Okay, let’s be real. If you tuned into Common Side Effects expecting a straightforward sci-fi conspiracy thriller, you probably did a double take somewhere around episode one. Because yes, there’s shadowy pharma business, mind-bending mushrooms, and questionable clinical trials. But there’s also a pigeon resurrection. And henchmen who are more “oops” than “ominous.” And at the center of it all? Characters with the kind of razor-sharp wit that makes you pause just to appreciate the burn.
So here it is, folks—a lovingly compiled list of Season 1’s funniest, most absurd, and utterly delightful moments that prove Common Side Effects isn’t afraid to go full weirdo, all while keeping us totally hooked.
1. Marshall’s Pigeon Trick: Science Goes Off the Rails
Let’s kick things off with the scene that basically screamed, “Buckle up, this show is not what you think it is.” In the very first episode, Marshall pulls off one of the most bizarre science demonstrations ever broadcast on television. Picture this: a community meeting, a room full of skeptics, and Marshall sauntering in like a fungal magician.
Then? He grabs a pigeon. Not a metaphorical one. A literal, live, slightly confused pigeon. He kills it. Then brings it back to life. And then… it dies again.
The audience in the room? Horror-stricken. The audience at home? Somewhere between shock, awe, and laughing because it was just so unhinged. It was dark humor dialed up to eleven, and somehow it worked. Marshall looked like he’d just shown off a magic trick at a kid’s birthday party, except it involved actual necromancy.
It’s the moment we all realized: this show’s science has teeth. And feathers. And a wicked sense of humor.
2. Frances’s One-Liners: Queen of Sarcasm
If Marshall is the show’s chaos gremlin, Frances is its dry, deadpan anchor. The chemistry between these two is electric, but it’s Frances who delivers the show’s sharpest lines with effortless bite. She doesn’t waste words. When she speaks, it’s either to shut down stupidity or highlight just how bonkers the whole situation has gotten.
Whether she’s calling out shady execs, sighing through yet another improbable turn of events, or just rolling her eyes so hard you can hear it, Frances owns every moment. She’s not trying to be funny, which somehow makes her ten times funnier.
She’s the sarcastic voice we wish we had when dealing with clueless authority figures. And honestly? Every time she drops one of her verbal grenades, you can almost hear the writers high-fiving in the background.
3. The Henchmen: Keystone Cops, But Make It Pharmaceutical
Every decent conspiracy needs its goons, right? But in Common Side Effects, the henchmen aren’t exactly threatening. They’re… well, they’re trying. Really hard. And failing even harder.
They fumble through basic surveillance. They mishear instructions. One of them uses his phone flashlight in broad daylight because “the files looked dark.” Their incompetence turns what should be tense scenes into comedic gold.
And the best part? Nobody seems to question why these two were hired in the first place. They act like they trained at the “Oops All Bloopers” school of espionage. One mission goes sideways because they mistake decaf for a tracking agent. Yes. That actually happens.
The chaos they cause often outweighs their intended job, which is, presumably, keeping things under wraps. Instead, they unravel the plot faster than Marshall unboxes a spore sample.
4. The Boardroom Ballet: Corporate Satire With a Punch
Now let’s talk about the execs. These folks could probably run a PowerPoint presentation during a fire drill and still ask, “Can we circle back?” The pharmaceutical boardroom scenes are a delicious skewering of corporate culture, filled with jargon so empty it echoes.
They toss around buzzwords like confetti. They panic about optics more than ethics. And their big solution to basically everything? Rebrand it. Throw a new logo on the crisis and move on. It’s both hilarious and a little terrifying.
One exec earnestly suggests microdosing the focus group with the test compound to “unlock honest consumer feedback.” Another pitches a wellness app called “MushMe” while someone is literally having a meltdown across the hallway.
You can practically feel the satire oozing out of the screen like an overpriced CBD balm. It’s sharp, ridiculous, and way too real.
5. The Dance-Off That No One Asked For
Ah yes, the scene that left everyone wondering: did someone spike the writers’ room coffee? Somewhere near the midpoint of the season, just when the tension seems to peak, the show hits us with a full-on dance-off.
No build-up. No explanation. Just a sudden explosion of music, lighting changes, and characters going full “So You Think You Can Conspire.”
Marshall moonwalks. Frances commits to a surprisingly agile robot. Even one of the henchmen breaks out a worm that’s more tragic than funky. It’s completely absurd, totally unexpected, and yet… perfect.
Because by this point, the audience knows not to expect normal. And it turns out that when the world’s crumbling around you, sometimes the only thing to do is dance like your fungal overlords are watching.
A Little Extra Laughter: Scenes That Deserve a Shout-Out
Narrowing this list down to five wasn’t easy. So here are a few honorable mentions for your comedic enjoyment:
- Marshall trying to be undercover and failing because he wore a lab coat to a nightclub.
- Frances explaining the plot to her mom using sock puppets. Not for clarity. Just for spite.
- A recurring gag where the lab’s printer only works when you yell at it in Latin.
These little touches make the world of Common Side Effects feel alive, weird, and wonderfully unhinged.
Because Fungus Isn’t Always Fun… But It Sure Can Be Funny
Let’s be honest—nobody expected Common Side Effects to be this funny. Smart? Sure. Creepy? Absolutely. But laugh-out-loud hilarious? That was the best surprise of all.
This show thrives on contrast. It mixes high-stakes pharma conspiracies with absurd, human-scale comedy. It gives us big questions about science, ethics, and control, but also makes time for dead birds, sarcastic burns, and interpretive dance.
So next time someone asks what it’s about, skip the genre labels. Just say, “It’s got mushrooms, mayhem, and more punchlines than a stand-up set at a biotech conference.”
Because at the end of the day, laughter might not be the only medicine. But in this case, it’s definitely part of the treatment plan.
