Is ‘Smiling Friends’ ending? Creators drop major Season 3 bombshell none of us saw coming
In a short video posted on social media, the creators behind ‘Smiling Friends’ confirmed what a lot of fans probably weren’t ready to hear: the animated sitcom is calling it quits after Season 3. Well, that’s one way to rip the Band-Aid off. Zach Hadel didn’t ease into it. Straightforwardly, he said, “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.” Then Michael Cusack gave a little more context, explaining, “To be perfectly honest, after we finished Season 3, Zach and I just both had the same feeling where we felt pretty burnt out after putting years and years into this, but also pretty accomplished.”
Moreover, Hadel made it clear that from day one, the goal was to give it everything and then “go out on top.” Leave while fans are still asking for more. According to him, they don’t want people to scroll past the show and mutter, “That show is still on the air? Oh god.” He flat-out said, “We wouldn’t want to be doing more seasons half-hearted or burnt out or not feeling it. That’s not fair to us, and it’s not fair to the audience to give you guys f*cking slop. That sucks.” Cusack stressed that the decision wasn’t forced. According to him, Adult Swim didn’t push them out or pull the plug. In fact, the network apparently told them to take a breather, and “either come back or don’t.”
Cusack expressed, “That’s the other thing, we could come back in the future and make more episodes if we want, if we feel like it. And they’ve been super cool and said they would let us do that. But maybe not. Who knows?” Furthermore, even though the third season wrapped its eight-episode run back in November 2025, the story isn’t completely over. Two additional Season 3 installments, previously unseen, are scheduled to air on April 12 on Adult Swim. Hadel clarified that the episodes aren’t “finales,” they are “little stragglers.” So, they are more like bonus tracks that didn’t make the original lineup. The announcement video had an honesty to it, and one could tell it wasn’t easy to record.
Cusack admitted as much. He thanked viewers for going along on this journey, which he called “the ride of a lifetime,” and seemed genuinely grateful that people connected with their offbeat humor. Since its debut, the show followed Pim, Charlie, and the rest of their oddball crew as they attempted, often disastrously, to make people happy. The premise sounds wholesome. The execution? Unhinged in the best way. For those who aren’t ready to let go, the full series remains available to stream on HBO Max.
