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Smiling Friends
Smiling Friends
from Wikipedia

Smiling Friends
The words "Smiling Friends" in all caps and different colors on a black background
Genre
Created by
Written by
  • Michael Cusack
  • Zach Hadel
Directed by
  • Michael Cusack
  • Zach Hadel
  • David Hootselle (episode director season 3)
Voices of
  • Michael Cusack
  • Zach Hadel
  • Marc M.
Theme music composerBrendan Caulfield
Ending theme"Brown Smile" by Chris O'Neill
ComposerBrendan Caulfield
Country of origin
  • Australia
  • United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes25
Production
Executive producers
  • Michael Cusack
  • Zach Hadel
  • Mike Cowap
  • Emma Fitzsimons
  • Brendan Burch (2020)
  • Keith Crofford[a] (2020)
  • Walter Newman[a]
    (2020–22)
  • Ollie Green[a] (2022)
  • Kelly Crews[a]
    (2024–present)
  • Cameron Tang[a]
    (2024–present)
Producers
  • Scott Malchus
  • Ollie Green
  • Laura DiMaio
  • Paul Moran
  • Casey Rup
  • Cody DeMatteis
Editors
  • Scott Henry
  • Lukas Xuereb
  • Aron Fromm
Running time11 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkAdult Swim
ReleaseApril 1, 2020 (2020-04-01) (pilot)
ReleaseJanuary 10, 2022 (2022-01-10)[3] –
present

Smiling Friends is an adult animated sitcom created by Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The show revolves around the surreal misadventures of a small charity and its four employees dedicated to spreading happiness. It utilizes a wide variety of different art styles and animation techniques, which include but are not limited to stylized traditional animation, computer animation, rotoscoping, stop motion, Flash animation, and live-action.

The pilot episode aired April 1, 2020, unannounced as part of Adult Swim's annual April Fools' Day event alongside the premiere of Cusack's other series, YOLO. On May 19, 2021, Adult Swim ordered a full season that was initially set to premiere in late 2021.[4] A panel dedicated to the series was held during the Adult Swim Festival on November 12, 2021, where co-creator Zach Hadel mentioned the show would premiere "within a few months", pushing the release schedule ahead to 2022.[5] The first season contains nine episodes, including the pilot and an 11-minute special.[6][7][8] The first season eventually premiered on January 10, 2022, with Adult Swim airing all episodes of the season, except for the special, in one night despite initial plans for a weekly release.[9][3][b]

Smiling Friends received widespread critical acclaim for its animation, writing, humor, characters and voice acting. It was renewed for a second season on February 9, 2022.[10] The season premiere aired on April 1, 2024,[11] with the rest of the season beginning to air on May 13.[12][13] On June 13, 2024, Adult Swim renewed the series for a third season.[14] The third season was previewed at Annecy on June 11, 2025.[15] On the same day, it was announced the show was renewed for a fourth and fifth season.[16][17] The third season premiered on October 5, 2025.[18]

Premise

[edit]
From left to right: Allan, Pim, Charlie, and Glep

The series follows the misadventures and shenanigans of Charlie Dompler and Pim Pimling, two employees of the Smiling Friends, a charitable company based in Pennsylvania dedicated to bringing joy and happiness to its clients. Pim is overtly cheerful, optimistic and eager to help people with their problems, whilst Charlie is usually more cynical and pragmatic. They are occasionally assisted by their coworkers, Allan Red and Glep, as well as their eccentric yet caring employer Mr. Boss. Chaos ensues, as the strange and often deeply troubled characters they are tasked with helping prove challenging and thrust them into bizarre situations.

Voice cast

[edit]

Main roles

[edit]
  • Michael Cusack as:
    • Pim Pimling: a short, pink character and one of the primary protagonists of the Smiling Friends. Pim is primarily known for his cheerful and optimistic personality as well as being the most willing to help others in need.
    • Allan Red: a tall, red character who works as an office manager at the Smiling Friends. Allan is primarily known for his deadpan personality and sarcasm towards others. Nevertheless, Allan is also known for being extremely dedicated to his job and has been shown to go through extreme lengths to satisfy his boss.
    • Mr. Frog: a pathologically insane frog-like green demon. Mr. Frog was a worldwide celebrity who began his career as the star of The Mr. Frog Show, but would later become the President of the United States, emperor of the world and the wealthiest man on the planet. He eventually finds inner peace which transforms him into a photo-realistic frog. Prior to his spiritual enlightenment, Mr. Frog was primarily known for being deeply troubled and would often engage in numerous unprovoked acts of violence.
    • Cusack also provides many additional voices in each episode. Some include Professor Psychotic, a mad scientist who wishes to create life; Rex, the producer of The Mr. Frog Show; and James, a man obsessed with Charlie who tortures him. Cusack also voices most characters with Australian accents.
  • Zach Hadel as:
    • Charlie Dompler: a large, yellow character and one of the primary protagonists of the Smiling Friends. Charlie is primarily known for his laid-back, cynical and pessimistic attitude, especially when compared to his best friend Pim, but has a genuinely good heart.
    • Glep: a small, green character known for wearing a conical, purple hat and speaking in fast gibberish. He is typically seen relaxing in the company's break room. Born in 329, the third season's finale reveals he was indirectly responsible for the collapse of the Roman Empire and the spread of the Black Death throughout Europe, as well as inspiring Mr. Boss to co-found Smiling Friends in 1992.
    • Hadel also provides many additional voices in each episode. Among the most prominent are Mip, a forest folk from the Enchanted Forest; DJ Spit, an unhinged amateur SoundCloud rapper and thief; Satan, the lord of Hell; Gwimbly, a 3D animated low-poly video game character; and Squim, a fluidly animated smiley face stylized like a Don Bluth character.
  • Marc M. as:
    • Mr. Boss: the elderly and eccentric owner of the Smiling Friends. Despite his bizarre and sometimes disturbing behavior, Mr. Boss genuinely cares for all of his employees.
    • Marc M. also provides additional voices. Some include a man at the Brazil airport; a Goblin construction worker; and Bill Nye.

Supporting cast

[edit]
  • Joshua Tomar provides multiple one-off characters in every season of Smiling Friends. Some of his well-known roles include an elderly-aged Glep (Charlie Dies and Doesn't Come Back), Troglor (Gwimbly: Definitive Remastered Enhanced Extended Edition DX 4K (Anniversary Director's Cut)), among other roles.
  • David Dore as Party Bro (or "Rotoscope Guy") / Forest Demon / Armzo / Critter Doctor / Blue Critter / additional voices
  • Erica Lindbeck as Rex's Assistant / Jennifer the Barista / Mustard / Princess of the Enchanted Forest / Brittney / Maurine / Marge Simpson / additional voices
    • Lindbeck also appears in live action as Vivianne
  • Rodrigo Huerta as Meep Society Lady / Jombo / Secret Service Agents / Fireman / Pim's brother / additional voices
  • Chris O'Neill as Smormu James Carter / Mr. Frog Auditionee / Yeti
  • Hans van Harken as Jimmy Fallon / Priest / Hell Faces / Bill[19] / Alien / Mint-Green Critter / additional voices
  • Mick Lauer as Bug / Guy at the Gym / Crazy Cup / Elf / additional voices
  • Harry Partridge as Smormu Announcer / Grease / 3D Squelton / William Worm
  • David Firth as Shrimp / Fillmore / Mole Man / 1500s Peasant / Pink Man / Jimmy Durante
  • Monica Franco as Zoey / Waitress / Wendy Worm
  • Lyle Rath as Mr. Man / IGBG CEO / Renaissance men

Animated guest stars

[edit]

Introduced in season 1

[edit]

Introduced in season 2

[edit]

Introduced in season 3

[edit]

Live-action guest stars

[edit]

Episodes

[edit]

The series was written and directed by series creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel. The creators all write the scripts, and directed every episode of season 1, but starting with season 2, while Cusack and Hadel still serve as series directors, the episodes would be directed by different directors under an "episode director" role.

Episodes 5, 7 and 8 of season 2 do not credit any writer.

Series overview

[edit]
SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
19TVPApril 1, 2020 (2020-04-01)
7January 10, 2022 (2022-01-10)
TVSAugust 6, 2022 (2022-08-06)
28April 1, 2024 (2024-04-01)June 24, 2024 (2024-06-24)
38October 5, 2025 (2025-10-05)November 30, 2025 (2025-11-30)


Season 1 (2020; 2022)

[edit]

This is the only season to not have any episode director credit. However, there are different animation directors per episode.

