Adult Swim hit will wrap after Season 3 as creators admit burnout but leave door open for future return
Fans of Smiling Friends are getting bittersweet news: the cult-favorite animated comedy is coming to an end — at least for now.
The team behind the Adult Swim series confirmed that the show will conclude after its upcoming third season.
In a candid video shared by Adult Swim, co-creators and stars Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel spoke directly to viewers about their decision.
Hadel didn’t soften the message. “This is not a bit, this is not a joke,” he said plainly. After years of writing, voicing and producing the offbeat comedy, the pair explained they’re simply feeling worn out.
Cusack said that once they wrapped Season 3, they both felt the same way: proud, but exhausted. “We felt pretty burnt out after putting years and years into this, but also pretty accomplished,” he shared.
For them, it seemed like a natural stopping point.
From the beginning, the creators said their goal was to give the show their full energy and then step away before that spark faded. Hadel explained they’d rather leave audiences wanting more than risk fans wondering why the show was still on the air.
“We wouldn’t want to be doing more seasons half-hearted,” he added, making it clear they didn’t want to deliver anything that felt forced.
Importantly, Cusack emphasized that the choice to end the series was theirs — not the network’s. According to him, Adult Swim was fully supportive.
When they shared their feelings, the network encouraged them to take a break and even left the door open for a possible return someday.
That means while Season 3 marks the end for now, it may not be forever.
There’s still more to come before the curtain falls. Two previously unreleased Season 3 episodes are set to air April 12 on Adult Swim. Hadel clarified that they aren’t finales, but rather standalone episodes that didn’t fit into the earlier rollout.
In closing, Cusack admitted the announcement was hard to make. He thanked fans for their support and called the experience “the ride of a lifetime.”
For viewers, the goodbye may sting — but the creators hope the decision reflects the care they’ve always put into the show.
