Scrubs: My Best Friend’s Birthday [S2:E5] – TV Review

TL;DR – An odd episode with big moments and some awkward encounters.  

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that aired this episode.

JD, Turk, and Elliot look in shock.

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 will thrive, and others will fail. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Scrubs: My Chief [S2:E4] – TV Review

TL;DR – A lot happened in this episode, but only one thing landed its mark

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that aired this episode.

Scrubs Review Introduction

Today we are looking at an episode that is a bit of a mixed bag, because at least one of its major points landed. However, the rest of the episode was kind of fine. Nothing remarkable, but just fine.

So, to set the scene, JD (Zach Braff) is having a problem. Someone in the hospital just made a huge mistake, and a patient had to be readmitted. This is a huge financial loss for the hospital, and JD, as chief, is looking to find which idiot doctor let the person go before they were ready. Unfortunately for JD, the answer is not the one he wanted to find. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Scrubs: My Ex’s Ex [S2:E3] – TV Review

TL;DR – An episode that brings that old-school feel before kicking you in the face.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that aired this episode.

Charlie stuck in-between JD and Carla.

Scrubs Review –

When I was reviewing Season 1 of Scrubs, or Season 10 depending on your perspective, one of my main criticisms was that it felt isolated from the older episodes because most of the supporting cast didn’t make the jump. Today is the first episode where it felt like we were finally getting back to that level.

So, to set the scene, at Sacred Heart, there are three relationships on show. JD (Zach Braff) and Charlie (Rachel Bilson) are in that first stage of romance, Carla (Judy Reyes) and Turk (Donald Faison) are working through living together after so many years of marriage, and for Elliot (Sarah Chalke), well, she is single again. Which makes it the perfect time for JD to run into Sean (Scott Foley), his ex’s ex. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Scrubs: My Mentee [S2:E2] – TV Review

TL;DR – A good example of one of the sillier episodes that still sneaks some commentary under the shenanigans.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that aired this episode.

Sam with a blown up plastic glove.

Scrubs Review –

When you have a reboot series where you bring back the old cast, you can pretend that nothing has changed, or you can incorporate that time into your narratives. Today’s episode does the latter as it gets into the core of the characters.

So, to set the scene, Dr Cox’s (John C. McGinley) treatment has been going well, and he is in remission. The only problem is that each of his infusions costs $35.000. As they struggle to work out how to fix the American healthcare system, JD (Zach Braff), Turk (Donald Faison), and Elliot (Sarah Chalke) have to see their lives through the prism of their mentees. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Scrubs: My First Time in a While [S2:E1] – TV Review

TL;DR – A surprisingly emotional episode right out of the gate.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that aired this episode.

Sasha Parking Only.

Scrubs Review –

Well, we are back for Season Two or Season 11 of Scrubs, and in a rare form these years, we did not have to wait three-odd years to get it. Scrubs is now and has always been a comfort show for me, and today we will see if that trend continues or not.

So, to set the scene, while JD (Zach Braff) is celebrating the first meaningful relationship since his divorce from Elliot (Sarah Chalke), things are not all good at Sacred Heart. That is because Dr Cox’s (John C. McGinley) treatment is not progressing as it should, putting a real strain on his kidneys. It is a problem only a super team of medical superheroes, and Todd (Robert Maschio) can fix, if at all. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Level-Five Transporter Accident [S4E5] – TV Review

TL;DR – They are puppets.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service used to view this series.

Credit: Puppets by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Review Introduction

It feels like Season Four of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is on a mission to see how many different films they can create their own version of. For example, last week’s Casablanca homage with The Case of the Chiaroscuro. But of all the inspirations, I was not expecting The Muppet Show.   

