When Joe Gatto announced he was leaving Impractical Jokers at the end of 2021, fans basically went into a tailspin. How do you replace the guy with zero shame? You don't. But the show had to go on, and the very first person they tapped to fill that massive void was the king of chaos himself: Eric Andre.
It was a pivot nobody saw coming.
Honestly, the Eric Andre Impractical Jokers crossover felt like a fever dream. You have the Tenderloins, who specialize in awkward but generally "safe" public embarrassment, teaming up with a man who once pretended to give birth to a full-grown man on a subway. The styles shouldn't have worked. Yet, when Season 9, Episode 18 aired on April 2, 2022, it signaled a brand-new era for the franchise.
The Episode That Changed the Formula
For ten years, the show was a four-man brotherhood. When Joe left to focus on his family and personal life, Q, Murr, and Sal were left in a corner. They decided not to hire a permanent fourth member. Instead, they brought in "celebrity guests" to help with punishments.
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Eric Andre was the guinea pig for this format.
In the episode, Sal, Q, and Murr do their usual thing—acting as eccentric exterminators and filming a bizarre infomercial—but the energy shifts when it's time for the punishment. Because Joe wasn't there to drive the stakes, Eric Andre stepped in to help "punish" the loser.
The most iconic moment from this specific collab wasn't even a challenge. It was a digital extra where Eric Andre "found out" that Murr is actually CGI. He goes on this hilarious, improvised rant about how the show has been a scam for a decade and they've used 3,000 actors to trick the public. It’s that meta-humor that Eric excels at, and it gave the Jokers a jagged edge they usually don't have.
Why Fans Were Divided
Not everyone loved it.
If you look at Reddit threads from the night it aired, the reception was... mixed, to say the least. Some people felt Eric wasn't used enough. He didn't participate in the actual challenges; he only showed up for the big finale.
- The "Pro" Camp: They loved the chaotic energy. They felt Eric’s presence kept the show from feeling "sad" after Joe’s departure.
- The "Con" Camp: They missed the chemistry. Eric is a solo force of nature, while the Jokers are a unit. Some fans felt the guest star format felt a bit like a "standard" talk show bit rather than the organic friendship that made the show famous.
But here's the thing: the Jokers were smart. They knew that trying to make Eric Andre "the new Joe" would fail. Instead, they used him as a "nitro boost." He didn't try to be one of the guys; he was just Eric Andre, causing problems in their world.
The Return in Season 10
The experiment worked well enough that Eric actually came back. In Season 10, Episode 14, titled "Eric Andre Returns," he helped the guys punish the loser by dressing them up as a clown. This second appearance felt more natural. The show had figured out its rhythm with guests like Post Malone, Anthony Davis, and Kesha, but Eric remains the one who fits the "prank" genre most authentically.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Collaboration
People often assume Eric Andre was a "replacement."
He wasn't.
He was a bridge. He helped the audience transition from the four-man dynamic to the "trio plus guest" format. Without that first Eric Andre episode, the show might have felt stagnant. He brought a sense of unpredictability that Joe used to provide.
Also, a lot of viewers think these guest spots are scripted. While the punishments are structured, the interactions between Eric and the guys—especially that CGI Murr bit—are almost entirely improvised. That’s the magic of putting professional improvisers in a room together.
How to Watch the Eric Andre Episodes
If you're looking to catch these specific moments, you have a few options:
- Season 9, Episode 18: This is the big one. It’s simply titled "Eric Andre."
- Season 10, Episode 14: His return as the "clown" punisher.
- Inside Jokes: Look for the "Inside Jokes" versions of these episodes on truTV or Max. They include pop-up facts that reveal Eric was actually a fan of the show long before he appeared on it.
The Legacy of the Guest Star Era
Looking back from 2026, the Eric Andre Impractical Jokers episodes are viewed as the turning point. They proved the show could survive a major cast change. It wasn't just about Joe; it was about the spirit of the game. Eric Andre didn't replace Joe Gatto, but he did prove that the "fourth chair" could be a revolving door of comedy legends without breaking the show's soul.
If you haven't seen the "Murr is CGI" clip yet, go find it on YouTube. It’s perhaps the best piece of content to come out of the post-Joe era. It shows exactly why Eric was the right choice to kick off the new chapter: he isn't afraid to tear the whole thing down for a laugh.
For fans who want to dive deeper into the guest star seasons, your best bet is to start with the Eric Andre episodes and then move into the David Cross or Bruce Campbell episodes to see how the guys adapted their "punishment" styles to fit different comedic voices.