Why Is “Smiling Friends” Ending? Inside the Creators' Surprise Decision
Why Is “Smiling Friends” Ending? Inside the Creators' Surprise Decision
Brenton BlanchetThu, February 26, 2026 at 4:24 PM UTC
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Pim and Charlie in Adult Swim's 'Smiling Friends'Credit: Adult Swim -
Smiling Friends co-creators Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack have announced the end of their hit cartoon
The Adult Swim animated series, which debuted in 2022, will wrap with two additional episodes in April, the pair shared
"After several years of really grinding on this show, nonstop without any breaks, 24/7, we got to a point where we just felt like that's a good spot to end it," Hadel said
Smiling Friends is coming to an unexpected end.
The hit Adult Swim cartoon, which grew in popularity with its third season last fall, will now be ending for good after a surprise social media announcement from its creators on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
In an audio message billed as an "important announcement" on the network's X and Instagram accounts, creators Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack revealed that Smiling Friends indeed "will be ending after season 3 is done," following the release of two additional episodes in April. The pair opened their message by insisting the surprise announcement wasn't a "joke."
"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," Cusack, 35, said. "But also pretty accomplished. We just came to this feeling where we're like, 'I think that could just be it...' We both felt like it was right."
Hadel added that "even from the very beginning" of Smiling Friends, the pair wanted to put "110% into" the cartoon and end it all with "what feels like on top."
"What feels like, 'Leave them wanting more,' rather than, 'Oh, that show is still on the air? Oh God.' After several years of really grinding on this show, nonstop without any breaks, 24/7, we got to a point where we just felt like that's a good spot to end it," Hadel said. "And 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------ slop."
'Smiling Friends'Credit: Adult Swim
While Cusack said the pair knew they could've handed the series off to new showrunners, it would ultimately feel "too weird," with Hadel adding that it simply "wouldn't be the same show" without the duo behind the wheel.
"This was our decision," Cusack said. "Adult Swim is very supportive. When we told them this, they said, 'If you're not feeling making a cartoon, we're not gonna stop you. Go have a break. Either come back or don't.' That's another thing, we could come back in the future and make more episodes if we want... But maybe not. Who knows? We'll have to determine that in the future."
Still, the duo delivered some "good news." Two additional episodes of Smiling Friends will be arriving on April 12. The "straggler" episodes, which "aren't finales," will be part of the show's third season, which last aired its eighth episode back in November.
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"We know this is very disappointing," Cusack said. "It sucks. It's been very hard to even record this because it's just a very difficult thing to say for us. We hope you understand. The fans have been so good. It's been the best. It's been the ride of a lifetime."
Hadel shared at the end of the message that the show "got bigger than we ever expected" and that "all of it has been surreal and great."
'Smiling Friends'Credit: Adult Swim
Smiling Friends debuted back in 2022 and follows protagonists Pim and Charlie as they work to make others smile (it's their literal profession). In June 2025, Adult Swim confirmed that the absurd workplace comedy had been renewed for a fourth and fifth season.
Speaking with PEOPLE in November, Hadel briefly touched on what the show meant to him at that point and his hopes for its eventual conclusion.
"The headspace that we were in when we were making it was so born out of piss and vinegar and stress and frustration, just wanting to make something. I think we were really conscious about it when we were making it. But it feels lucky is what it feels like, it feels like we lucked out in a way," he said.
Continuing, Hadel added, "Obviously, it took a lot of thinking about it and getting it right… But sometimes, I do just look at it and go, 'Oh my god.' Not even in a way where I'm like, 'It's the best thing I've ever made,' but just like, 'Oh, wow, we made that, it's good.' "
"That Halloween episode we just made is one of my favorite cartoons. It's almost like I'm not even involved, in a f----- up way. I can't explain it, it's very weird," he noted. "But we're lucky. And hopefully we'll end it properly and it's a nice, beautiful thing at the end."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
