The Best Sci-Fi Show On HBO Is All About Mushrooms (And It's Not The Last Of Us)

When Adult Swim's "Common Side Effects" was first announced in 2024, it felt like a consolation prize for HBO Max canceling the equally gorgeous and thematically rich "Scavengers Reign," since the two shows share co-creator Joseph Bennett. Both shows have some visual and topical DNA in common, but the two are still evidently different, allowing each to stand among the most intriguing animated shows of the past five years. Coincidentally, "Common Side Effects" also shares its magical mushroom narrative driving force with HBO's uber-popular video game adaptation series, "The Last of Us," in which another type of fungi takes center stage as it turns people into zombie killing machines. It's not like viewers are having vicious arguments about what's the best sci-fi show about mushrooms right now (both of these shows are streaming on HBO Max alongside these 10 binge-worthy miniseries), but if I were asked to say, I'd certainly put "Common Side Effects" above "The Last of Us."

First and foremost, that's because Bennett and Steve Hely's series isn't a dystopian horror, but rather an elaborate sci-fi conspiracy thriller devoted to introducing, observing, and studying the effects of its fictional Blue Angel fungus, which apparently holds the singular power of curing all illnesses in the world. That's the high-concept premise of the show. Protagonist Marshall Cuso (Dave King), a genius and slightly paranoid botanist, discovers this tiny panacea in the Peruvian Highlands and, through experimentation, realizes its immense healing power for humans. With that discovery, though, comes the immense threat of Big Pharma companies like Reutical Pharmaceuticals, which makes it its mission to silence Cuso and eradicate the fungus by any means necessary.

Although "Common Side Effects" has a significantly smaller fanbase than "The Last of Us," it's hardly for a lack of quality. This hilarious, conspiracy series has had critics raving since it first came out, and that continues today where the show boasts a perfect critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Considering its modest yet strikingly splendid animation, provocative and heady topics, and its bold approach of critiquing the healthcare industry as well as brainwashed consumers, that's an accomplishment in and of itself.

If you ask me, the show's most appealing draw is how it combines absurd humor with science, critical thinking, and trippy visuals. The "little guys" that appear in a hallucinogenic state whenever someone consumes the mushroom in any form are simultaneously cute and off-putting, suggesting a sort of complex mystery that kept far lesser shows on the air for years. These tiny creatures seem to be guarding an elaborate secret that feels worthy to explore, potentially in multiple seasons, while the main characters battle the outside forces that either want to destroy their discovery or steal it to use it for personal and financial gain.

I believe shows like "Common Side Effects" and "Scavengers Reign" are the necessary stepping stones for adult animation to evolve and grow beyond the dozens of silly comedies the genre is typically used for. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with the likes of "Family Guy," "The Simpsons," or "Rick and Morty," but it's simply refreshing to see that there are attempts to advance the possibilities of what hand-drawn characters can do beyond making us laugh. And since "Common Side Effects" was already renewed for Season 2, it has the chance to continue that path and become one of the most popular series within its gradually widening subgenre.