Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Drugs, medicinal mushrooms, conspiracies in animated comedy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Common Side Effects
What's the Story?
COMMON SIDE EFFECTS follows Marshall (voiced by Dave King) and Frances (Martha Kelly), two friends from high school who reconnect around a mushroom that can supposedly cure all illnesses. As Marshall is pursued by the DEA, Frances discovers a conspiracy by her employer, Reutical Pharmaceuticals, to prevent the miracle drug from ever being discovered. Who will prevail?
Is It Any Good?
This smart animated comedy begins with one of the most unique premises to come along in a while. Common Side Effects isn't the showiest series to come out of Adult Swim, but it's one of the most intriguing. The animation is like a cross between anime, Funko Pops, and the X-Files, and the battle with pharmaceutical companies is both relevant and ripe for drama. It remains to be seen whether Common Side Effects can hit the comedic highs of some of Adult Swim's other truly out-there offerings, but it's definitely worth diving in to find out.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about drugs. How is the pharmaceutical company portrayed in this show? What are some issues that come up around selling medicine in a capitalist country? How similar to real life do you think this portrayal is?
How realistic is the plot of Common Side Effects? Where does the series stretch reality? Where does it feel closer to real life?
What are the ethics around developing and using medicine? How do different characters represent different versions of those ethics?
TV Details
- Premiere date : February 2, 2025
- Cast : Dave King , Emily Pendergast , Mike Judge
- Networks : Adult Swim , Max
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Activism , STEM
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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