Smiling Friends to End After Season 3, Creators Say
Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel announced that the animated comedy smiling friends will end after its third season, telling fans the decision was theirs and that Adult Swim has been supportive. The pair also said two unreleased Season 3 episodes will air April 12 on Adult Swim.
Announcement delivered on Adult Swim’s X account by the show’s creators and stars
Cusack and Hadel revealed the news in a video and audio message posted to Adult Swim’s X account. Hadel opened the message, saying, “I’m gonna cut right to the chase, ” and added, “This is not a bit, this is not a joke. Michael and I are here to announce that ‘Smiling Friends’ will be ending after Season 3 is done. ” Both men are identified in the message as the show’s creators and stars.
Burnout and creative satisfaction: years of work, “110%” and going out on top
Cusack said that after they finished Season 3 the two of them felt “pretty burnt out after putting years and years into this, but also pretty accomplished, ” and that “I think that could just be it, ” after Season 3. Hadel said from the very beginning they wanted to put “110%” into the show and “go out on top, ” leaving the audience “wanting more” rather than lingering on-air fatigue.
Creators rejected half-hearted continuation and used blunt language on quality
Hadel warned they “wouldn’t want to be doing more seasons half-hearted or burnt out or not feeling it, ” calling that outcome unfair to both the creators and viewers: “That’s not fair to us, and it’s not fair to the audience to give you guys fucking slop. That sucks. ” Cusack echoed the sentiment about intense effort, saying the two had been “grinding on this show, non-stop, without any breaks. 24/7. ”
Adult Swim’s response and the possibility of returning later
Cusack described the choice to end the show as “our decision” and said Adult Swim has been “very supportive. ” He recounted the network’s reaction: “If you’re not feeling like making a cartoon, we’re not going to stop you. Go have a break. Either come back or don’t. ” He added that they could come back in the future and make more episodes if they want, but that “maybe not. Who knows?”
Season 3 details, two extra episodes and how the show ends its run
Season 3 of Smiling Friends counts eight episodes and ended its Adult Swim run on Nov. 30. Cusack and Hadel said two unreleased Season 3 episodes will air April 12 on Adult Swim; Hadel clarified those installments are “not finales” but “little stragglers” that didn’t make the initial season rollout. Deadline-style wording in the message described the extras as “little stragglers, little rogue planets out there, not thematically related, ” and the creators emphasized the episodes were not conceived as a series finale, leaving the door open to revisit the show later.
Legacy, next projects and where to watch the show
Cusack thanked fans, saying, “It’s been a ride of a lifetime, ” and noting that the show “got way bigger than either of us ever imagined: all the fan art, all the costumes, people sharing memes, all of it. ” The pair urged other shows to hire the Smiling Friends crew. They said they will continue to work together and, along with producer Aron Fromm, have teamed to launch Zam Studios, a new Los Angeles–based independent animation studio. Smiling Friends is available to stream the following day on HBO Max. Season 3 finds Pim, Charlie, Flint and the whole gang “going absolutely bonkers once again, ” diving into their quest to spread joy, and the series is produced by Williams Street, Adult Swim’s in-house production company.
