Starting From "One Watch Will Do" To "I Couldn't Get Enough," I Ranked All The "Smiling Friends" Episodes

It's hard to beat Mip.

Smiling Friends is quite possibly the best show that no one is talking about right now. And while all the episodes are great and funny in their own way, I took the liberty to rank them worst to best:

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8. "A Silly Halloween Special"

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Listen hardcore Smiling Friends fans, like you, I think every episode is pretty good. But this Halloween special just wasn’t very scary. I know the episode title said outright that it was just supposed to be silly, but some pretty grotesque stuff happens in Smiling Friends on a regular basis. It was underwhelming that this episode wasn’t any spookier or grosser than the others.

7. "Who Violently Murdered Simon S. Salty?"

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Salty and his fast food mascot crew are a lovable bunch, but this murder mystery could’ve used some more twists and unexpected turns. Don’t get me wrong, there are twists and unexpected turns, but a murder mystery set in the murderous world of Smiling Friends ought to have more. Or at the very least, they should be a bit more surprising. Still, if you like bizarre fast food mascots, this one’s a must see.

6. "Charlie Dies and Doesn’t Come Back"

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People might accuse me of being biased here, but I don’t think you should air a Christmas special when it’s not Christmas. Same goes for Halloween, but even Halloween has a bit more leeway because you don’t really get the day off. Christmas, on the other hand, can only be appreciated when it’s Christmas. Still, I do like some of the demons that show up when Charlie goes to Hell. My favorite one is Jeremy, who I like more than any of the Salty’s mascots, which is why this one’s at number six.

5. "Mr. Frog"

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To be clear, all the episodes listed from this point on are stone cold Smiling Friends classics. If "Mr. Frog" was an episode of say, Brickleberry, or SpongeBob SquarePants, I would list it in the top five as well. The only reason why I’m listing it as the last among the greats is because of its ham-fisted showbiz commentary. Creatives have every right to be frustrated with overbearing entertainment executives, but save those resentments for behind the scenes. That said, Mr. Frog as a character AND an episode is full of violent fun. Also, as a big fan of Jimmy Fallon’s, it was cool to see him on the show, even if it wasn’t technically him.

4. "Frowning Friends"

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This episode has some of the best side characters in the whole series: DJ Spit, 3D Squelton, and Ronald Reagan all deserve a spot in the Adult Swim Hall of Fame. The main reason I watch cartoons is to see wacky characters, and this episode delivers on that front magnificently. However, I do think the notion of an evil version of the Smiling Friends feels a little under-explored, especially since the episode ends so abruptly. Narratively though, it was still a very effective installment of Smiling Friends, especially ‘cause we got to see so many cool little guys.

3. "Desmond’s Big Day Out"

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This is the very first episode of Smiling Friends, and boy, did they come running out the gate. All the classic gags are here: the man in the walls, Pim’s terrible family, Daveland, etc. Desmond himself is also an iconic character in his own right, thanks to Mike Stoklasa’s droll delivery and that big gun he’s got pointed at his head the whole time. Pilot episodes don’t get much better than this.

2. "Shrimp’s Odyssey"

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This episode’s got a pretty lady in it, but more importantly, it’s got Shrimp, a plucky underdog with the voice of internet angel, David Firth. Shrimp may not be as immediately visceral as Desmond, but there’s just something about him that really cuts to my core. The same goes for Smormu, who also deserves to be recognized as yet another iconic character in this already stacked cast of colorful beings. Besides the new characters, Pim’s romantic fantasies and Charlie’s self-improvement tips in this episode really fleshed out the two leads’s differing approaches to life. It strengthened our understanding of those characters while also making for some great gags.

1. "Enchanted Forest"

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The reason why this one’s so high on the list is because of Mip, a forest man who only appears in this episode. Mip is a really interesting character. I know he’s supposed to be a reference to some old movie or something, but I’m just taking the guy on his own terms. He’s just bizarre, even for this show. I don’t know if I like Mip. In fact, I probably don’t. But Mip has stuck with me ever since I’ve seen this episode, and at the very least, art should leave a mark on your psyche. Also, there were some pretty funny gags in here, which I won’t spoil because I don’t want to wear them out.

You can catch the latest episodes of Smiling Friends on AdultSwim on Sundays at midnight ET.

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