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.”

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.

If you have a specific article or video in mind, share a line or two — I’d love to see which analysis earned your “good piece” seal.

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