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleAnimation directed byStoryboarded byOriginal release date [23][b]US viewers
(millions)
11"Desmond's Big Day Out"Jake GanzZach Hadel & Michael CusackApril 1, 2020 (2020-04-01) (April Fools Day)
January 10, 2022 (2022-01-10) (series premiere)
0.31[24]
Pim and Charlie are called to help Desmond (Mike Stoklasa), a depressed and suicidal man who keeps a gun pressed to his head at all times. Pim first brings him to visit his family, who turns out to be way more dysfunctional than Desmond's by a long shot. He cheers up a little when taken to an amusement park, but subsequently reveals his worldview and key cause of his depression, causing Pim to suffer a paralyzing existential crisis. Meanwhile, Allan finds that the office has been infested by small creatures called "bliblies". When the Friends come back to the office with Desmond, they find the office overrun with the bliblies crucifying Allan. Desmond uses his gun to shoot a bliblie, which gives him a renewed sense of purpose and inspires him to start a pest control service.
Note: This is the series' pilot episode. It was aired as part of Adult Swim's annual April Fools' Day event, and would later air with the rest of the episodes as part of the series premiere.
22"Mr. Frog"Georgia KrissDavid HootselleJanuary 10, 2022 (2022-01-10)0.31[24]
The illustrious career of famed celebrity Mr. Frog is jeopardized after he attempts and fails to eat a TMZ reporter. Pim and Charlie are tasked with rehabilitating Frog. First, the two try to get him to quit drugs and have him donate money to the city, which goes awry when Frog accidentally slices off the hands of the city comptroller with the edge of a novelty check during the ceremony. They then put him on "sleeping pills" given to him by Charlie, only for a lucid Mr. Frog to say something extremely offensive on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, getting him completely blacklisted from the industry. Meanwhile, Glep is hired as Frog's replacement on The Mr. Frog Show, but the show's ratings-obsessed producer finds his ordinary behavior too "toxic" and forces him to tone himself down. The show's audience reacts with disgust to the reboot during its filming. Frog then appears in the studio to apologize and ends up eating the producer out of spite, regaining the public's love and becoming rich enough to host the show himself.
Note: A puppet version of this episode aired on April Fools' Day 2024.
33"Shrimp's Odyssey"Georgia KrissJakub ZiebaJanuary 10, 2022 (2022-01-10)0.30[24]
Pim and Charlie are called to help Shrimp (David Firth), an awkward, reclusive gamer who was recently left by his girlfriend, Shrimpina. Charlie believes Shrimp should move on, while Pim aims to reunite the two and seeks her out to set her up on a blind date with Shrimp. However, Pim ends up developing feelings for Shrimpina and tries to steal the date for himself, but changes his mind once he sees Charlie with a miserable Shrimp at the agreed upon meeting spot and reluctantly reintroduces the two. As it turns out, the woman Pim located was not Shrimpina, but a stranger named Jennifer. However, Jennifer finds herself attracted to Shrimp anyways, leaving Pim heartbroken. A preview before the episode asks the audience to vote on whether a new character, "Smormu", should be added to the show. He - who had been voted in by the audience - attempts to cheer Pim up as the episode ends. The "In Loving Memory" running gag of the series' credits shows that "Smormu James Carter" was later beaten to death.
Note: A puppet version of this episode aired on April Fools' Day 2024.
44"A Silly Halloween Special"Georgia KrissMichael Dockery & Jason KruseJanuary 10, 2022 (2022-01-10)0.25[24]
Before the episode, a Robert Stack–like host walking in an alleyway comments on the horrors of the unknown. Pim is tasked with retrieving firewood for the company's Halloween party, but gets lost after neglecting Mr. Boss's advice on its dangers. He suffers various delusions and is attacked by a demonic forest creature. It chases him back to the office, where the partygoers mistake its skin tone for blackface. Offended by his presence, Mr. Boss's and the partygoers kill him, eat its flesh, and gratefully burn its remains as a substitute for firewood. The live-action host concludes that the greatest horrors come from the mind, when a cop suddenly arrives telling him to stop loitering and the host leaves the alley, revealing that he is not wearing pants.
55"Who Violently Murdered Simon S. Salty?"Bob DorianMark SheardJanuary 10, 2022 (2022-01-10)0.23[24]

While getting dinner at the popular fast food restaurant Salty's, Pim and Charlie find founder Simon S. Salty dead in a back room. They call the police, who explain that the murder investigation division was moved to a separate company due to budget cuts. Mr. Boss then calls and informs them that the Smiling Friends are in fact the police's new division. They interrogate Salty's team of living mascots, all of whom display alarmingly unhinged behavior. They eventually recover security footage from the discontinued "century egg" mascot that reveals that Salty had ultimately died of a heart attack from his own unhealthy diet (ironically, after eating what he swore would be his last burger before changing his lifelong eating habits), but that all of his mascots later separately attempted to kill him for their own reasons, unaware that they were attacking a corpse. Gleefully after they are declared innocent, the mascots leave the restaurant and immediately begin to wreak havoc in public.

Post-credits scene : The Friends bury the century egg somewhere in China at his request, only for Charlie to dig him back up when Pim wonders what he tasted like.
66"Enchanted Forest"Georgia KrissJakub ZiebaJanuary 10, 2022 (2022-01-10)0.21[24]

While on a mission to help the princess of the nearby Enchanted Forest smile for a portrait, Pim and Charlie get sidetracked by a hobbit-like forest dweller named Mip. Charlie undertakes several quests despite his earlier apathy towards doing so, causing Pim, who wanted to do the quests beforehand, to accidentally kill Mip in a jealous Gollum-esque struggle. Remorseful, he and Charlie give the princess the gift Mip had intended for her, but she reveals that Mip was her stalker. Inside the box is a bomb, which she frantically discards in a panic before finally smiling upon learning of his demise, much to the duo's confusion.

Post-credits scene : Back at the office, Charlie has an allergic reaction to a "potion" Mip had urged him to drink on a quest, claiming it was a cure for headaches.
77"Frowning Friends"Bob DorianMichael HarrisJanuary 10, 2022 (2022-01-10)0.21[24]
A rival company called the "Frowning Friends", run by a pair of lookalikes named Grim and Gnarly, moves in across the street, and besmirch the Smiling Friends' reputation when they begin spreading gloom across the town. As the company's profits plummet, Mr. Boss has a psychotic break and attempts to assassinate Grim. Grim sobs and begs for his life in front of his supporters, revealing that his nihilistic attitude was a sham and causing former Frowning Friends patrons to boycott the company. Mr. Boss convinces Grim and Gnarly to smile for the first time, only for them to be killed by passing "Renaissance men" on horseback, to the consternation of Pim and Charlie.
88"Charlie Dies and Doesn't Come Back"Bob DorianDavid HootselleJanuary 10, 2022 (2022-01-10)0.22[24]
While fetching a Christmas tree for the office on Christmas Eve, Pim and Charlie argue about the latter's pessimistic attitude until a tree falls on Charlie and gruesomely kills him. He awakens in Hell, which has frozen over as Satan is suffering from a bout of depression. Charlie travels to Satan's castle and offers to make him smile, on the condition that Satan must send him back to Earth if he succeeds. Satan finally smiles after harming Charlie and realizes that torturing people gives him pleasure, and tries to back out of their deal, only for God (Gilbert Gottfried) to reveal the whole thing was a test, and send Charlie back to Earth during his funeral. An elderly Glep, who has been narrating the episode the entire time, informs his grandson that the story is true and that Christian Hell is real before wishing the audience a Merry Christmas.
Notes: This was Gilbert Gottfried's final acting performance to be released before his death in April 2022. A puppet version of this episode aired on April Fools' Day 2024.
99"The Smiling Friends Go to Brazil!"Paul ter VoordeMichael Dockery, Michael Harris & Mark SheardAugust 6, 2022 (2022-08-06)0.27[25]
The Smiling Friends arrive in Brazil!, only to discover that Pim forgot to book the hotel as he assumed Allan was responsible for doing so. They try to book another hotel nearby, but learn everything is completely booked as they arrived in the middle of Mardi Gras. The crew get seated at Galeão International Airport restaurant and call Mr. Boss for advice, but he offers nothing. Ultimately, the gang accepts that their best option is to catch the next flight back home, unaware of a plane that is about to crash into a mountain in the background.
Note: This episode is presented as a single shot.

Season 2 (2024)

[edit]
No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byStoryboarded byOriginal release dateUS viewers
(millions)
101"Gwimbly: Definitive Remastered Enhanced Extended Edition DX 4K (Anniversary Director's Cut)"Paul ter VoordeJames Cunningham, Michael Cusack, Michael Dockery & Zach HadelApril 1, 2024 (2024-04-01)0.13[26]

Pim and Allan try to help washed-up video game mascot Gwimbly after he ends up on the company's doorstep by getting his parent company to make him a new game. When the CEO refuses, they decide to crowdfund the game themselves, leaving him enraged that they are using his intellectual property without permission. As he hunts them with the company's new mascot, Troglor, the trio discovers that Gwimbly's ex-nemesis is busy with his family life and his sidekick has died of a fentanyl overdose. Meanwhile, a violent, burly man named James breaks into the Smiling Friends' office. He forces Charlie to do increasingly degrading things to (unsuccessfully) make him smile, culminating in him tearing Charlie's nose off. The CEO chases Pim, Allan, and Gwimbly into the office, where James stabs the CEO to death; satisfied by this, he finally smiles and leaves. Gwimbly and Troglor later join a Super Smash Bros.-esque crossover fighting game, with Mr. Boss also joining as a playable character.

