Photo courtesy of Adult Swim
The post credit scene to Episode 3 featuring Smiling Friends employees Alan, Glep, Pim and Charlie watching their boss dance uncontrollably after a day of work.
Adult Swim’s animated television series “Smiling Friends” aired its third season, promising new whimsical and absurd adventures.
The show’s previous two seasons have been critically acclaimed for their writing, jokes and animation styles. Season 3 delivers the same quality and content from previous seasons with new characters and adventures.
Main characters Charlie and Pim are two critters who work for the Smiling Friends company dedicated to making people happy.
Animation styles vary for each character while the show’s background remains two-dimensional. For example, Silly Samuel, a character focused on in the first episode, looks like he came out of a circus fun house. One arm was a gooey, stretchy hand toy, and the other a spring with a crab claw attached.
This character felt incredibly mean-spirited and never really had a lot of funny moments as if the episode was relying on his appearance alone to carry the comedy. He touches on the theme of how society is quick to judge others based on appearances alone. Highlighted by his rage against the world around him, others never take him seriously due to his physical appearance.
The humor is still effective even though it can be very fast paced. Certain slapstick jokes will often happen quickly and randomly in their delivery. One of my favorite gags was in Episode 3 when a random character got taken by a giant bird while casually walking down the street.
Episode 2 sees the return of Mr. Frog, a character who went from being a famous actor the Smiling Friends helped out in Season 1, to being an opposition to Pim and Charlie in Season 2. In Season 3, Mr. Frog had retired as president of the United States and is now dissatisfied with life, causing Pim and Charlie to want to make him smile again.
This episode sees Mr. Frog uncharacteristically depressed and no longer being a fast-moving individual often engaging in violence. Unlike the first two seasons when he commits random acts of violence for the sake of his own satisfaction, Mr. Frog now doesn’t take any pleasure in violence.
While the usual absurd slapstick humor is present, the story has a more emotional tone and tackles the theme of the emptiness someone feels after finally achieving everything and having no more challenges to overcome. It does it effectively as the tone is dictated by Mr. Frog’s mood. He remains sad despite the wacky and whimsical visuals around him.
Episode 3 sees Pim and Charlie being forced to help out a client. They are kidnapped by Mole Man, a humanoid mole creature who is very insecure about his genitalia.
The episode explores more adult and sexual humor but doesn’t make it the whole basis for the episode’s comedy. It also commented on obsessive fandom as Mole Man has an unhealthy obsession with Pim and Charlie, even trying to force them to act as if he is a friend and demanding approval from Pim and Charlie. When Pim and Charlie show hesitation or even the slightest disapproval, Mole Man’s mannerisms become hostile as he feels betrayed by his idols.
Smiling Friends Season 3 retains its humor and art direction while trying to bring some new elements to the show, such as an emotional focus on characters and leaning into more adult-oriented humor. It manages to keep its core foundation while experimenting with new animation techniques, story elements and comedy.