Two cartoon characters stand in the woods while one whops with his shirt off in "Smiling Friends"
(Adult Swim)

One of the Best New Adult Animated Comedies Is Getting a Third Season

Get ready to smile again. The black clouds of depression are lifting. The world is looking bright. Smiling Friends is returning for a third season. Humans and critters, rejoice as one!

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Wait, you are watching Smiling Friends, right?

Smiling Friends is an animated comedy series created by Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack. It’s about a rag-tag company—a start-up, if you will—composed of four employees dedicated to making people smile! And when I say “people” I mean both humans and a species of weird little guys called critters. Critters come in all shapes and sizes. What do they look like? Not people. Not the anthropomorphic animals walking around either. Certainly not the hideous demons that worm their way into the plot lines from time to time. Critters are like art. Or internet porn. You know them when you see them.

The series centers around two particular critters, the optimistic Pim and the cynical Charlie, who go on all sorts of joy-spreading adventures. Why, in just the first episode, Pim and Charlie attempt to make a very sad man smile. How do they know he’s sad? Because he’s got a gun … pointed at his head … at all times … oh no. But they’re gonna take him to an amusement park and make him feel better! I hope.

When does Season 3 release?

We don’t know. Adult Swim just made the announcement at its Defying Expectations Panel at Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Why look this gift horse in the mouth, huh? Why don’t we all just smile at the fact that Smiling Friends is getting a third season at all?! That’s what Pim and Charlie would want, right? For us to not worry about the future and think only about having a good time in the present moment.

Who’s who in the cast?

Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack, that’s who. They voice literally everyone. Zach Handel is Charlie. Michael Cusack is Pim. The pair also provide the voices for skeleton pirates, frog superstars, various demons, imps, witches, fairies, pretty much every single one-off and side character in existence. Oh, and Ronald Reagan. Zach Handel voices Ronald Reagan too. The series has also had more than a few guest stars, including Finn Wolfhard appearing as a squatter and Gilbert Gottfried as the voice of God. Because who else but Gilbert Gottfried could play the role?

Is there a trailer?

Not yet. After all, the second season is still airing new episodes. It’ll likely come in the future. But we gotta stay in the present moment, gang. That’s what happiness is all about.


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Sarah Fimm
Sarah Fimm (they/them) is actually nine choirs of biblically accurate angels crammed into one pair of $10 overalls. They have been writing articles for nerds on the internet for less than a year now. They really like anime. Like... REALLY like it. Like you know those annoying little kids that will only eat hotdogs and chicken fingers? They're like that... but with anime. It's starting to get sad.