That’s a sharp observation. The phrase has become a shorthand among sitcom fans for a very specific phenomenon: a beloved character who, when spun off into their own show, gets reduced to their broadest, least interesting traits.

Mentioning just the show’s name and “first season” implies everything that followed. Joey ran for two seasons, but the first season was already creatively bankrupt. It’s like saying “the That ‘70s Show final season” — everyone knows exactly the flavor of decline you mean.

Here’s why that “good piece” of critical shorthand works so well:

A “good piece” about Joey first season would note how the show stranded a supporting character in a new cast (his sister, his nephew, his agent) who had no chemistry. The phrase implies: “They took a garnish and tried to make it the main course, then blamed the garnish.”