Season Review: Common Side Effects Season One

For those that don’t know, Common Side Effects follows Marshall and Frances’ discovery of a miraculous fungus that can cure any illness, which inevitably draws the attention of powerful entities like the government and Big Pharma who want to control it.

Protagonists Marshall (Dave King) and Frances (Emily Pendergast) are immediately endearing, and the supporting cast is also well-developed and engaging. While initially presented as a buddy cop duo, Agents Copano (voiced by Joseph Lee Anderson) and Harrington (voiced by Martha Kelly) help weave their own tales of strong friendships challenged by a number of different adversarial entities that includes their own department, affiliated federal agencies, and Reutical Pharmaceuticals. Reutical is led by CEO Rick Kruger (Mike Judge) and board member Jonas Backstein (Danny Huston) with Judge giving the voice acting performance of his life and doing so with multiple characters.

While there are humorous moments and a deadpan comedic sensibility, especially in its skewering of Big Pharma, “Common Side Effects” leans more towards a thriller as the narrative becomes more complex and serious over time giving way to the exploration of themes related to the pharmaceutical industry, corporate greed, and potentially even spirituality. The comedic sensibility sometimes clashes with the seriousness of the subject matter, and the shadowy antagonists could be more developed. That said, the writing is simple but gritty and moody at times, though always efficiently establishing each character’s personality and motivations.

From an aesthetic point of view, Green Street Pictures’ animation is incredible and distinct, every bit as visually stunning as Scavengers Reign though the character proportions can occasionally feel slightly “goofy” for the serious subject matter, the voice-acting performances are so good you’ll quickly move past this and be engulfed in one of the more captivating series on television today, animated or otherwise.

Common Side Effects is a compelling and fresh addition to Adult Swim. It skillfully blends suspense, elements of spirituality, understated comedy, and a persistent underlying mystery, setting it apart from typical adult animated sitcoms or action-heavy series. A sure-fire early contender for the best animated comedy series of the year.