Disgusting Secret Revealed: How Tortoise Poop Grows Miracle Blue Angel Mushrooms!

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The freshly debuted animated series on Adult Swim titled “Common Side Effects” has garnered significant attention due to its unique blend of absurd humor and biting social critique on healthcare and corporate malpractice. Conceived by Joseph Bennett and Steve Hely, the show revolves around Marshall Cuso (portrayed by Dave King) and Frances Applewhite (performed by Emily Pendergast), once high school companions who stumble upon the Blue Angel Mushroom – an extraordinary fungus that can cure any ailment or injury. This discovery thrusts them into the line of fire of Reutical Pharmaceuticals, whose leaders will go to extreme lengths to conceal the mushroom’s existence, as they fear losing their business.

The allure of Common Side Effects extends beyond its sharp critique of Big Pharma, as it effectively hooks viewers with its intriguing central mysteries. One such mystery is the source of the Blue Angel Mushroom, which starts to be revealed in Episode 5, “Star-Tel-Lite,” in a way that’s both surprising and revolting.

WARNING: Spoilers below for Common Side Effects Season 1, Episode 5

Ever since connecting with Frances in the series opener, Marshall finds himself dodging various dangers: assassins dispatched by Reutical board member Jonas Backstein (portrayed by Danny Huston), DEA agents Copano (Joseph Lee Anderson) and Harrington (Martha Kelly), as well as his ex-mentor, mycologist Hildy (Sue Rose). Despite these numerous threats, Marshall remains committed to his vision for a just distribution of Blue Angel Mushrooms, leading him to continue researching the fungus and expand his knowledge on cultivation methods.

In episode 3, named “Hildy,” it’s revealed that the Blue Angel developed due to a natural adaptation to chemical pollution from Reutical’s pharmaceutical waste. Inspired by this discovery, Marshall decides to acquire land near a chemical dump in episode 4, “Dumpsite.” His aim was to replicate the initial conditions that led to the emergence of the Blue Angel. Unfortunately, despite his diligent attempts, Marshall’s experiments consistently fail, and he exhausts his limited stock of Blue Angel samples without successfully reproducing any more.

In Episode 5, Marshall only has one remaining Blue Angel Mushroom left, his sole hope to discover how to reproduce this unique fungus. In a flash of creative thinking, Frances proposes they step away from the scientific method and go with something more intuitive – letting nature guide the process. She speculates that since Marshall initially found his pet tortoise Socrates near the Blue Angel’s natural habitat in Peru, perhaps Socrates could sense the perfect growing conditions. With no other options, Marshall and Frances bring Socrates to a nearby wooded location, watching as the tortoise meanders through the forest floor. When Socrates eventually comes to a halt at a certain spot, they interpret this as a signal and delicately place pieces of their last mushroom into the soil, hoping that the spores will germinate.

Feeling disheartened by their diminishing choices, the duo decide to depart. However, the camera remains, showing what they overlooked: Socrates relieving himself onto mushroom remnants. The next day, Marshall and Frances stumble upon fresh Blue Angel Mushooroms in the forest, unveiling the revolting secret of the mushroom’s life process. It appears that it needs tortoise droppings as a stimulant for growth.

The Blue Angel Mushroom Growth in Common Side Effects Leads to Some Uncomfortable Ethical Questions

Marshall’s discovery of methods to grow more Blue Angel Mushrooms, despite being unaware of Socrates’ crucial input, doesn’t alleviate his troubles. Instead, it spawns fresh, intricate problems. Throughout the series, Marshall has consistently pursued a noble, utopian goal: offering universal healthcare without charge, breaking Big Pharma’s control over medical care, and preventing people from being bankrupted by illness. However, the disclosure about the Blue Angel’s growth conditions poses a substantial hurdle to his mission. Even if he manages to propagate the mushroom effectively, its reliance on tortoise waste creates an inherent restriction in supply.

Due to the shortage of Blue Angel, tough moral dilemmas arise regarding allocation. As Marshall ponders deeply in a late-night chat with Frances (Episode 5), the question becomes who should get treated initially when there’s only a limited amount of this drug. Should we prioritize the elderly, who face imminent life-threatening issues but have fewer years left, or should we focus on children and young adults, given their longer lifespans ahead?

Going beyond personal beliefs and age factors, pressing political issues surface. Should the scarce Blue Angel resource be given to individuals in need of medication irrespective of their views on resource distribution? If Marshall advocates for universal healthcare rather than treating it as a commodity, does his stance encompass those who oppose such systems? These queries delve into the core conflict within the show’s idea of universal access to healthcare when resources are scarce.

The Ethical Dilemmas in Common Side Effects are skillfully woven into the plot as the dramatic tension escalates. By episode 5, it’s evident that the series is merely touching on the complex moral quandaries sparked by the Blue Angel elixir. The intricate link between this miraculous cure and a rare and scarce resource – Peruvian tortoise waste – adds layers of complexity to Marshall’s altruistic endeavor. Eventually, he will be forced to decide who deserves life and who doesn’t, a choice that conflicts with his long-held beliefs that healthcare should not be a commodity but a basic human right.

New episodes of Common Side Effects premiere every Sunday on Adult Swim.

What were your thoughts on Episode 5? Do you believe Marshall can cultivate Blue Angel Mushrooms on a commercial scale? Feel free to share your opinions in the comment section!

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2025-02-25 00:43