TL;DR – An odd episode with big moments and some awkward encounters.
Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that aired this episode.
Scrubs Review Introduction
Today we are looking at an episode that has become quite contentious in my friend circles. I have heard quite negative things about it before I sat down, and now I have watched it; well, it was fine.
So, to set the scene, it is one of those rare days where JD (Zach Braff) and Elliot (Sarah Chalke) have the day off, but the hospital is a difficult third person in any relationship. Just when you think you are free, it pulls you back in, and that is a hard sell on any relationship. Even Turk (Donald Faison) is feeling the pain when he can’t get one night by himself. But in many ways the hospital is a grand trial, some with thrive, and others will fail. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.
There Is a Toll
If there is one theme that permeates throughout the episode, and indeed, all three of our plots this week revolve around it, no matter what, there is a toll when you work in a hospital. This week, the hospital tests friendships, relationships, and whether you have what it takes. The main thrust of the episode is Elliot and JD using Turk’s birthday dinner to try and win brownie points with their partners, only to have the whole thing blow up in their faces. I didn’t mind this story, because the trajectory was heading that way for a while. Also, in the end, it was JD and Elliot putting the needs of others over their own; now that had consequences for other people, but sometimes that is the price you pay. Also the core three do have amazing chemistry together. Now, I withhold the right to retroactively rescind this if the show starts pushing JD and Elliot back together, which was my big fear when the show first started. While the disaster zone of Charlie (Rachel Bilson) and Sean (Scott Foley) was quite amusing because the two actors threw all of themselves into it, I will say the credit scene fell flat on its face.
The more interesting part of the episode was getting to see how the interns work together. We are four episodes in, and I don’t think we have gotten all of them in the same episode yet, but I did like what we got today. While it is played a little stereotypically, the fight between Amara (Layla Mohammadi) and Dashana (Amanda Morrow) did feel like it came from a true place. We have all had difficult housemates; now add someone who you see all day and work and all night at home, and that is a recipe for conflict, even before you mix the hospital in. Then we had Asher (Jacob Dudman) being way too open about his past and also having his first night in charge. Which is odd because why is Sam (Ava Bunn) sending her one night off to come help out? I did like that they gave us time to see he might not be ready for the responsibility before they actively talked about it. Also, that in Scrubs tradition, it was the nurse who called that he might not have what it takes.
Recommendation
In the end, do we recommend Scrubs? I am not sure it was the season’s strongest episode, but I didn’t mind it. Sure, parts of the episode, such as the very ending and Chris ‘partyman’ Turk, were a bit much, but the undercurrent held true. Have you seen Scrubs yet? Let us know what you thought in the comments below.
By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.
Feel free to share this review on social media and check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day.
Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Scrubs
Directed by – Pete Chatmon
Written by – Max Searle
Created by – Bill Lawrence
Developed by – Aseem Batra & Tim Hobert
Based On – Scrubs by Bill Lawrence
Production/Distribution Companies – Doozer, Seemu! Inc., 20th Television, Hulu & Disney+
Starring – Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, & Ava Burn
With – Scott Foley, Rachel Bilson, Jacob Dudman, Layla Mohammadi, Amanda Morrow, & Michael James Scott
And – Tal Shulman, & Terence Kelly