Post-credits scene : James drunkenly expresses remorse for how he treated Charlie, believing Charlie to be the only person who truly cared about him.
112"Mr. President"Tina TomarMichael Cusack, Michael Dockery & Zach HadelMay 13, 2024 (2024-05-13)0.28[27]

Pim and Charlie get a call from the concurrently running and very unpopular President of the United States, the unhygienic and unintelligent Jimble (Mike Bocchetti), requesting help in winning the upcoming election. He is struggling to run against his rival Squiggly Miggly as well as the sudden nomination of Mr. Frog, who gains countrywide support despite him openly reveling in extremely violent behavior. Their attempts at earning him a higher approval rating fail as Jimble soils himself during a speech, inadvertently crashes the economy trying to make everyone rich, and establishes a foreign policy with an infamous dictator that has committed genocide against an entire race of people. While walking out in frustration, Charlie accidentally discovers a secret society of worms in the White House basement that are trying to sabotage the vote in favor of Mr. Frog, but accidentally persuades them into supporting Jimble instead upon revealing that frogs eat worms. At the Presidential Debate, a despondent Jimble admits that he was utterly incompetent as President and expresses remorse, swinging public favor in his direction. However, a single vote submitted by Glep causes Mr. Frog to win the election anyway via the electoral vote. Glep is doxxed by the news as he is angrily confronted by his friends, but they change their minds after his unintelligible explanation.

Post-credits scene : Jimble relaxes at a beach and enjoys retirement, taking advice Charlie had given him earlier in the episode.
123"A Allan Adventure"Paul ter VoordeMichael Dockery, Jake Ganz, Paul Georghiou, Paul ter Voorde & Sheldon VellaMay 20, 2024 (2024-05-20)0.18[28]

Mr. Boss tasks Allan with buying more paperclips for the office. Allan obtains them from an electronics store, but is faced with various obstacles and misadventures before he can make it back to the office - namely a thief, a helicopter chase with the U.S. Air Force, a Sasquatch, a crew of undead pirates, and finally a massive leviathan that swallows Allan and ejects him from its blowhole. He washes ashore with the box of paperclips, but opens it to find it empty aside from a ransom note telling him to retrieve the paperclips from his own apartment complex. There, he meets his landlord, who reveals he orchestrated the entire escapade to get Allan to spend time playing Burnout: Revenge for the PS2 with him, threatening to detonate a bomb that will ravage the entire city if he refuses. Allan reluctantly complies before using a paperclip to defuse the bomb. Ashamed at having been outsmarted, the landlord commits seppuku. Allan returns to the office with the paperclips and is rewarded with a miniature figurine of Mr. Boss. Uninterested in keeping it, he gives it to Charlie instead.

Post-credits scene : The landlord resurrects in a morgue, swearing that Allan will hang out with him again.
134"Erm, the Boss Finds Love?"David Hootselle & Anthony PriceMichael Dockery, Paul Georghiou & David HootselleMay 27, 2024 (2024-05-27)0.28[31]

After Mr. Boss marries a malformed succubus named Brittney, the company undergoes a complete rebrand under her influence. Suspecting Brittney of having sinister intentions, Pim, Charlie, and Allan do more research on YouTube and learn that "Brittney" is actually Filia Diabolus, the daughter of Satan who manifests every 100 years to kill influential men and grant their belongings to her father, and that the only way to defeat her is to kill her during a full moon. Since the moon is full that night, they race to Brittney's castle (except for Allan, who leaves for an appointment with a "Doctor Monster"). Pim's attempt to stab her in her sleep fails when the knife Charlie had drunkenly purchased from a fellow wedding attendee turns out to be a prop knife. Still, she wakes up and becomes so distraught upon learning of their intentions to kill her (though admits that their assumptions were correct) that she jumps out a window, becoming fatally impaled by her own rose bush. Mr. Boss thanks them for freeing him and declares that his true love is his work before singing to the four uncomfortable employees.

Post-credits scene : Mr. Boss (who obtained 25% of Hell following Brittney's death) and Satan argue over fence line property boundaries.
Note: Doug Walker makes a cameo appearance in this episode, portraying a parody of his Nostalgia Critic persona as a demonology-focused YouTuber whose videos Pim, Charlie, and Allan consult for information.[29][30]
145"Brother's Egg"Anthony PriceTijmen Raasveld & Jakub ZiebaJune 3, 2024 (2024-06-03)0.20[32]

Pim and Charlie are called to help aspiring mad scientist Daniel "Professor Psychotic" create life. As Daniel explains his plan, his older brother Doug (Joel Haver) enters to complain about his lack of volume control and inability to find a proper job, ultimately evicting him. Charlie has lunch with Daniel to console him and help him find a new purpose in life, but the effort is unsuccessful as Daniel unintentionally scares away a waitress. Meanwhile, Pim visits Doug at his job at a construction site to convince him to give Daniel another chance, and is successful after they witness Doug's coworker mourn his estranged brother being crushed to death. Pim and Charlie mediate an intervention between the brothers, which devolves into a physical altercation after Daniel accuses Doug of being addicted to painkillers and not being present for their mother, leading up to her death. One of Daniel's eggs then hatches, revealing a homunculus who implores the brothers to stop fighting. Astounded by this discovery, the brothers resolve to put aside their differences and raise the homunculus together before sharing a tearful embrace.

Post-credits scene : Allan cries over a film that is also about estranged brothers reconciling, despite disliking it before Pim and Charlie's departure. In contrast, Mr. Boss cries over his inability to revert his face to normal after he had changed it into a dog's face earlier.
156"Charlie, Pim, and Bill vs the Alien"David HootselleDavid HootselleJune 10, 2024 (2024-06-10)0.17[34]

Pim takes Charlie to his UFO sighting group – Bill, Duncan, and Fillmore (David Firth). The meeting proves uneventful until a UFO arrives and abducts Pim, Charlie, and Bill – the latter of whom is dissected and eaten. The aliens that abducted the trio are then abducted by a different alien race, who are hosting a party that Pim and Charlie unwillingly participate in. The hosts (Mike Stoklasa and Rich Evans) implore Pim and Charlie to vaporize a populated planet as a "prank", promising to take them home if they do and threatening to place them in an eternal torture chamber if they refuse. They reluctantly comply, only for the aliens to reveal that the planet was devoid of life, the torture device was fake, and the ship can't fly backwards, rendering them unable to return home. During the ensuing argument between Charlie and the aliens, the police arrive to arrest them for destroying public property and disturbing the peace. As the partygoers flee, Pim and Charlie manage to hijack a flying saucer owned by the grey aliens and fly back to Earth, which they discover is flat and encased in a glass dome.

Post-credits scene : Duncan and Fillmore have been falsely imprisoned for Bill's murder and Charlie and Pim's disappearances.
Note: The official description for the episode is intentionally false, describing Pim in the plot of Mars Needs Moms.[33]
167"The Magical Red Jewel (aka Tyler Gets Fired)"Jeff LiuMax Collins, Tijmen Raasveld & James WhiteJune 17, 2024 (2024-06-17)0.27[35]

After firing an employee named Tyler, Mr. Boss informs the Friends that he must journey to the foreign country Spamtopia to purchase a magical red jewel. Pim accompanies him, as he speaks the local language, Spamish, having learned from his childhood pen pal Oscar. While obtaining the jewel from the elusive "Mr. Jester", Pim accidentally breaks Spamtopia's sole law by making eye contact with Mr. Jester, who, revealing himself to be the ruler of Spamtopia, sentences the two to death. However, he turns out to be Oscar and spares them after remembering Pim, ultimately eschewing the law entirely; Spamtopia thus descends into anarchy. Meanwhile, Mr. Boss has tasked Allan, Glep, and Charlie with babysitting his teenage son Jason, but Jason inexplicably dies shortly after Mr. Boss and Pim leave. Mr. Boss is initially horrified, but uses the jewel to resurrect Jason, who sprouts butterfly wings. Charlie attempts to inquire about a manifesto he found hidden in Mr. Boss's desk. Still, the glittery dust spread by Jason deafens and blinds everyone whilst triggering the building's alarms and sprinklers before Jason lunges at the audience.

