In the more than two decades since its launch in 2001, Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim has introduced the world to plenty of iconic shows. From early classics like Home Movies and Space Ghost Coast To Coast to more recent hits such as Rick and Morty and Primal, the late-night programming block has consistently delivered a solid lineup of entertainment for viewers. Another modern Adult Swim classic just wrapped its three-season run over the weekend, and the final two episodes are now streaming on HBO Max.
Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack’s Smiling Friends is officially over. The series aired its final two episodes, “Friend Bot” and “Charlie’s Uncle Dies and Doesn’t Come Back,” on Adult Swim on April 12th, with both episodes arriving on HBO Max on April 13th. This means that fans can now revisit all 27 episodes of the adult animated sitcom on the streamer. The series, which launched in 2020, follows the employees of a small company dedicated to making people happy. It largely centers around cynical Charlie and optimistic Pim as they navigate absurd and often bizarre challenges to make customers smile.
Smiling Friends is a younger title in Adult Swim’s catalog of content, but it’s already earned a spot as one of the block’s best modern shows. The series, which holds an average 93% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes across its three seasons, is like an insane fever dream that blends chaotic, off-the-wall scenarios with unexpectedly heartfelt moments and sharp critiques of modern life. The series also delivers rapid-fire gags and brilliant absurd humor, and it’s earned plenty of praise for its unique mixed-media animation style that blends traditional animation, CG, stop-motion, and live-action to create a distinct visual spectacle.
Unfortunately for fans, Smiling Friends is a pretty short-lived show. Cusack and Hadel announced back in February that the series would be ending with Season 3. The decision, they said, was their own and came down to them not wanting to overstay their welcome and feeling that it “got to a point where we just felt like that’s a good spot to end it.” The final season has continued the show’s high success, earning a 91% Popcornmeter score, with the series finale delivering a characteristically surreal, meta, and emotionally resonant ending that wraps the show on a high note.
April is a great month for HBO Max. Throughout the month, the streamer has grown its content catalog with the arrival of titles like nearly the complete Alien franchise, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Practical Magic, The Devil Wears Prada, The Mummy movies, Twister, and the fifth and final season of Hacks. Even more exciting additions are set to arrive throughout the month, including Dust Bunny on April 17th and A24’s Marty Supreme on April 24th.
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