At this point, “Smiling Friends” needs no introduction. Birthed from the unhinged minds of Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack, its characters, visual style and humor have had a massive impact on internet culture since its pilot released in 2020, with its fusion of nonsensical and stupid bits with realistic, everyday situations making it instantly stand out. Each episode of “Smiling Friends” becomes instantly iconic, spawning countless memes and quotes. But not all episodes are created equal. I have had countless debates on this matter with other “Smiling Friends” fans, so today I would like to settle this, once and for all. Here is part one of my review of every “Smiling Friends” episode that has come out over the show’s three-season run.
“Desmond’s Big Day Out”: “Smiling Friends” started out with a bang. This episode flawlessly introduces us to the five main characters—Charlie, Pim, Allan, Glep and Mr. Boss—and establishes the premise of the show and how the Smiling Friends work. The client, Desmond, is not especially interesting (even if the comically oversized gun constantly held to his own head is morbidly hilarious), but he provides the perfect backdrop to Charlie and Pim’s personalities clashing over how to help him. Alan and Glep, meanwhile, get crucified by a whole bunch of screaming little gremlin creatures, creating a stupid yet hilarious B-plot that sets the stage for similar nonsense later in the show. All in all, this is a solid first episode, even if the best is yet to come. 8/10.
“Mr. Frog”: In just the second episode, “Smiling Friends” introduces another standout character. The titular green man is famous for only saying the line “Hello, I’m Mr. Frog. I eat the bug. This is the end. Goodbye.” He is violent, gruesome and unhinged in the funniest possible way, and that, plus his adorable, dopey design creates a strangely endearing character in spite of it all. So what if he said [REDACTED] on Jimmy Fallon? Charlie and Pim’s struggles to rehabilitate him, and his network’s attempts to replace him, are also brilliant commentary on cancel culture and the state of modern-day Hollywood. Yes, Mr. Frog’s antics are insanely exaggerated and homicidal, but who doesn’t know a celebrity who acts in the same way? 8/10.
“Shrimp’s Odyssey”: On second watch, the main plot of this episode—Charlie and Pim attempting to help a shrimp-like nerd reconcile with his girlfriend—seems uninteresting. However, the “Smormu” bit is absolutely hilarious and is what carries the entire episode. Having a fake viewer poll on a “5th Smiling Friend” at the start of the episode, said “5th Smiling Friend” being voted in via the United States electoral college system, popping onscreen and dancing for five seconds, and finally revealed to have been beaten to death in the end credits, is the peak of comedy. I don’t care if anyone says otherwise. Rest in power, Smormu James Carter. We will always remember your “I’M WITH HER” T-shirt and your iconic little dance. 7/10.
“A Silly Halloween Special”: This is the first episode to demonstrate a celebrated “Smiling Friends” feature – the use of various animation techniques. In this case, claymation is used to bring to life the horrifying forest demon that torments Pim in the wilderness. The plot is incredibly barebones, mostly involving Pim running from the demon, and yet, the animation style makes it feel much more intense than it should be. However, the true highlight of the episode is the demon getting mistaken for someone in blackface and therefore meeting a grisly end. A juxtaposition of the unknown horrors of old with modern-day sensitivities that is as jarring as it is funny. 9/10.
“Who Violently Murdered Simon S. Salty?”: Pim and Charlie enter a crappy fast-food restaurant run by the deranged Simon S. Salty (portrayed in live-action by Perry Caravello), only to find him dead. Throughout the episode, they must interrogate Salty’s mascots, which are sentient, bizarre condiment-alien thingies, to find the killer. The mascots are the highlight of the episode, as each has their own memorable design and neuroses, creating a diverse range of characters for Pim and Charlie to bounce off of. Overall, this episode is a great example of how “Smiling Friends” can fit so much in its 11-minute runtime (did I mention that every episode is around 11 minutes long?) 9/10.
“Enchanted Forest”: As you might expect from an episode titled “Enchanted Forest,” the magical realm that Pim and Charlie enter is beautifully animated. The story, too, is masterful. It’s meant to be a parody of fantasy media, especially with the character of Mip, a clear pastiche of the 1977 animated adaptation of “The Hobbit;” but it’s also the deepest examination of Charlie and Pim’s characters so far. On their quests through the Forest, each goes through their own character arc, leading to surprisingly emotional conflict, tragedy, and reconciliation. Then, when they reach the end of the quest, everything immediately breaks down in the dumbest way possible. Why? Because this is “Smiling Friends” after all. 9/10.“Frowning Friends”: What if the Smiling Friends were fucked up and evil? What if they worked out of a giant blue frowny face instead of a giant yellow smiley face? These are questions that the mainstream media is too afraid to ask. But not “Frowning Friends.” Besides the competition between the Smiling Friends and their doppelgangers, and Mr. Boss’ alarming descent into insanity, this episode also introduces such beloved side characters such as DJ Spit and 3D Squelton, considered fan-favorites to this day. Ultimately, though, this episode is a subtle diss at the cynics and doomers, a refreshing attitude compared to the Adult Swim shows that came before (hint hint “Rick and Morty”). The nihilism espoused by the Frowning Friends is revealed as nothing more than mindless negativity for the sake of it, creating a surprisingly uplifting message. Even if that message comes out of the barrel of Mr. Boss’ gun. 10/10.
“Charlie Dies and Doesn’t Come Back”: The most pessimistic member of the Smiling Friends learns a harsh lesson after his constant complaining leads to his death in a gruesome Christmas tree accident, and he is sent to Hell. Can Charlie summon up the positivity to cheer up Satan, who has devolved into a shut-in gamer and vape addict? In addition to providing much-needed character development for Charlie, this episode is also famous for being the last acting appearance of the late Gilbert Gottfried, who stars as God. There are also various jokes surrounding the denizens of Hell, such as Charlie’s grandmother, who was sent here for saying “DAMN” in 1958 when she saw his grandpa get shot by that ROTTEN burglar. Expect me to quote that often, as well as “Hell is real, and Christianity was right all along.” 8/10.
“The Smiling Friends Go To Brazil”: Released months after the rest of the season, this entire episode is just a prank. The entire joke is that they don’t actually go to Brazil. That’s it. They’re stuck in the airport the whole time and then just leave. That is the entire episode. And it’s just not funny. The only humor that comes out of it is awkward dialogue, which this series has used for comedic effect elsewhere, but that’s it. I get that the whole episode is in one shot, which is an impressive animated feat, but still. This is not a true episode of Smiling Friends. 4/10.
