‘Smiling Friends’ Creators Say Show Is Ending With S3, But Two More Episodes Are On The Way

Adult Swim’s animated hit Smiling Friends is officially coming to an end, with creators Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack announcing that the series will conclude after Season 3. The decision, they emphasized, was entirely their own.

“This is not a bit. This is not a joke,” Hadel said in a candid video message. “Michael and I are here to announce that Smiling Friends will be ending after season 3 is done.” Cusack acknowledged how hard the news might land with fans, adding, “We know that’s super disappointing to hear.”

According to the pair, the choice came down to creative exhaustion mixed with a sense of completion. After finishing Season 3, Cusack explained, “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.” Ending now, they said, felt preferable to overstaying their welcome. Hadel noted they always wanted to “go out what feels like on top… rather than people going, ‘Oh, that show is still on the air. Oh god.’”

The creators were clear that continuing without full creative investment wasn’t an option. “We wouldn’t want to be doing more seasons with… half-hearted [effort],” Cusack said. “That’s not fair to us, and it’s not fair to the audience to give you guys slop.”

They also revealed that Adult Swim was fully supportive of the decision. As a final bonus, two additional Season 3 episodes, described as “little stragglers,” will air on April 12.

While this marks the end of Smiling Friends for now – the duo did hint there could be one-offs or future episodes, but didn’t want to commit to anything – Hadel reassured fans that it’s not the end of their collaboration. “This is not the end of Zach and I making projects,” Cusack said. “It’s just this show.”