The vibe of the latest update on Smiling Friends is “good news and bad news.” This unhinged animated comedy from Adult Swim is about a team whose job is to spread happiness in a world that makes no sense. The good news is that the show has officially been renewed for Season 4 and Season 5! Then comes the not-so-good news: these may very well be the final seasons, and the creators want to bow out before the series loses steam or (per their personal nightmare scenario) becomes The Simpsons. Ouch. Co-creator Zach Hadel said it publicly. On X (formerly Twitter), he explained that he and co-creator Michael Cusack never wanted Smiling Friends to “overstay its welcome or get stale,” and they plan to end the series while it’s fresh.Now, of course, fans took the news like they were told that Glep filed his taxes. First, they were happy to get two new seasons, but then they went into denial mode about the finale. The renewal itself has people excited, though.Will Smiling Friends Season 4 actually happen? Yes, Smiling Friends Season 4 is already in development. Cusack has confirmed that two scripts are done and that a third is underway. The writers’ room, he says, tells us what fans think it is --- chaotic, and fun. As of now, we saw the show found its rhythm with Season 3 as they balanced improv with plot instead of leaning too hard into either. The creators were sharper than ever.What’s also clear is that they aren’t going to drag the show out of fear of missing success. They have compared them to The Beatles because they "are so cool" to have ended on a peak and left audiences longing. No season 80. No, “we’ll make more because the network demands it.” If Adult Swim or agents want the show to go on forever, the creatives respectfully do not!But if they do end things with Season 5, it won’t be for lack of ideas. In a world where shows are renewed until the writers look tired, that’s new.Could Smiling Friends continue after Season 5? While Hadel and Cusack say the show probably won’t continue after Season 5, they also admit that they like having creative resets. So if the future ever includes a new show, a spin-off, or a standalone special, don't be shocked. They guaranteed whatever they create next won’t be designed in a Hollywood committee or by an algorithm. Smiling Friends found its cult status by only caring about what was funny. So trends won't be a factor. Until then, fans can look forward to more of Charlie’s optimism, Pim’s loyalty, and Glep’s mystery, the Boss’s chaos, and whatever fever dream the writers think of next. If Smiling Friends bows out at its peak, it will be the kind of ending people respect for years, that's for sure. Right? RELATED: Is Brian EO'Halloran in Smiling Friends? | The setting of the animated series | How to watch Cartoon Network shows online? Seasons 1–2 are streaming on Adult Swim in the U.S. and Channel 4 in the U.K. Season 3 just wrapped up on November 30.