Adult Swim has given us some downright wacky shows and others with some surprising depth, including Common Side Effects. Released in February 2025, the series has surprised more than a few viewers.
If you haven't had the pleasure of watching the show, it follows our main character, Marshall, who discovers a blue mushroom that is able to heal any ailment or sickness. Despite it being such a powerful thing, Marshall wants to share it, which is where things start to go awry for him.
Marshall reunites with his former high school lab partner, Frances, and from there, it's a tangled web of Frances trying to do what she thinks is best while Marshall is on the run. Honestly, this show is much more high-stakes than any trailers or clips might make it seem. It's truly the definition of don't judge a show by its trailer.
While there is no word on season 2 of Common Side Effects being greenlit, season 1 of the series is wrapping up at the end of March. Ahead of the season finale, the series is putting all the pieces together to ensure that the season 1 finale will make or break what fans have treasured about the show.
Common Side Effects is ramping up for a big finale.
Before getting into the details, I'm going to try to keep it spoiler-free, but some plot points have to be discussed. If you're going to be bothered by slight spoilers, then be sure to get caught up and come back to share your thoughts. However if you're caught up on Common Side Effects, then you're good to proceed ahead.
"Blowfish" is really what the show felt like It was going no-holds-barred and decided to ramp things up. If you watched the episode, you'll know the fate of Marshall. From there, it was clear what the plan was, but it was not an easy watch. Going into "Amelia & Wyatt," we all knew what was coming for him, but it ended up being a much more intense and, frankly, surprising episode.
Amelia has been a fixture in the series thus far, so seeing how that storyline played out had me absolutely shocked. However, that's not the only shocker because "Cliff's Edge" decided to give us even more to question before the series wraps up and the final few moments of the episode felt like something we knew was coming but never imagined the show would pull off.
From how the series started to where it is now is incredible. There have been so many changes, twists, and developments we couldn't have seen coming. If anything, it proves that the season 1 finale of Common Side Effects has to try to answer as many questions as possible while also giving us some hope for season 2. Given all the discussions around the series and the creators already teasing season 2, let's hope Adult Swim gives us all that we want.
Until then, the season finale of Common Side Effects is unlikely to disappoint. While it might not have seemed like it at first, the show has become another sleeper hit in Adult Swim's vastly underrated catalog.
Common Side Effects is currently streaming on Max.