Post-credits scene : Tyler, while at a bar with Charlie, resolves to focus on a music career instead of returning to Smiling Friends.
178"Pim Finally Turns Green"Paul GeorghiouPaul Georghiou & Michael CusackJune 24, 2024 (2024-06-24)0.21[37]

The Friends build a snowman out of garbage, naming it Rotten (Dana Snyder). Rotten comes to life after Pim attaches a radioactive daffodil to its head, and Pim decides to teach him about the pleasures of life. Pim denies Rotten's request to visit the beach, claiming the sun will kill him. Horrified at the concept of death, Rotten suffers an existential crisis and starts screaming uncontrollably. Charlie enlists Bill Nye to teach Rotten that death is natural and not something to fear, but Nye dies when his hot air balloon flies into power lines. Pim and Charlie leave Rotten on a snowy mountain so he can live forever, but he is returned to the office by a frustrated yeti. Glep suggests storing Rotten in the office freezer, which initially leaves him content, but as time passes, he becomes depressed. As the Friends leave for a trip to the beach, Pim realizes he can take Rotten by putting him inside a cooler, but he melts when another beachgoer accidentally knocks it over. As they mourn him, he suddenly reappears as an ocean wave, along with the ghost of Bill Nye.

Post-credits scene : The Friends question the logistics of Rotten's new state of being before he consumes a boat and sends a tsunami towards the shoreline as horrified beachgoers evacuate.
Note: The title and official description for the episode are intentionally false. The description states: "After eating a mysterious artifact found at an ancient burial ground, Pim suddenly and mysteriously turns bright green to everyone's dismay."[36]

Season 3 (2025)

[edit]

All episodes in this season are directed by David Hootselle under an "episode director" credit. Saerom Animation, who previously provided additional animation services on three episodes, also does animation production on the series going forward, with different animation directors credited per episode.

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title [38]Animation directed byStoryboarded byOriginal release date [39]US viewers
(millions)
181"Silly Samuel"Yong-Taek ChoiDavid HootselleOctober 5, 2025 (2025-10-05)0.48[40]

The Smiling Friends get a call from a ridiculous-looking man named Silly Samuel (Conner O'Malley), who is upset that no one takes him seriously due to his bizarre appearance. Pim and Charlie's various attempts to help him fail, as his physique renders him unable to wear clothes, get plastic surgery, or even remotely alter his body without fatal consequences, and he is unwilling to embrace his nature to become a circus performer. Meanwhile, a building inspector performs a surprise inspection of the Smiling Friends office, during which a nail keeping the building in place is released, causing it to roll down the street toward a nearby park full of onlookers laughing at Silly Samuel. He attempts to warn them while also berating them with truthful yet controversial and profanity-laden statements about other topics. Glep stops the building before it crushes anyone; realizing that he was telling the truth, the onlookers label Silly Samuel a "prophet" and carry him off as he smiles. The building inspector thanks Mr. Boss for entertaining him despite the building's abysmal quality before turning into dust.

Post-credits scene : Mr. Boss and the Smiling Friends attempt to put the office back into place, but let go of it and cause it to roll down the streets again, ultimately deciding to give up and go out for ribs.
192"Le Voyage Incroyable de Monsieur Grenouille"Jong Wan Ryu, Hyun Soo Park, Se-Hyun Park, Yong-Taek Choi & Sang-Taek OhHannah DaigleOctober 12, 2025 (2025-10-12)0.35[41]

After Mr. Frog assimilates the entire planet under his leadership, he finds himself dissatisfied and resigns from his new role as "emperor of earth", declaring a discarded peanut as his successor. Pim and Charlie find him depressed in a bar and offer to help him smile again. Frog joins the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he kills all of his opponents with sheer durability despite not even trying to fight back. After Pim mentions family in a song about life's pleasures, Frog travels to his father's (Creed Bratton) cabin. Frog's father reveals that Frog's mother has recently died of cancer, then berates Frog for his psychopathic behavior and abandonment of his family, ultimately disowning and ejecting him. While meditating in the forest, Frog achieves inner peace and subsequently enters a realm where he meets the "Bug of Knowledge". After eating the bug, Frog experiences a series of visions highlighting significant moments in his life and career. Content, he transforms into a photorealistic frog, smiles, and says, "Goodbye."

Post-credits scene : Pim returns to the Smiling Friends office, now disfigured after being assaulted by Mr. Frog earlier in the episode.
203"Mole Man"Yong-Taek Choi, Sang-Taek Oh, Hyun Soo Park & Jong Wan RyuPaul ter VoordeOctober 19, 2025 (2025-10-19)0.16[42]

Pim and Charlie fall through a sinkhole in the office and become trapped in the lair of Mole Man (David Firth), an anthropomorphic naked mole-rat who has become obsessed with the duo after overhearing their banter over the years. Mole Man prods the duo to compliment his penis, which he is deeply insecure about. Charlie refuses, causing a hysterical Mole Man to chase them through a series of underground tunnels. Meanwhile, Mr. Boss christens Glep and Allan the "new Smiling Friends" upon learning that Pim and Charlie likely did not survive the fall, and sends them to help a single mother, Maurine, with her triplets. The children wreak havoc until Pim, Charlie, and Mole Man emerge from a vent in Maurine's house as she returns. Mole Man inadvertently exposes himself to her, but she finds his penis attractive. He agrees to marry her and stepfather her children, renouncing his obsession with the Smiling Friends, who agree that Mole Man's penis is rather unassuming and not "disgusting" as he had led them to believe.

Post-credits scene : Mr. Boss dances in place in front of the office in an attempt to cope with his grief, not realizing when the Friends return with Pim and Charlie alive.
214"Curse of the Green Halloween Witch"Hyun Soo ParkTijmen RaasveldNovember 2, 2025 (2025-11-02)0.43[43]

The Friends contemplate what to order for lunch, repeatedly ignoring Pim when he suggests pizza. A mysterious green-skinned witch then arrives at the office asking for change. Pim tries to give it to her, but the other Friends refuse, and she curses them. The power then goes out, and the Friends undergo some disturbing changes - Glep is possessed, Charlie melts, Allan turns into a spider, and Mr. Boss is taunted by an apparition of his deceased mother. Encouraged by demons who insist that the others do not respect him, Pim goes into a blind rage and murders the Friends. This is all then revealed to be a vision the witch is showing them from her orb to demonstrate what will happen if they do not give her money. Mr. Boss chokes her, and Charlie apologizes to Pim for his earlier behavior. Spider Allan returns with pizza, to the confusion of regular Allan and the others, only for him and Mr. Boss to be run over by cars.

Post-credits scene : The witch returns home, where her boyfriend comforts her as she cries, but asks if she will still perform oral sex on him later.
225"Pim and Charlie Save Mother Nature"Sang-Taek OhPaul ter VoordeNovember 9, 2025 (2025-11-09)0.36[44]

While vacationing at Mr. Boss's remote cabin, Charlie hopes to get a valuable photograph of the legendary "Brown Blur" cryptid Mr. Boss has a painting of. He and Pim instead encounter Moth Man (Jim Norton), and an anthropomorphized Mother Nature who is upset when Charlie throws an empty soda can onto the ground. They blame the littering on Moth Man, then clean up the various trash hikers have left in the forest. Mother Nature thanks them for restoring her to health before fatally crushing Moth Man under a tree as revenge for littering. A mushroom overhears Pim scolding Charlie and informs Mother Nature, who then furiously attacks and tries to eat Charlie. Meanwhile, Mr. Boss tries to convince Allan to relax and stop thinking about work, leading to a tryst between the two. Realizing that Allan, Mr. Boss, and Glep will not save them, Pim throws the soda can into Mother Nature's mouth, killing her. Pim and Charlie return to the cabin, where Mr. Boss reveals that the "Brown Blur" painting was actually a photograph of the inside of his anus during a colonoscopy.

Post-credits scene : Moth Man's father tearfully attempts to deliver a eulogy at his funeral.
236"Squim Returns"Yong-Taek Choi, Sang-Taek Oh, Hyun Soo Park & Jong Wan RyuDavid HootselleNovember 16, 2025 (2025-11-16)0.16[46]

When Charlie feigns illness to skip work and play a new video game and Allan and Glep travel to an anime convention, Mr. Boss rehires Squim, the "first-ever Smiling Friend," to help Pim with a job. Pim initially enjoys Squim's positivity, but becomes annoyed when Squim inappropriately attempts to cheer up an ice cream man mourning his late wife. Meanwhile, Mr. Boss views Charlie's Steam activity and calls him to berate him for lying, threatening to fire him if he does not arrive by noon. On the bus, Charlie actually falls ill and vomits, causing the bus to crash. He deliriously stumbles toward the office, causing traffic collisions and eventually stripping naked. As police surround him, Squim attempts to de-escalate the situation by dancing and is shot. His soul emerges from his body and continues dancing, but is also shot. In the hospital, a doctor informs Charlie that he was infected by a parasite in a kebab he ate earlier. Mr. Boss commends Charlie's loyalty to him and reveals that Squim's soul survived after surgery.

