Smiling Friends was on a path to be Adult Swim's biggest original series since Rick and Morty, but the creators brought that to a grinding halt with an announcement that no one expected. Creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel revealed they'd be ending the show after Season 3, with two unreleased episodes coming at a later date. While there's still some content to look forward to, there's definite division amongst fans in how they feel about this news arriving in the midst of the 2026 TV schedule.
I can understand the feeling of whiplash, given that Adult Swim previously announced that Smiling Friends was renewed for Seasons 4 and 5. Now, the creators said in an announcement they're ending the series out of fear of creative burnout. The news is still fresh, but what's interesting is that there's no clear consensus on how fans feel based on online comments:
- “'Burnt out'” while making 25 10-minute episodes in a span of 6 years" - JP
- "Based on the comments, they prob took a look at their fanbase & wanted out" - BIGSLIMKIM
- "Better than have it run indefinitely while becoming a shell of its former self tbh" - Kobe4Mayor
- "Keep in mind one of the episodes was them arguing at an airport" - Zion 🐡
- "At least it didn't turn into a second Simpsons" - trampoline
The last one is a reference to a supposed feud between Smiling Friends and The Simpsons, but outside of that snarky comment, there's a lot of back and forth between those with big feelings about this shock decision. There are a lot of different takes out there, and as wild as it may be to say, I do think they're all valid.
For the crowd upset about the team suffering from creative burnout with such a low episode count and runtime, it should be noted that episode runtimes aren't indicative of the work put into a series. There are thousands of hours poured into making any show, and while it's true shows like Rick and Morty have gone on for longer with longer episodes, it isn't easy.
I'm sure there was an option for Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel to hand over the series to someone else, but they weren't comfortable letting the show run without having a say over it. Ultimately, it's their brainchild, so even if people are upset with the decision, it's hard to knock an artist for saying they're through with making it.
Ultimately, I think everyone is just upset about losing a comfort show. I know I was used to the reality of the show having a definite future alongside other new shows like Ha Ha, You Clowns, and the new Rick and Morty spinoff. At least we'll always have the previous three seasons available with an HBO Max subscription, and we can enjoy the great series.
We'll have to wait and see when the unreleased Smiling Friends episodes come out, but I'm sure Adult Swim will keep fans updated. In the meantime, there are still plenty of shows to love during the programming block, and hopefully, some more from the SF creators should they return someday.
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