The creators of the cult Adult Swim hit Smiling Friends have a clear vision for their show’s future: they want it to end well before anyone gets tired of it. In a recent interview, Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack explained their philosophy of planning a concise, high-quality series rather than letting it run indefinitely. This comes as the show, having just aired its season three finale on November 30, 2025, is already confirmed for a fourth and fifth season.
The duo directly stated they have no intention of matching the decades-long runs of shows like South Park or The Simpsons. “Fuck no,” Cusack said when asked about a 20-year run. They have decided to treat their show more like a great band’s discography. Hadel explained their thinking, saying, “We’re not going to go on long. We use the example of The Beatles: they did, like, seven or eight albums, and they’re all good”.
The Creative Goal: Ending on a High Note
For Hadel and Cusack, the decision is about creative integrity and preserving the show’s unique energy. They made a promise to each other early on to avoid letting the show “overstay its welcome or get stale”. Their goal is to leave the audience wanting more, building a complete and re-watchable body of work that maintains its quality from start to finish.
“Zach and I have made a promise to each other where we’ll always be honest and say, ‘Look, do we want to keep going with this, or do we want to wrap it up on a high note?’” said Michael Cusack.
This approach is a deliberate choice in an industry where successful animated shows often continue for many seasons. The creators see seasons four and five as a natural potential stopping point, but they plan to assess how they feel creatively when that work is complete. The show has been a breakout hit for Adult Swim, which renewed it for two additional seasons in 2024 following its popular third season.
Work on Future Seasons Is Already Underway
Despite just finishing season three, the team is not slowing down. Development on the next chapter of Smiling Friends has already begun. Cusack confirmed that scripts for new episodes are in progress.
“We’ve written two scripts. We’ve got a third in the making. Super happy with it so far,” Cusack said. “It’s always fun to jump back into getting fresh again with ideas”.
The creators feel they have found their creative rhythm. Reflecting on the completed third season, Hadel noted they finally hit their stride, better understanding their characters and successfully blending improvisational humor with more structured plots. Cusack added that the writing process is becoming more natural, allowing scripts to flow more easily.
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A Potential Movie as the Finale
While the exact endpoint for the series is still flexible, Hadel and Cusack have a specific idea for how they would like to conclude the story of Pim and Charlie. They have repeatedly expressed interest in finishing the series with a movie.
They feel the show’s standard 11-minute format can be limiting for a grand finale. A movie would allow them to wrap up the entire series in a more expansive way. This idea has been in their minds since the beginning of the show, and they see it as the perfect capstone to the project.
Understanding the Show’s Unique Appeal
Smiling Friends premiered in 2022 and quickly gained a dedicated following for its absurdist humor and wildly experimental animation style. The show follows employees of the Smiling Friends company, whose job is to bring happiness to their clients, leading to bizarre and chaotic situations.
The third season, which premiered on October 5, 2025, consisted of eight episodes that explored deeper lore for characters like Glep, while continuing the show’s tradition of mixing animation techniques including 2D, 3D, and live-action. The creators have stated that the core of the show is its improvisational, “vibes-based” humor, which they refined over the first three seasons.
Also Read: Smiling Friends Season 3 Episode 9: Why Are Fans Convinced Two Secret Episodes Exist?