Post-credits scene : At the convention, a man asks Glep and Allan for a photo, but Allan declines. The man chases him, shouting that he loves him.
Note: The official description for the episode is intentionally false, stating: "After buying a magic mirror, Pim meets Squim. Charlie starts "digging deep" and gets into some really bad internet stuff…like REALLY bad stuff."[45]
247"Shmaloogles"Yong-Taek Choi, Sang-Taek Oh, Hyun Soo Park & Jong Wan RyuTijmen Raasveld & Jakub ZiebaNovember 23, 2025 (2025-11-23)0.29[47]

Pim and Charlie are called to help a kingdom of happy creatures called the Shmaloogles. Believing he cannot contribute, Charlie attempts to leave, but Pim and a Shmaloogle are suddenly kidnapped by a wizard. The Shmaloogles are unfazed by the kidnapping until Charlie rallies them and trains them to storm the castle. Meanwhile, the wizard confides to Pim that he is balding and uses the Shmaloogles' blood to prevent further hair loss. Charlie and the Shmaloogles suddenly swarm the castle and subdue the wizard, prompting Pim to reveal the reason he was kidnapping them. Charlie suggests finasteride and minoxidil, claiming they have worked for him in the past, to which the wizard agrees. With the differences settled, everyone celebrates at Wawa. The King of the Shmaloogles mentions that he saw Charlie take a photo up Princess Shmaloogle's skirt during the castle raid. Charlie angrily maintains his innocence, pointing out that he left his phone at the office, causing the King to meekly retract the accusation.

Post-credits scene : Mr. Boss and a friend of his watch the film Clerks II, accompanied by its lead actor Brian O'Halloran, though Mr. Boss ignores O'Halloran when he attempts to explain production processes from the film.
258"The Glep Ep"Yong-Taek Choi, Sang-Taek Oh, Hyun Soo Park & Jong Wan RyuTijmen Raasveld & Jakub Zieba
Hannah Daigle[48] (uncredited)
November 30, 2025 (2025-11-30)0.16[49]

The Smiling Friends receive their end-of-year performance analysis from Mr. Boss. Glep's absence confuses Mr. Boss, who is angered after hearing that Glep apparently does nothing all day. Glep quits after being confronted, retreating to his mansion where his wife leaves him over his frequent absence. Depressed, Glep travels to a bar and recounts his life story - born in 329 AD, his presence led to the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Black Death, and being shunned by the Founding Fathers of the United States, forcing him to live a lonely life as a loiterer. The bar's patrons, horrified by his role in the Black Death, eject him. Upon arriving at a bus stop, Glep recalls comforting a destitute and suicidal Mr. Boss in 1992 after he suffered the brunt of a market crash, thus inspiring the latter to found Smiling Friends. Glep returns to find that the Smiling Friends have fallen into disarray without him. Mr. Boss is inspired to rehire him, and the Friends enjoy Christmas dinner with their loved ones, though are disturbed when an unusual man resembling Jimmy Durante describes how the previous events demonstrate that "no matter how different we all are, everyone can get along with each other, except for a certain group of people", causing Charlie and Allan to confront him on what group he is referring to — with the man awkwardly trying to clarify that his joke was meant to be a projective test — and his unexplained presence at the private venue.

Post-credits scene : The bar's patrons pray for the victims of the Black Death.

Shorts

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Short films named Smiling Shorts were released on Adult Swim's YouTube channel before the third season's release.[50][51]

No.TitleOriginal release date
1"Pim's New Eyes"July 22, 2025 (2025-07-22)
Pim has surgery to shrink his large eyes to a smaller size, only for Charlie to reveal that he had appreciated this particular imperfection since they first met.
2"Roy Dismey"August 24, 2025 (2025-08-24)
A whimsical floating creature named Roy Dismey leaves after receiving the Smiling Friends' service, pickpocketing Pim and Charlie of their possessions in the process.

Production

[edit]
Creators Michael Cusack (left) and Zach Hadel (right) at Wondercon 2024

Smiling Friends was created by animators Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack, noted for their individual successes as content creators for Newgrounds and YouTube. Already well-acquainted with each other online, the pair conceived the idea for the show in 2017 whilst dining at Gus's Chicken in Burbank, California (during a visit from Cusack, who is based in Melbourne).[52] Hadel stated in an interview that the pair's goal for the show was to base it around "a group of lovable characters, with a simple kind of concept, which we could take anywhere we wanted to". They settled upon the premise of a hotline for people who were unhappy, which became "the connective tissue that made it all click together". He said that although "the company is an important aspect of the show, it's really the springboard" and that they "have episodes where it's not even about the job at all". The pair singled out South Park and Seinfeld as amongst the show's biggest influences. The duo developed the show's art style as a 50/50 blend of their own individual styles, though Cusack noted that his own drawings tend to go through a "final Zach gloss".[53][54] Early in development, the series went under the working title Little Helpers, with an entirely different cast.

Hadel and Cusack pitched the series to Cartoon Network, which greenlit production on the pilot for the network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim in 2018. Hadel had previously attempted to sell his and Chris O'Neill's web series Hellbenders to the network, but the project was not picked up while an independently produced pilot was shelved during production. O'Neill would later compose the Smiling Friends theme song.[55] Meanwhile, Cusack created the Rick and Morty parody Bushworld Adventures, which premiered as an April Fool's Day stunt on the network in 2018, and also created the series YOLO, which premiered in August 2020.

The Smiling Friends pilot, which the pair consider the first official episode, aired on Adult Swim on April 1, 2020, to positive reviews[56] and became the most viewed episode of any show on the network's website.[10] The network subsequently ordered seven additional episodes in May 2021. Serving as showrunners, Hadel and Cusack were hands on in all aspects of production, from writing, storyboards, character designs, final animation and sound design, which the duo considered unusual for an adult animated series. According to Hadel, the budget for the entire first season was equivalent to that of a single episode of Family Guy (an estimated US$2,000,000).[54][57]

Adult Swim renewed the series for a second season on February 9, 2022.[58] On May 18, 2022, Hadel announced on Twitter that a special would be released sometime before the second season.[59] A listing for an episode titled "The Smiling Friends Go to Brazil!" appeared on Rotten Tomatoes on July 21, and was confirmed by Hadel and Cusack at Adult Swim's San Diego Comic-Con panel the next day. It aired on August 6, 2022. Lead-in promotion to the episode purposely suggested a more conventional vacation episode than what was actually presented, with a poster of the Smiling Friends relaxing on a Brazilian beach,[60] and a summary suggesting that the episode would be about the gang relaxing in a beautiful Brazilian beach town.[61]

During Adult Swim's panel at New York Comic Con in October 2023, it was confirmed that the second season would premiere in 2024, and would continue to explore a variety of animation styles, such as stylized 2D, 3D, stop motion, flash animation, rotoscoping, and live-action content.[62]

On June 13, 2024, at Annecy International Animation Film Festival, it was announced the series was renewed for three additional seasons.

The first two seasons were primarily animated by Studio Yotta and Princess Bento Studio, a joint venture between the Melbourne-based media company Princess Pictures and the American animation studio Bento Box Entertainment. The studio has additionally worked on Cusack's other animated series, such as season 2 of YOLO and the Hulu original series Koala Man. Since Cusack lives in Australia and Hadel lives in the United States, the show is produced remotely.[63] Starting with the release of season 3 in 2025, production was fully moved to Williams Street in-house, with additional animation services being handled by Saerom Animation in South Korea and Dinamita Animación in Colombia, alongside ZAM Studios: a new Los Angeles-based studio founded by Cusack, Hadel and Aron Fromm.[64]

Broadcast

[edit]

The pilot initially premiered on Adult Swim in the United States and Canada on April 1, 2020, during the network's April Fools premiere event.[65]

The series officially premiered on January 10, 2022, at 12:00 a.m. with the episodes "Mr. Frog" and "Shrimp's Odyssey". The rest of the series was then broadcast in an unannounced premiere marathon in its entirety starting from 12:30 a.m. followed by a repeat at 3:00 a.m. The episodes would re-air with two separate episodes airing in the intended premiere slots for the following 4 weeks afterwards, including another marathon on the night of February 13, most likely to pick up viewers tuning away from the end of Super Bowl LVI, as well as to promote the series' availability through HBO Max and the recent news of renewal for the series.[66]

In Canada, the series premiered simultaneously on Adult Swim with new episodes airing weekly. The series later premiered on E4 in the United Kingdom on January 21, 2022, and Adult Swim in France on January 24, 2022.[67][68]

The series was made available to stream on HBO Max in the United States and StackTV in Canada on February 9, 2022.[69][70]

The second season began with the season premiere airing on April Fools Day 2024 during the annual Adult Swim April Fools Day prank, with three episodes from season 1, remade with various types of puppetry by RocketSlide Films, shown prior. The remaining second season episodes were premiered beginning May 12.[12][13][71]

Home media release

[edit]

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released the first season on DVD and Blu-ray on August 29, 2023.[72]

Reception

[edit]

Lex Briscuso of New York Magazine praised the show's tone and animation style, particularly its use of "unnerving close-up cuts and creepy supporting character design".[73] Margaret Lyons of The New York Times praised the show's humor and compared it favorably to Aqua Teen Hunger Force.[74] Noah Dominguez of Comic Book Resources also made this comparison, and additionally praised the show as "unique" and commended its "bizarre humor" and "surrealist tone".[56]

