to be a positive force ultimately becomes a source of guilt for her as well, as their greed as a company outweighs their potential for positivity. FDA agents Harrington (Martha Kelly) and Copano (Joseph Lee Anderson) have to navigate their respective trust and distrust in the system to keep people safe, and ultimately reconcile their ideals with the reality that they’re playing a role in something sinister.
It feels both familiar and terrifying watching characters realize that the workplaces and systems they trusted, which they believed were putting some good into the world, are fraught with greed and corruption. Some are more in-the-know than others, and the complexity of this narrative is as thrilling as it is organic. If you haven’t taken a peek at this show yet, you’re missing out. Common Side Effects Season 1 is a comfortable old friend, waiting patiently to tell you its story. All you have to do is listen.
