Adult Swim’s Common Side Effects Defiantly Critiques the Medical-Industrial Complex
What if one drug could cure all illnesses, but the pharmaceutical industry suppressed it to protect their profits? While this may sound like the plot of a dystopian thriller, it mirrors the harsh realities of our capitalist healthcare system—a theme at the core of Common Side Effects, Adult Swim’s dark satire. The show critiques how profit motives often overshadow genuine healing, depicting corporate greed and government surveillance as powerful forces willing to go to extreme lengths to control life-saving breakthroughs.
At the heart of the series is Marshall Cuso (voiced by Dave King), a fungi expert who discovers a rare mushroom, the Blue Angel, with the miraculous ability to cure any illness. This discovery pits him against the US government and pharmaceutical giants intent on suppressing the mushroom’s miraculous properties. With nine episodes aired so far, the show paints a chilling portrait of a world where a universal cure is seen not as a blessing, but as a threat to a multi-billion-dollar industry that profits from the perpetuation of chronic illness.
This discovery is not just a personal dilemma for Marshall. His fungus upends the healthcare system that benefits from costly treatments and the cycle of sickness. His journey underscores how, in a capitalist society, illness isn’t just managed—it’s commodified. As co-creator Steve Hely bluntly noted in an interview with The Verge, “When you have a company that’s motivated by making money and increasing shareholder profit, of course it’s going to lead to these cruel, twisted effects that ultimately hurt people.”
This critique of profit-driven healthcare systems is far from theoretical. In fact, the pharmaceutical industry has long prioritized profits over public health, resisting anything that challenges its established system. From the racialized demonization of cannabis in the 20th century to the blocking of lifesaving HIV treatments, the industry’s history is filled with examples of suppressing medical advances to preserve its bottom line. Today, the hindrance of research on the long-term symptoms of COVID-19 and the difficulty in accessing affordable healthcare continue to illustrate this troubling trend.
Unlike other portrayals of corporate pharmaceutical greed, such as Hulu’s Dopesick and Netflix’s Painkiller, Common Side Effects distinguishes itself through a bold blend of dark humor and surreal absurdity. The show packs unexpected moments, like spontaneous car-radio dance breaks and strange, white creatures symbolizing the titular side effects. These bizarre, nightmarish creatures, reminiscent of those in co-creator Joe Bennett’s Scavengers Reign, create an unsettling yet captivating atmosphere that draws viewers into its critique of the pharmaceutical world.
As the show develops, Marshall’s relationship with Frances Applewhite (voiced by Emily Pendergast), a Reutical Pharmaceutical representative and his former high school crush, grows more complex, driving the ethical dilemmas at the show’s core. Frances grapples with her complicity in a harmful system, and this personal conflict is deepened by the mushroom’s potential to disrupt her occupation and industry. Through their dynamic, the show explores the internal moral struggles that arise when personal beliefs collide with corporate interests.