Common Side Effects Season 2 Renewed By Adult Swim Before Season 1 Finale Airs

Common Side Effects will return to Adult Swim. The adult animated series, which debuted in February, was created by Joseph Bennett (Scavengers Reign) and Steve Hely (Veep) and is executive produced by TV titans Mike Judge (King of the Hill) and Greg Daniels (The Office). It follows Marshall Cuso (Dave King) and Frances Applewhite (Emily Pendergast), who used to be lab partners and are now fighting to bring a cure-all mushroom to the medical marketplace despite pushback from a major pharmaceutical company and government forces. The Common Side Effects cast also includes Mike Judge, Martha Kelly, and Joseph Lee Anderson.

Per Deadline, Adult Swim has renewed Common Side Effects for season 2. This news comes two days before the season 1 finale, which is titled "Raid," is set to debut on Sunday, March 30. Read comments from Adult Swim president Michael Ouweleen and the show's creators below:

Michael Ouweleen: Joe and Steve did their job by crafting a boundary-pushing and genre-defining piece of television that re-frames what "adult animation" is capable of. And you all did your job by showing up on Adult Swim and Max to support the show and lighting up your socials to spread the word. So, see? We CAN have nice things.
Joseph Bennett and Steve Hely: We are grateful for the enthusiastic response to Common Side Effects and are thrilled to continue exploring this world with our amazing team and the fans who have embraced the show. The opportunity to push the boundaries of animation and storytelling on Adult Swim is like a wonderful mushroom dream. Our goal with the show is to transform planet Earth and restore the human spirit. For now, we will settle for a second season.

What This Means For Common Side Effects

The Serialized Show Has More Room To Tell Its Story

Marshall holding a microphone and speaking while standing in a crowd in Common Side Effects

So far, the production timeline for the new season of Common Side Effects is unknown. However, the precedent set by the previous season of the adult animated show could offer some insight. Although it first went into development in 2019, the show was not officially announced until June 2023, meaning that there was a span of roughly a year and a half between that announcement and the series' premiere in January 2025, so another 18-month wait could potentially be in the cards, placing the season 2 premiere sometime around September 2026.

Although the episode order for season 2 is unknown, Common Side Effects season 1 contains 10 episodes.

The Common Side Effects renewal will see the story of the show pushing beyond whatever conclusion it reaches in the finale of its freshman season. Because the show is more serialized than the typical Adult Swim program, which generally features episodic shows like the long-running Rick & Morty, it remains to be seen how this affects the ongoing story. However, it seems likely that, while the season could end with one leg of Marshall and Frances' mission complete, another wrinkle will arise that kicks off their next adventure.

Our Take On The Common Side Effects Renewal

The Show Could Have A Bright Future

A woman peering through window blinds in Common Side Effects season 1

This swift renewal for Common Side Effects shows that the animated series has strong momentum and could potentially become a major hit for Adult Swim as it continues its run. However, its more serialized nature calls into question whether the limitations of its story will allow it to run as long as Adult Swim's more loosely structured series such as Robot Chicken (which has so far spanned 11 seasons since its debut in 2011) and Rick & Morty (which has already been renewed through season 12, though season 8 has not even premiered yet).

Common Side Effects season 1 concludes on Adult Swim on Sunday at 11:30 p.m. ET. It will also be available on Max.

Source: Deadline