Common Side Effects was an unexpected treat when it premiered in February 2025. Featuring trippy animation and the voice of Hank Hill himself (Mike Judge), the series follows a schlubby fungus expert named Marshall Cuso (Dave King) who discovers a rare species of "Blue Angel" mushroom that can seemingly cure any disease or physical injury. Marshall's discovery sets off a conspiracy thriller as both the federal government and the pharmaceutical industry race to find Marshall and take control of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The Adult Swim series was also a redemption of sorts for co-creator Joe Bennett, after his previous project, Scavengers Reign, was canceled by HBO Max, offloaded to Netflix, and then shelved again. So it comes as a relief that Bennett's Common Side Effects, which he co-created with Steve Hely (Veep), is getting a second season. At a New York Comic Con 2026 panel, Bennett and Hely announced that Common Side Effects season 2 will debut Sunday, Jan. 24 at 11:00 p.m.
ET on Adult Swim (and streaming the next day on HBO Max). Ahead of the announcement, Polygon was able to watch the first episode of season 2 and ask its creators a few questions about where the show is headed next. Check out our conversation below, along with a few updates on Bennett's other animated projects.
There are light spoilers for Common Side Effects season 2 episode 1 in this article. Polygon: Common Side Effects season 2 introduces a new villain who seems to be hunting for the Blue Angel mushrooms. Can you tell me any more about this character?
Steve Hely: The character's name is Thomas, and there will be some backstory that'll unfold over the course of the season. Joe Bennett: He's voiced by Bob Stephenson, who played Sam in Scavengers Reign. Steve Hely: Our idea — without giving too much away — is that he came to the mushroom in his own way, and he's formed a kind of a religious obsession with it.
When he learns that other people have it and are using it, he becomes obsessed with stopping them. Joe Bennett: Similar to how we try to treat any of the villains in our show, we want to give him as much dimension as possible. You empathize with elements of Thomas.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