In other media

[edit]

The show was parodied in the episode "Estranger Things" of The Simpsons in 2025. A parody of The Simpsons would later appear in the Smiling Friends episode "Squim Returns".[75]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
is an adult animated television series created by American animator Zach Hadel and Australian animator Michael Cusack, which follows the employees of a small organization dedicated to spreading happiness amid surreal and chaotic circumstances. The series centers on optimistic salesman Pim Pimling (voiced by Cusack) and his cynical coworker Charlie Dompler (voiced by Hadel), who tackle bizarre client requests ranging from rehabilitating a depressed toad to cheering up historical figures, often descending into grotesque and absurd scenarios. Premiering on Adult Swim on January 9, 2022, the show draws from the creators' backgrounds in online animation and internet culture, blending low-fi aesthetics, rapid-fire gags, and influences from 1990s sitcoms with elements of horror and meta-humor. As of October 2025, Smiling Friends has aired two seasons and premiered its third on October 5, earning praise for its unfiltered comedic style and cult following, evidenced by an 8.5 IMDb rating and renewals despite its niche appeal. The series has also featured guest voices from internet personalities and expanded through creator-led initiatives, including the launch of an independent animation studio in 2025.

Overview

Premise

Smiling Friends Inc. is portrayed as a small company whose primary objective is to bring happiness to its clients by inducing smiles, operating within a vividly surreal world populated by anthropomorphic creatures, humans, and bizarre phenomena. The organization's interventions often involve unconventional and escalating efforts to address clients' emotional distress, ranging from everyday dissatisfaction to profound existential woes, underscoring the inherent complexities of altering moods through deliberate positivity. The narrative revolves around protagonists Pim Pimling and Charlie Dompler, core employees whose interpersonal dynamic propels the series. Pim, voiced by creator Michael Cusack, embodies unbridled optimism laced with anxiety, zealously pursuing the company's mission despite mounting obstacles. In contrast, Charlie, voiced by co-creator Zach Hadel, adopts a cynical and apathetic stance, frequently questioning the viability of their tasks while reluctantly participating. This polarity—Pim's fervent idealism against Charlie's pragmatic skepticism—generates comedic tension and highlights the psychological friction in enforced cheerfulness. Episodes adopt an anthology-like structure, with each installment centering on a discrete client mission that spirals into absurdity, exposing the limits of superficial happiness initiatives amid underlying grim realities such as mental health struggles or societal dysfunction. These quests frequently devolve into chaotic encounters with the irrational, emphasizing how attempts to impose smiles can inadvertently amplify despair or reveal deeper causal failures in human (and non-human) behavior. The format critiques the notion of happiness as an achievable endpoint via external intervention, often culminating in partial successes tainted by irony or relapse.

Animation Style and Influences

Smiling Friends features a hybrid animation style that combines rudimentary 2D Flash animation with 3D CGI, stop-motion claymation, and live-action segments to produce a deliberately low-fidelity, chaotic aesthetic. This eclectic approach draws from the experimental techniques common in early internet animations, resulting in abrupt shifts between mediums that underscore the show's surreal humor. The visual design emphasizes sporadic, jerky character movements and exaggerated, uncanny facial reactions, evoking discomfort and absurdity through inconsistent frame rates and simplistic modeling. Creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel, both veterans of online animation, incorporate these elements to mimic the unpolished charm of 1990s-2000s web cartoons, prioritizing comedic impact over smooth production values. Influences stem primarily from the Newgrounds platform, where Hadel and Cusack honed their craft in short-form, user-generated content characterized by bold, irreverent visuals and multimedia experimentation. The series also nods to Adult Swim's lineage of boundary-pushing animation, while echoing the cutout style of shows like South Park that the creators admired during their formative years. This foundation allows Smiling Friends to maintain a raw, internet-era vibe distinct from polished contemporary cartoons.

Creators and Production

Development History

Smiling Friends was conceived by animators Zach Hadel, known professionally as Psychicpebbles for his viral online shorts on Newgrounds and YouTube, and Michael Cusack, whose independent works including parodies and series like YOLO: Crystal Fantasy had built a dedicated following in animation communities. The duo drew from their experiences in self-produced content to develop the concept of a surreal workplace comedy centered on a small business dedicated to spreading happiness. The pilot episode, "Desmond's Big Day Out," was greenlit prior to a full series commitment and premiered unannounced on Adult Swim on April 1, 2020, during the network's annual April Fools' Day lineup alongside Cusack's YOLO. Its absurd humor and distinctive low-fi aesthetic quickly gained traction online, amassing significant viewership and praise for blending the creators' signature chaotic styles. Capitalizing on the pilot's viral success, Adult Swim issued a full series order for Season 1 on May 19, 2021, leading to its premiere on January 9, 2022. The show's continued popularity prompted renewals, with Season 2 debuting on May 12, 2024, via a double-episode premiere. In June 2024, Adult Swim announced a third season, which premiered on October 5, 2025, alongside further commitments for Seasons 4 and 5 revealed in June 2025.

Production Process

Smiling Friends is an Australian-American co-production involving Princess Pictures, an Australian studio, through its joint venture Princess Bento Studio with Bento Box Entertainment. Key producers include Ollie Green and Laura DiMaio, who oversee aspects of the series' execution under Williams Street for Adult Swim. The production leverages a hybrid remote team split between Australia and the Americas/Europe to manage animation and post-production tasks. Co-creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel maintain extensive hands-on involvement, writing and directing every episode while voicing the main characters and much of the supporting cast. This small-team approach, though resource-constrained and requiring roughly a year per episode, fosters a distinctive output by prioritizing ideas that amuse the creators mutually over broader appeals. They employ primarily 2D animation via Adobe Animate, supplemented by Photoshop for backgrounds and occasional 3D elements, eschewing a uniform style in favor of varied techniques to enhance absurdity. Episodes are formatted at approximately 11 minutes to deliver concentrated humor without extraneous content, drawing inspiration from concise formats like early South Park while explicitly rejecting prolonged runs akin to that series or The Simpsons, as the creators aim to conclude before diminishing returns set in. Production emphasizes comedic purity, avoiding didactic tones or moralizing in favor of subversive, self-generated absurdities that may deliberately provoke audiences, with decisions filtered through the duo's preference for what they find inherently funny. This process accommodates diverse thematic explorations per season by treating episodes as varied "tracks" in an album-like structure, ensuring episodic independence amid tight constraints.

Characters and Casting

Main Characters

The primary characters in Smiling Friends are the core employees of Smiling Friends Inc., consisting of animated critters who handle client interactions aimed at inducing happiness. These include Mr. Boss, Pim Pimling, Charlie Dompler, Allan Red, and Glep, each contributing distinct traits to the company's dynamics. Mr. Boss, voiced by Marc M., functions as the erratic yet affable proprietor of Smiling Friends Inc., whose impulsive decisions and manic enthusiasm propel much of the series' operational mayhem, often satirizing unchecked entrepreneurial zeal. His interventions, such as abrupt policy shifts or hallucinatory episodes, underscore the fragility of corporate morale amid existential crises, without eclipsing the frontline staff's dilemmas. Pim Pimling, voiced by series co-creator Michael Cusack, serves as a key field operative depicted as an overly optimistic and energetic pink critter who persists in positive efforts despite frequent failures. His role emphasizes relentless cheerfulness in addressing clients' issues. Charlie Dompler, voiced by co-creator Zach Hadel, acts as Pim's counterpart, portrayed as a laid-back, cynical yellow critter with a rational yet pessimistic worldview expressed in a nasal monotone. This skepticism often contrasts Pim's enthusiasm, highlighting practical limitations in their missions. Allan Red, also voiced by Michael Cusack, is a tall red critter functioning in a supportive office capacity, noted for his calm and practical demeanor amid the company's chaos. His contributions involve handling internal tasks with minimal verbal input. Glep, voiced by Zach Hadel, appears as a small green critter engaged in behind-the-scenes work, characterized by quirky and enigmatic behaviors that add absurdity to group interactions. Glep's role remains largely non-interactive with clients, focusing on odd office duties. The series incorporates live-action human actors for certain clients and scenarios, blending with the animated mains to depict real-world encounters, though the critters remain the central focus of the employee roster.

