Common Side Effects

The show is very cinematic. There is a weight to it. It feels real. At times raw. And it's both wonderful and horrible. Minor miracles keep happening, but everybody but Marshall is being entirely selfish about the mushroom's potential.

I instantly disliked Hildy and just KNEW she couldn't be trusted.

I also am annoyed at Francis for not clarifying with Marshall about the mushroom she gave her mother. If it was gonna work, Marshall would know the timing, right? Feels stupid on her end.

This show is getting to me. In a good way. 4 1/2 stars.

So this is a show!

I love that Mike Judge voices the morning show hostess.

I love Agents Harrington and Caputo and I don't think I'll ever be able to stop.

Rick wanting Francis to tell him how to get the TV in his room off of the hotel stuff is the kind of thing Hank Hill would complain about.

Marshall's new neighbors suck and are stupid. But their suckiness and stupidity seems to unknowingly have become a benefit to Marshall at the end of the episode.

My favorite Marshall moment is him telling the Sheriff he's not Jewish, but he doesn't love the fact that he asked. I also adore him pointing out everybody saying he seemed like a nice guy had no way of knowing that. If this show is fighting the culture wars, it's on the right side of them. Unlike King of the Hill.

This is your life now, Francis. Happy? Probably beats awkward domesticity with her idiot boyfriend at any rate. 4 1/2 stars.

I love television. I hate it, but I also love it. The thing I love about television isn't shows that are good. It's not even so much shows that are great. It's discovering that RAREST of show: Shows that are better than they have any right to be. That is the magic for me.

That is the magic contained in Common Side Effects. I don't even need to do much of a deep dive in this episode (The Kiss!) but pretty much everything felt right. A show doing right is not uncommon. A show FEELING right? That's something to celebrate.

We are witnessing something truly special. 5 stars.

Oh shit!

That is a killer ending. Not just the cliffhanger. But the turmoil of Marshall calling Frances at the pharmaceutical company, her being busted and knowing it's him, and him hanging up. Frances seemed to be headed towards the dark side during the episode. This true moment of shame might be the wake up call she needs.

I don't think Capano and Harrington are being split up because they are doing their job poorly. Someone is figuring out they are doing their job too well.

I have to compliment the (checks notes) Mike Judge show(!) for the teaser where the husband is grocery shopping, gets a call, you realize he's an assassin, and he's getting himself arrested to take out Marshall. Every bit of that scene and the humorous ruckus in the convenience store felt shockingly credible. It's a ridiculous idea that I believed 100%. That is TV magic right there.

I'm not going to say this is my current favorite show. But I can't think of another current show I follow that is actually better than this right now. Maybe when Andor comes back from hiatus. Right now this is knocking my socks off. 5 stars.

Dark episode. I'm really starting to dislike Frances. Her arc has gone completely downhill.

Caputo and Harrington hate their new partners because they are both actual good cops.

Really, REALLY disturbing at points. Especially that ending. 3 stars.

The best surprise of the episode is learning Richard has a conscience. The last two weeks were a little disappointing to me, so this felt a bit like a return to form for the show.

Backstein having a fatal illness? Perfect complication. Seriously genius storytelling move.

I loved every inch of it. 5 stars.

Honestly? I didn't like it. Too many complications at once, and I have a hard time buying Marshall would EVER trust Hildy after what she's done. I don't trust Frances either, but Hildy is unethical, toxic, and crazy.

How dumb is he for walking up the side of a cliff with her? Him doing something that dumb makes me sympathize with him a lot less.

Liked them changing up the main titles.

And the hallucinations ARE an important problems and might be where the show's title, and maybe even long-term plot is headed.

I kind of am digging Rick's nuanced approach. He's wrong, but he's reachable. I'm rooting for him and Frances more than I am Marshall and Hildy. Marshall saying he and Frances could have compromised was right.

Super disappointed in Harrington. I mentioned there were too many complications. Part of the reason I say that is this added one actually felt out of character and a complication for the sake of one. I hate those and I especially hate when they are at the expense of consistency in a character I happen to like.

Not on-board this week. 2 stars.

I heard about the episode's premise and was kind of worried. And no lie, it WAS pretty terrifying, especially the drug imagery with Backstein. But the ending was strangely beautiful and hopeful. Did I mention Mike Judge produces this?

Speaking of which, I like Rick's ending with the sauce. It's both stupid and harmless, which is the right place to leave him. Great arc. I wonder if we'll even see him in season 2. I don't think the character is needed anymore and they pretty much wrapped him up perfectly.

Serves Backstein right. What the hell was he thinking?

I thought Marshall and Frances' reunion was lovely and bittersweet. It hit me in the feels.

Harrington has a lot to make up for, but in her favor, it looks like she both knows it and intends to.

I really hope this show gets renewed. It's so amazing I can't picture it not, but Adult Swim doesn't really respond well to amazing. Black Jesus, Moral Oral, Adult Swim has little patience for any animation that can't be consumed by stoners. And the network has some wonderful shows. But they are never treated well. I hope Common Sides Effects breaks this specific curse. I love the show and what it says about the world both good and bad. I don't want my TV to go without it. Also would kill for a DVD / Blu-Ray release.

Amazing finale. 5 stars.