For the uninitiated, “HDRip” (High Definition Rip) is a specific breed of digital contraband. Unlike a pristine WEB-DL ripped directly from a streaming server, an HDRip is captured from the outside in. A screen recorder, often running on a mid-range laptop, captures the video as it plays. The result is what fans found on a certain anonymous tracker at 2:14 AM EST: a file named Common.Side.Effects.S01E01.HDRip.x264-RARBG.torrent , clocking in at 348 MB.

After all, some side effects aren’t worth the immediate relief.

The show, created by the minds behind Scavengers Reign , had generated cult-level anticipation. Its first episode, “S01E01: The Mushroom and the Snake,” wasn’t set to officially air for another four days. But then came the leak—a 720p HDRip, allegedly captured from a European advanced screener.