Adult animated television is undergoing an unusual transition. After the controversy Justin Roiland leaving Rick & Morty and the gradual fatigue of its formula, Adult Swim it needed a new flag to keep its reputation for irreverence and innovation alive. That function is fulfilled Smiling Friendswhich has just premiered its third season with an overwhelming reception and a legion of followers who grows every week.
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The program, created by Australian animators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadelfollow the misadventures of Pim y Charlietwo employees of a company dedicated to “making people smile.” But under that premise lies a brutal satire on happiness, despair and contemporary alienation.
His universe combines the digital and the grotesque, cchildlike cartoons with visual horrors, different and innovative animation styles, absurd voices and uncomfortable silences that border on the philosophical.
The new season, premiered on October 5 on Adult Swim and available the next day on HBO Max, maintains the chaotic spirit that made it a cult phenomenon.
Its first episodes recover classic figures like Mr. Frog and present new situations where the existential and the banal mix without logical explanation. In addition, the series has stellar guests, like actor Creed Bratton, star of The Office, or Canadian YouTuber Joel Haver.
The reason for the success of Smiling Friends
More than a sequel, this third installment seems like an expansion of its universe. The animation is more ambitious and meta nods abound, from criticism of streaming culture to references to the rise of the series itself. Cusack and Hadel refine their style: a balance between improvisation and structurewithout losing the chaos that defines its identity.
Although Smiling Friends avoids direct comparisonsits success coincides with the loss of momentum of Rick & Morty. Both series share an audience that seeks intelligence disguised as absurdity, but while Dan Harmon’s creation opted for nihilism, this one feels more emotional and human in its weirdness. Instead of constant mockery, it offers a strange, almost melancholic tenderness in the midst of aesthetic rot.
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In an era where comedy seems to repeat itself and formats look for safe formulas, Smiling Friends shows that You can still innovate without losing identity.
Her success lies neither in scandal nor in cynicism, but in her ability to laugh at emptiness, without becoming empty. It is the reminder that animation for adults is one of the most free and creative spaces of today’s entertainment industry.