Supporting and Guest Roles

Recurring peripheral figures, including Jason (a dim-witted intern) and various clients manifesting extreme neuroses—like the despondent Smormu James Carter—serve to escalate per-episode pandemonium, embodying caricatures of modern alienation and therapeutic dependency that the protagonists must navigate. These roles, typically voiced by core cast members like Joshua Tomar in utility parts (e.g., police officers or bystanders), reinforce the show's critique of superficial interventions in deep-seated human dysfunction. Guest appearances inject fresh absurdities, with talents like Finn Wolfhard providing voices for ephemeral entities such as squatters and the parasitic Bliblies in season 1, heightening the grotesque humor tied to urban decay and biological horror without altering the central ensemble dynamic. In the season 3 opener "Silly Samuel" (aired October 5, 2025), comedian Conner O'Malley portrays the titular vagrant critter—a once-jovial figure now embittered by public derision—whose plight parodies quests for self-reinvention in a mocking society, amplifying thematic irony through O'Malley's deadpan delivery. Such one-off contributors, drawn from comedy circuits and animation alumni, sustain the series' chaotic vitality by embodying transient societal grotesqueries that test the organization's limits.

Episodes

Series Overview

consists of short, episodic installments, with each season featuring eight episodes of approximately 11 minutes in runtime. The series airs weekly on Sunday nights at 11:30 p.m. ET on Adult Swim, the nighttime programming block of Cartoon Network. Episodes become available for streaming on Max the following day. The program originated with a pilot episode, "Desmond's Big Day Out," which stealth-premiered on Adult Swim on April 1, 2020. This led to a full series order, with the first season debuting on January 10, 2022. As of October 2025, three seasons have aired, totaling 24 episodes excluding the pilot, which is often included in Season 1 listings. From its pilot origins, the production has progressed to multi-season commitments, including renewals extending through at least Season 5, with noticeable enhancements in animation consistency and detail across installments while preserving the core format of standalone, surreal comedic vignettes.

Season 1 (2022)

The first season of Smiling Friends comprises the pilot episode originally broadcast on April 1, 2020, and seven additional episodes that aired in a marathon block on January 9, 2022, on Adult Swim. This season introduces the series' foundational format, where optimistic employee Pim Pimling and cynical co-worker Charlie Dompler tackle client requests to induce happiness, frequently encountering escalating absurdities that underscore the tension between naive positivity and harsh reality. Episodes feature grotesque animation, rapid-fire non-sequiturs, and plots involving existential despair, such as rehabilitating depressed celebrities or navigating otherworldly perils, thereby establishing the show's surreal comedic baseline. The pilot, "Desmond's Big Day Out," depicts Pim and Charlie attempting to cheer up a reclusive, nihilistic adult named Desmond at his mother's behest, only for their interventions to devolve into chaos amid his unyielding apathy. Subsequent episodes expand this dynamic: in "Mr. Frog," the pair rehabilitates a scandal-plagued amphibian entertainer spiraling into substance abuse and despondency. "Shrimp's Odyssey" follows Charlie's entanglement with a deceptive, anthropomorphic shrimp promising fortune, leading to a perilous underwater quest that tests his skepticism.
EpisodeTitleOriginal air dateBrief synopsis
1Desmond's Big Day OutApril 1, 2020Pim and Charlie strive to make a deeply unhappy young man smile, confronting his profound detachment from joy.
2Mr. FrogJanuary 9, 2022The duo aids celebrity frog Mr. Frog in overcoming depression following a public scandal.
3Shrimp's OdysseyJanuary 9, 2022Charlie pursues riches via a magical shrimp's guidance, resulting in bizarre oceanic hazards.
4A Silly Halloween SpecialJanuary 9, 2022Pim hosts a chaotic Halloween event that spirals into supernatural mayhem for the Smiling Friends team.
5Who Violently Murdered Simon S. Salty?January 9, 2022The agency investigates the apparent murder of a salty snack mascot, uncovering absurd conspiracies.
6Enchanted ForestJanuary 9, 2022Pim and Charlie venture into a malevolent fairy-tale woodland to rescue a client from mythical threats.
7Frowning FriendsJanuary 9, 2022Efforts to uplift a gloomy politician before an election highlight the limits of forced cheer amid political cynicism.
8Charlie Dies and Doesn't Come BackJanuary 9, 2022Charlie's death prompts a surreal afterlife odyssey, forcing reflection on mortality and the company's futile optimism.
An 11-minute special, "The Smiling Friends Go to Brazil," aired alongside the marathon, depicting the team's disastrous vacation turning into a survival ordeal against local perils. These installments collectively debut the optimism-versus-reality motif, as Pim's idealism repeatedly collides with intractable client woes and Charlie's grounded reluctance, often yielding pyrrhic or catastrophic outcomes.

Season 2 (2024)

Season 2 of Smiling Friends premiered on April 1, 2024, on Adult Swim, comprising eight episodes that aired primarily on Sundays through June 24, 2024. The season escalates the series' signature absurdity with meta-references, such as parodies of video game remasters and corporate satire, while introducing experimental animation techniques and numerous cameos from online creators. Deeper character explorations emerge, including Mr. Boss's romantic pursuits and Pim's transformative mishaps, alongside philosophical undertones amid the chaos.
No.TitleOriginal air datePlot summary
1Gwimbly: Definitive Remastered Enhanced Extended Edition DX 4k (Anniversary Director's Cut)April 1, 2024Pim and Allan assist the character Gwimbly in developing a new video game, while Charlie navigates conflicts with a client resembling a political figure.
2Mr. PresidentMay 12, 2024Mr. Boss and Pim enter a bizarre realm called Spamtopia to survive, as Charlie addresses a grave issue with Allan.
3A Allan AdventureMay 20, 2024The team aids a repulsive individual found on the street, but Allan resorts to extreme measures.
4Erm, the Boss Finds Love?May 27, 2024Mr. Boss pursues romance, leading to chaotic developments within the company.
5Brother's EggJune 3, 2024Conflicts arise involving familial and supernatural elements tied to the characters' personal lives.
6Charlie, Pim, and Bill vs. the AlienJune 10, 2024Charlie, Pim, and Bill confront extraterrestrial threats in a high-stakes encounter.
7The Magical Red Jewel AKA Tyler Gets FiredJune 17, 2024A mystical artifact causes turmoil, culminating in staff changes at Smiling Friends Inc.
8Pim Finally Turns GreenJune 24, 2024After consuming an ancient artifact, Pim undergoes a startling physical change, alarming his colleagues and adversaries.
The episodes incorporate refined animation, blending traditional 2D with varied stylistic shifts for emphasis on surreal sequences, enhancing the show's comedic impact. Guest integrations feature voice cameos from figures like those from Red Letter Media, adding layers of internet culture satire without overshadowing core narratives.

Season 3 (2025)

The third season of Smiling Friends premiered on Adult Swim on October 5, 2025, continuing the series' pattern of short, absurd animated episodes centered on the employees' efforts to induce happiness in clients. The season opener, "Silly Samuel," features Pim and Charlie tasked with assisting a 3D-animated character named Silly Samuel, a homeless critter distressed by his perpetual ridiculous appearance and inability to be taken seriously, leading to a client intervention that escalates into typical chaotic antics involving the Smiling Friends team. This episode maintains the show's blend of low-stakes missions and surreal humor, with Samuel's plight highlighting themes of self-perception amid external ridicule. Subsequent episodes aired weekly on Sundays. The full episode list includes:
No.TitleAir datePlot
1"Silly Samuel"October 5, 2025Pim and Charlie assist a ridiculed 3D character distressed by his appearance, escalating into team chaos.
2"Le Voyage Incroyable De Monsieur Grenouille"October 12, 2025Features Mr. Frog's return on an existential journey involving life-changing and brain-rewiring elements.
3"Mole Man"October 19, 2025The team encounters Mole Man in underground scenarios, leading to absurd confrontations and directorial antics.
4"Curse of the Green Halloween Witch"October 26, 2025A witch curses the Smiling Friends office on Halloween, prompting quirky responses from the characters.
5"Pim and Charlie Save Mother Nature"November 2, 2025Pim and Charlie attempt to rescue environmental causes in line with the show's humorous client interventions.
6"Squim Returns"November 9, 2025Revisits the character Squim in continued absurd missions.
7"Shmaloogles"November 16, 2025Explores themed client absurdity preserving core character dynamics.
8"The Glep Ep"November 30, 2025Focuses on Glep's involvement in escalating scenarios (upcoming).
with additional episodes completing the season. These installments preserve the core formula of client-focused absurdity, including multilingual elements in the French-titled second episode and underground-dwelling character dynamics in the third, without deviating from the established character interactions among Pim, Charlie, Allan, Glep, and supporting figures. The season emphasizes recurring elements like Allan's bureaucratic mishaps and Glep's peripheral involvement in escalating scenarios.

