If Joe brings yawns, "Santa Barbara" sinks." The character appeared in every episode following his debut, leading Connie Passalacqua of "The News Leader" to call him "the most overworked character on daytime television." On Witherspoon's departure from the soap, Jon-Michael Reed of the "Philadelphia Daily News" believed that the actor's intensity overwhelmed to the point that there was "no room for levity or humor" in his performance. Reed noted that Witherspoon had become a "heartthrob" during his time on the show, and stated "it's a skittish or foolish producer who chooses to rock the fan boat so soon in "SB"'s three-month history." He also observed that the relationship between Joe and Kelly had become popular with viewers and was "the one solid asset that "SB" could boast."