After nine seasons, it might have seemed as if truTV's fan-favorite series Impractical Jokers would continue delivering laughs unperturbed for the rest of time. (No doubt measured via a collapsible grandfather clock or some other prank-friendly timepiece.) Alas, things took an unexpected left turn just as 2021 came to a close, with founding member Joe Gatto announcing his exit ahead of Season 10. Rather than bringing in a replacement to round out the quartet, the other three members have chosen to film new episodes as a trio, and now fans can take their first look at the threesome behind the scenes, even while mourning Gatto’s absence.
Following a couple of photos shared by star James Murray (which can be found lower down), what appears to be the first official BTS shot from Impractical Jokers’ upcoming season was shared by the office space rental organization Jay Suites, of all places. Check out the company’s Instagram post below:
Brian “Q” Quinn is looking slightly snazzier than normal, almost entirely due to his jacket and keenly parted hair, as he stands alongside his non–schlubby co-stars Sal Vulcano and James Murray. This doesn’t look like a trifold of sadness, thankfully, so one can assume that it wasn’t too difficult getting back into the laugh-filled Impractical Jokers mindset to film new episodes, even without Joe Gatto in the mix.
But that doesn’t mean all the fans who peeped out the pic above were all smiles about the thought of Joe Gatto being missing when the new eps arrive. Some were saddened, some appeared angered, and at least one commenter seemed convinced the show wouldn’t be any good now. But for the most part, fans were cordial about missing Joe, with the Jay Suites account itself tagging Gatto in the top comment noted below.
- @joe_gatto you are missed !! - Jay Suites
- I love you guys so much but i will miss Joe terribly - Coralouisejames
- Will still watch but not going to be anywhere near the same without Joe - JRomani24
- Ain't the same without Joe he was the funniest of the bunch - _Cryptoquest_One
In the recent past, James “Murr” Murray shared a few other pics that fans guessed were also teases for Impractical Jokers Season 10, even if the star wasn’t so up front about saying so. (In one of them, he does say that it’s “Day 3 filming,” so it feels safe to assume that the other two are related.) One of them features quite the high-minded rapper teaming up with the group: Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man.
And if Murr is getting punished during the trio’s hang-out with Method Man, you know it’s going to be a great time for Brian Quinn and Sal Vulcano. But perhaps not so great for the fans who wish that Joe Gatto would have also been part of this championship-level photo.
- Replacing Joe with celebrities? Goes to show that this can't be done with just the 3 and Joe is irreplaceable 😢 #joecomeback - Nelstradamus
- Joe IS Jokers. He can never be replaced. They need to bring on different comedians and guests for every show. No permanent replacement unless it's Joey Fatone. - Gringovatoloco
- We all miss joe but the jokers will still go on. Obviously it's not the exact same without him but let's look on the bright side: they're all still friends. We should wish the best for joe and his kids and the jokers. - Charlieinreverse
Another one of Murr's IG posts featured the Jokers star trying to remove a Jenga block while being yelled at by various members of the military, drill-sargeant style. Which seems like it'd be a weird casual pic to share if it didn't have anything to do with the TV show.
This is definitely not how I'd like my board game nights to go with friends and family, although I guess I won't knock it until I've tried it. Seems like a good reason to break out the Impractical Jokers game, no?
Not that Joe Gatto’s career outside the TV series has stalled, as he’s still on the stand-up comedy circuit, where he has discussed leaving the show as a result of his impending divorce from Bessy Haggar. So fans can likely look forward to seeing him elsewhere in the pop culture sphere, even if it’s not in a project guided largely by pranks.
With no premiere date yet set for Impractical Jokers Season 10 on truTV, fans can rewatch old episodes on HBO Max (though with some of the eps having been removed following Gatto’s exit). Our 2022 TV premiere schedule will clue you in on all the things coming to the small screen soon!