Themes and Satire

Core Themes

The central motif in Smiling Friends revolves around the fundamental tension between enforced optimism and the persistent undercurrents of human despair, portraying happiness as a superficial intervention that frequently fails to address deeper psychological and existential realities. This dynamic is illustrated through the protagonists' endeavors at Smiling Friends Inc., a organization dedicated to inducing smiles in clients, which repeatedly encounters resistance from innate cynicism or unresolved trauma, underscoring that coerced positivity can amplify underlying distress rather than resolve it. Empirical observations in psychology support this portrayal, as studies indicate that suppressing negative emotions—often promoted in positivity-focused interventions—correlates with increased anxiety and emotional dysregulation over time, rather than sustainable well-being. A recurring theme critiques the illusion of manufacturable joy, positing that authentic contentment emerges sporadically from realistic confrontation with life's absurdities, not from relentless cheer imposition. Characters embodying unyielding nihilism, such as those rejecting perpetual upliftment, challenge the notion of eternal happiness devoid of illusions, aligning with existentialist perspectives that emphasize individual agency in deriving meaning amid inherent meaninglessness. Creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel have described their narrative approach as subverting simplistic upliftment narratives, focusing on scenarios where forced happiness unravels into chaos, thereby highlighting causal pathways from over-optimism to psychological breakdown. The series further embeds undiluted realism by depicting happiness as inherently transient and context-dependent, debunking therapeutic paradigms that overpromise universal emotional engineering. This motif draws from first-hand observations of real-world "positivity cults," where dogmatic optimism ignores causal factors like chronic stress or genetic predispositions to dysphoria, leading to disillusionment when interventions falter. In contrast to sources promoting unexamined feel-good ideologies—often amplified in self-help industries with questionable empirical backing—the show's framework privileges causal realism, asserting that enduring fulfillment necessitates acknowledging despair's legitimacy rather than its eradication.

Social and Philosophical Commentary

The series philosophically juxtaposes unbridled optimism against cynicism and nihilism, portraying the latter as a seductive but ultimately destructive force. In episodes featuring the Frowning Friends, a rival organization promoting despair as authentic realism, characters who adopt this worldview devolve into apathy and violence, contrasting sharply with the Smiling Friends' persistent, if naive, pursuit of joy. This dynamic echoes absurdism, as seen in the pilot where a suicidal client confronts life's meaninglessness at an amusement park, yet finds purpose through personal agency rather than imposed happiness. Social commentary targets the inadequacies of simplistic interventions for complex human suffering, often depicting happiness initiatives as band-aids over root causes like untreated trauma or societal dysfunction. Absurdist scenarios, such as escorting a profoundly depressed individual to roller coasters or forcing positivity on addicts, underscore how such approaches exacerbate problems rather than resolve them, prioritizing causal mechanisms over feel-good facades. The show's unvarnished portrayal of mental health crises, including sincere engagements with suicide ideation, rejects performative empathy in favor of acknowledging harsh empirical realities—clients occasionally succeed by confronting absurd truths directly, not through coddling. Episodes lampoon internet and entertainment culture's descent into toxicity and commodification, evoking early web's chaotic creativity through low-fi animation and niche meme references while skewering modern excesses like endless remasters and corporate exploitation. The "Gwimbly" installment, for instance, follows efforts to revive a derelict game character via a bloated "Definitive Remastered" sequel, highlighting how nostalgia-driven industries prey on vulnerability amid homelessness and irrelevance. Though creators disclaim pointed satire, these narratives implicitly critique performative social efforts—such as charity optics over substantive aid—as hypocritical when divorced from first-principles outcomes, favoring raw, unfiltered depictions that expose contradictions in progressive-style interventions without deference to sensitivity norms.

Reception and Legacy

Critical Reception

Smiling Friends has received widespread critical acclaim for its surreal humor and rapid-fire absurdity. On Rotten Tomatoes, Season 1 holds a 95% approval rating from 71 critics, while Season 2 scores 93% from 16 reviews. The series averages an 8.5/10 rating on IMDb based on over 23,000 user votes, reflecting strong aggregate approval. Critics have praised the show's unpredictable rhythm and blend of animation styles, likening it to a "deranged blast" that feels like a continuous highlight reel due to its fast, feral pacing. Reviewers highlight its heartwarming absurdism and sharp commentary on modern life, positioning it as a "balm" for viewers amid existential themes, with short episodes packing dense comedy. Some reviews critique the show's reliance on graphic violence and dark subjects like suicide and existential dread, rating it lower for mature audiences; Common Sense Media awarded it 3 out of 5 stars, noting its edginess may overwhelm despite the humor. The series' critical success is evidenced by its renewal for a third season, which premiered on October 5, 2025, as well as fourth and fifth seasons, signaling sustained professional and network confidence in its innovative approach.

Audience Response

Smiling Friends has cultivated a dedicated online fandom, building on the creators' prior YouTube animations that amassed millions of views and established a niche following for their absurd, low-fi style. The official subreddit, r/SmilingFriends, has grown to over 144,000 subscribers, where fans share memes, episode breakdowns, and fan art, reflecting grassroots enthusiasm from internet culture. Trailers released on YouTube, such as the Season 3 preview, quickly garnered 1.2 million views shortly after upload on September 4, 2025, amplifying viral spread through shares and reactions on social platforms. Audience metrics highlight robust viewer support, with the series earning an 8.5/10 rating on IMDb from more than 24,000 user votes as of late 2025. This engagement translated to swift renewals by Adult Swim, including a two-season pickup for Seasons 4 and 5 announced on June 11, 2025, just after Season 3's preview, signaling sustained viewership amid competitive cable scheduling. Fandom dynamics feature polarized yet passionate discourse, with many praising the show's embrace of unfiltered, politically incorrect humor as a refreshing antidote to sanitized comedy, while others critique episodic inconsistencies as lapses in writing cohesion. These debates thrive in comment sections and forums, underscoring the series' appeal to audiences valuing raw, irreverent entertainment over polished narratives, though such divisions have not diminished its organic momentum.

Controversies and Backlash

In June 2024, co-creator Zach Hadel faced online backlash over past comments interpreted as endorsing racist theories, such as the Great Replacement, as discussed in Reddit threads analyzing his earlier internet activity. Similar accusations surfaced on forums like ResetEra, labeling his historical takes as racist and prompting calls for accountability amid the show's rising profile. Hadel's prior associations with Shadman, an artist infamous for explicit and underage-themed artwork from the Newgrounds era, further fueled scrutiny, though participants in related discussions noted that professional ties ended years ago following Shadman's shift to more controversial content. These personal controversies nearly derailed Season 3, with reports indicating production tweaks to sidestep escalated fallout as the episodes neared release in October 2025. Despite the scrutiny, Adult Swim proceeded with the premiere, renewing the series for Seasons 4 and 5 in June 2025, demonstrating institutional tolerance for creator autonomy over purity tests. No formal cancellations or network interventions occurred, contrasting with precedents in adult animation where similar creator histories have led to abrupt halts. Hadel and co-creator Michael Cusack have embraced deliberate fan frustration as a creative choice, stating in an October 2025 Variety interview that they prioritize "whatever we find funny" and occasionally aim to "piss the fans off in a fun way," even envisioning the series concluding amid audience disdain rather than universal acclaim. This approach underscores a resistance to external pressures, aligning with the show's unfiltered humor. Reddit communities have hosted debates framing elements of the series as veiled critiques of progressive ideologies, with users analyzing episodes for anti-woke undertones despite creators' denials of intentional satire. Such discussions often compare the duo's reception favorably to Vivziepop, creator of Hazbin Hotel, citing Hadel and Cusack's avoidance of combative responses to criticism as key to sustaining fan loyalty without alienating broader audiences. These exchanges highlight polarized online discourse but have not translated to organized boycotts or measurable viewership dips.

Cultural Impact

Smiling Friends has contributed to the resurgence of early-to-mid-2000s internet animation styles in mainstream television, employing Adobe Animate (successor to Flash) for its lo-res, eclectic visuals reminiscent of Newgrounds submissions and viral shock content like Meatspin. The series references an era of amateur, unpolished cartoons—such as bopping badger animations—and chaotic web humor, blending 2D, 3D, and guest contributions from Flash pioneers like David Firth to recreate that raw aesthetic. This approach fosters nostalgia for a less corporatized internet, where content thrived on absurdity and minimal barriers to entry, standing in opposition to today's algorithm-driven, polished digital landscape. By elevating creators Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack from online niches to Adult Swim production, the show exemplifies how web-born absurdity can integrate into broadcast slates, bolstering the network's reputation for edgier, experimental fare that mixes animation techniques across episodes. The program's deliberate short-season structure—episodes clocking in at 11 minutes, with plans for only seasons 4 and 5 before a potential concluding film—rejects indefinite serialization seen in shows like The Simpsons, prioritizing creative endpoint over longevity to preserve intensity. Co-creator Michael Cusack has explicitly dismissed emulating endless runs, stating it could "naturally wrap-up" thereafter, a stance that underscores a legacy of finite storytelling amid animation's trend toward expansion. Through its cynical lens on happiness peddling—depicting futile positivity efforts amid dystopian whimsy—the series indirectly critiques overreliance on therapeutic jargon and self-help mandates, grounding viewers in unvarnished human folly rather than idealized emotional engineering. This has sparked online discourse and memes parodying its themes, amplifying ripples from internet origins to broader cultural commentary on mental wellness fads.

References

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