Smiling Friends to End After Season 3; Two Unreleased Episodes to Air April 12
Adult Swim’s animated series smiling friends will conclude after its third season, creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel announced in a message posted on the network’s X account. The move, driven by the pair’s exhaustion after years of nonstop production, coincides with the planned airing of two unreleased Season 3 episodes on April 12.
Smiling Friends Creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel Explain the Decision
Cusack and Hadel framed the ending as a deliberate choice: both said they felt “pretty burnt out” after committing years to the show and also felt accomplished enough to stop. They said from the outset they wanted to give the series their full effort—putting “110%” into it—and to leave while the work still felt strong rather than continue half‑heartedly. The creators emphasized that the decision to end the series was theirs, and described filming the announcement as emotionally difficult; they thanked fans for the support that made the run meaningful and called the experience the “ride of a lifetime. ”
Adult Swim Support and Earlier Renewal for Seasons 4 and 5
The pair noted that Adult Swim executives were supportive of their choice. When the creators told the network they were not feeling up to continuing, the channel encouraged them to take a break and said they would not stand in the way of whatever the creators chose next—either a return or a permanent stop. That stance follows an earlier turn in the show’s trajectory: the series had previously been renewed for Seasons 4 and 5 before Cusack and Hadel opted to end the run.
Season 3 Timeline, Episode Count and Two “Stragglers”
Season 3 comprised eight episodes and completed its Adult Swim run on Nov. 30. Cusack and Hadel announced two additional Season 3 installments will air on April 12; they described those episodes as “little stragglers” or “little rogue planets” that did not fit the initial rollout. The creators clarified these extra episodes are not intended as a series finale, leaving the door open to revisit the world if they choose.
Show Performance, Characters and Studio Credits
Smiling Friends has been a strong performer for Adult Swim on streaming: it was singled out as one of the programming block’s top shows on HBO Max outside of Rick and Morty. Season 3 continued to follow characters Pim, Charlie and Flint as the ensemble pursued their offbeat quest to spread joy. The series is produced by Williams Street, Adult Swim’s in‑house production company.
New Ventures: Zam Studios and the Team’s Next Steps
Alongside the announcement that the show is ending, Custack and Hadel said they will continue to work together. In October the creators and producer Aron Fromm formed Zam Studios, a new Los Angeles–based independent animation studio. The pair encouraged other productions to consider hiring members of the Smiling Friends crew, indicating a desire to keep the team employed and creative even as the series concludes.
Digital Footnote: IGN Error 418
Separately, an unrelated web page presented an Error 418 message titled "I am a teapot" with the lines: "Short and stout, this is my handle, this is my spout. "
What makes this notable is that the creators chose to prioritize the quality and integrity of the work over continuing a high‑profile run: their burnout after sustained, nonstop effort directly produced the decision to stop, and Adult Swim’s willingness to allow a break preserves the possibility of future episodes without forcing more seasons on exhausted showrunners.
The immediate concrete outcomes are clear: Smiling Friends ends after Season 3, the eight‑episode season concluded on Nov. 30, two extra Season 3 episodes will air on April 12 and the creators have launched a new independent studio with producer Aron Fromm while remaining open to returning to the show later.
