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Posted in: Adult Swim, TV | Tagged: smiling friends
Smiling Friends: Charlie & Pim's Good Deed Definitely Gets Punished
In Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel's latest Smiling Friends short, Charlie and Pim's satisfaction over a job well done does NOT last long.
Article Summary
- Smiling Friends returns with a new short where Charlie and Pim's job well done isn't exactly appreciated.
- The latest "Smiling Shorts" follows their attempt to help a client—who may have sinister reasons to grin.
- Cusack and Hadel confirm Smiling Friends will keep its irreverent comedic tone and avoid going serious.
- The creators promise no serialization, comparing the show to "popcorn" TV for maximum escapist fun.
After making some serious impacts on the Annecy International Animation Festival and San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) this summer, series creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel are offering fans a little Smiling Friends goodness to tide them over until the hit Adult Swim series returns later this year. In the second "Smiling Shorts," it's another job well done for Charlie and Pim, and Roy Dismey (Hmmm…) really appreciates them helping him get his smile back. But as you're about to see, there might be another reason why Roy's smiling…
Here's a look at the latest "Smiling Shorts," followed by a look back at the first episode and more:
In the first "Smiling Shorts" from earlier this summer, Charlie tries his best not to hurt Pim's feelings over Pim's irreversible surgery. Does it go well? No. No, it does not…
Smiling Friends Creators Want Series to Have "Always Sunny" Vibes
During Adult Swim's presentation at the 2024 Annecy International Animation Festival, Hadel and Cusack addressed whether viewers should expect the series to take on darker and/or more serious themes during future seasons – similar to what we've seen from other animated series that have those "special" episodes.
"A lot of comedy shows, like you say, tend to get serious," Hadel shared in response to a question from an attendee. "I don't think Charlie and Pim could cry, and anybody would care. It would just be annoying. So it would probably end before it gets to that point." Hadel continued, "This show is hopefully kind of an escape. We always think about when we worked minimum-wage jobs; we would get home and just want to watch YouTube cartoons and South Park and [It's] Always Sunny [in Philadelphia]. There's something nice about being a little comedy thing, and that's it."
And there it is! Are we surprised? No – but being a diehard fan of FXX's Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson & Danny DeVito-starring It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, I know that we don't always tend to go public a lot with our love for the greatest sitcom to ever grace a television screen. So when one of us does, it's nice to see – and when it's two talented folks like Cusack and Hadel, even more so.
"Something like 'South Park,' when I saw that episode when Stan gets depressed, I loved that because Trey [Parker] and Matt [Stone] are so great at that when they get serious. I just think we like keeping a continuous tone with 'Smiling Friends,' where you can tune in in any season. You don't really know where you are," Cusack added. And for those of you wondering when the season-long serialized storylines are going to kick in, Hadel makes it clear that fans shouldn't be holding their collective breath for them anytime soon. "I don't think we'll ever do serialization. It's supposed to just be popcorn. It's McDonald's of TV,' Hadel explained.
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