By Robert Scucci
| Published
Are you familiar with the conspiracy theory that suggests how the powers that be actually have access to medicine that can cure all diseases, but they don’t offer it to the public because that means the healthcare system would collapse? You know, the system that collects premiums from healthy people, but then refuses to pay out for necessary medical procedures when they actually get sick so the pharmaceutical companies could make money on the back end? Common Side Effects, an Adult Swim series currently available for streaming on Max, is in the middle of its first-season run, and suggests that this miracle cure actually exists in the form of magic mushrooms that can heal anybody, even if they’re on the verge of death.
Since Common Side Effects is still in the process of telling its story, and we’re waiting for four more episodes before Season 1 concludes, there’s no way to know at this point in time how deep this fictionalized version of the above-mentioned conspiracy theory actually goes.
Marshall’s Magic Mushrooms
Common Side Effects is very much Marshall Cuso’s (Dave King) story, as he is the fungi expert who discovered the ever-elusive Blue Angel Mushroom in Peru in the company of his pet tortoise, Socrates. The Blue Angel Mushroom has powerful psychoactive and healing properties that would undermine the American healthcare system’s bottom line indefinitely if the public were to be made aware of his discovery. Constantly (and rightfully) looking over his shoulder for DEA employees like agents Copano (Joseph Lee Anderson) and Harrington (Martha Kelly), who happen to be monitoring Marshall to see if he’s engaging in any illegal activity, Marshall looks for a safe haven where he could figure out how to replicate the mushroom so humanity can prosper and never be sick again.
Though Marshall’s intentions are pure in Common Side Effects, his judgment becomes clouded when he happens upon Frances Applewhite (Emily Pendergast), his high school crush, who just so happens to work for Reutical, a corrupt pharmaceutical company ran by CEO Rick Kruger (Mike Judge), whose wealth is so staggering that he has completely lost touch with reality.
Frances expresses interest in Marshall’s research and findings because her mother suffers from dementia and could benefit from consuming the Blue Angel Mushroom, which is in limited supply. However, because of Frances’ personal interest in helping her mother, she neglects to tell Marshall who she works for, because he has every reason to be distrusting of a healthcare system that doesn’t have its constituent’s best interest in mind.
Profound Meaning Behind Its Quirky Delivery
When everybody catches wind of Marshall’s amazing discovery in Common Side Effects, they all want a piece of him, forcing him into hiding to continue his research– the government doesn’t want the public to know about the Blue Angel Mushroom and its healing properties, and Reutical’s Rick Kruger wants to get his hands on the last medicine that anybody would ever need so his company can get out of the red and into the black.
Frances finds herself caught between Marshall’s good intentions and the evil inner-workings of the industry she’s a part of because Marshall likely can’t distribute his findings by himself, but companies like Reutical, in collusion with various government agencies, would rather everybody stay sick so they can keep profiting off of their misery.
Despite the heavy subject matter explored in Common Side Effects, it’s effectively hilarious because of just how brilliant Marshall is. Marshall, who probably ate way too many mushrooms for his own good while seeking out the Blue Angel strain, is comically paranoid, but more often right than wrong in his assumptions that he’s being followed by agents Copano and Harrington. Running around like an animated ninja Jack Black, Marshall is also surprisingly light on his feet when he has to duck and dive into various hideouts while doling out his very limited supply of mushrooms that he actually needs samples of if he ever wants to figure out how to replicate its healing properties.
Streaming Common Side Effects
As of this writing, there are murmurs of Common Side Effects getting renewed for a second season that have yet to be confirmed. Given the short shelf-life of adult-animated series like Scavenger’s Reign, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the only season we get … but it’s too soon to say for certain. With only four episodes left in its first-season run, you can stream Common Side Effects on Max in the coming weeks as each episode comes out, and we can only hope that no matter what happens to the series as far as renewals go, we’ll be met with the stunning conclusion that its building toward.
