I still think Joe is needed and is the star of the show. But his absence has definitely highlighted his qualities and flaws.
Like others have said, I think joe brings chaos, interesting angles even if it's stupid sometimes, and some direction at times. I do feel like the crew without Joe dragged some of the topics a little too long.
I think the Mel roasting is funny at times but it gets old after a while. Also that chaos he brings, while good at times, sometimes it kills cool convos and it's like everyone is afraid of telling him to tone it down cause he's the boss.
I also feel like Flip feeds off of Joe's energy which is why he's annoying at times when Joe is there but a lot cooler when Joe is absent. I actually kinda like Flip as the A mic/M.C.