So, to set the scene, Scottie (Martin Quinn) hopes to set a new record for the longest transport as the USS Enterprise makes a slow trip to Vulcan while on pirate patrol. Scottie needs Spock’s (Ethan Peck) help, but he is struggling to centre himself. Everything was going well until the puppet Scottie was using caused a feedback surge, and soon the cast is teleporting away. When Spock arrives back on the ship, he can’t find anyone until he notices something felt move, because all the crew have been turned into puppets. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Ted Lasso: Home [S4E1] – TV Review

TL;DR – A Kansas City detour to set up the season.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Apple TV+ service that viewed this episode.

Ted Lasso Assistant Manager.

Ted Lasso Review Introduction

Well, it is time for some more Ted Lasso. Now, I am on the record as being very fond of the series, even the weird episodes of Season One, Season Two, and Season Three. But I, like many, thought we were doneski, so colour me shocked when Season Four appeared from the ether. But given the time and the landscape, can it recapture that joy? That is what we are looking at today.

So to set the scene, Ted (Jason Sudeikis) has spent the last few years being the best day he can be to his son Henry (Grant Feely). But instead of coaching football or soccer, Ted is an assistant manager at a local supermarket. But then one day a surprise arrives in town. Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift), and Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) have arrived with a mission. They want Ted to come back and coach their new women’s football team. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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Scrubs: Season 10 – TV Review

TL;DR – It found its charm at times, but whether it was the short episode order or the passage of time, I just came away feeling a bit hollow about it all.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that aired this episode.

The Hospital entrance.

Scrubs Review –

I came into the first episode of this new spin-off, My Return, with a touch of trepidation. Could a show like Scrubs find that same formula among the cast that worked for almost all its runtime? Can a show both reinvent itself for a modern audience without losing that pull of nostalgia and vibe that made it good in the first place? These are the questions I asked myself this season.  


So, to set the scene, it has been a long time since JD (Zach Braff) worked at Sacred Heart hospital [which was not torn down, I do not know how that rumour got started]. However, while he spends his days being a concierge doctor for the wealthy, it is not exactly a stimulating profession. But as fate would have it, today he is back at his old stomping grounds, because one of his patients got admitted. It is a place of joy with old friends, Turk (Donald Faison) and Carla (Judy Reyes), old mentors, Dr Cox (John C. McGinley), and more recent ex-wives, Elliot (Sarah Chalke). But when JD gets an offer he can’t refuse, his life is about to do a complete U-turn. Now, from here, we will be looking at the season, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Deadloch: Season Two – TV Review

TL;DR – This is a series that fires more chaos at you in the space of thirty seconds than I have ever seen fired at you in thirty seconds.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime service that viewed this series.

Warning – Contains scenes which may cause distress.

A Crocodile.

Deadloch Review Introduction

I had no idea what I was getting into when I sat down to watch a Nordic noir translocated into the Tasmanian wilderness, and the crazy turned up to 11. Season 1 was a wild ride, but it was very Tasmanian-coded. So, I was a touch concerned when they relocated the series up north, literally as far as you could get from Tasmania from a distance, weather, temperature, and general humidity perspective. However, given how well the first season went, I had to find out if it could survive the shift, and I can now say that it has not lost one iota of momentum when it comes to the chaos.  

So, to set the scene, up in the Northern Territory, in a town called Barra Creek, a local croc tour is taking a bunch of tourists out on the river. But tragedy strikes when they find the local bull-crocodile has been murdered, but even more concerning was what was in the late crocodile’s mouth. Thankfully, Dulcie Collins (Kate Box) and Eddie Redcliffe (Madeleine Sami) were already in the area and were able to give a hand before the local detective looking into some missing Swedish backpackers came and made a mess of everything. The only issue, okay, one of many issues, is that Eddie used to live here back in the day. Now we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there may be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair – Season One – TV Review

TL;DR – While it had some truly wild moments, it always felt that this was a show that had its predecessor dragging behind it like an anchor, and it likely would have worked better if they had cut that cord free more than they ended up doing.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

The family on a video call.

Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair Review Introduction

I’m going to come out right from the start and say that I am old enough to have enjoyed the show when it originally aired, but beyond the odd episode here and there, I have not seen the show since its original run. I remember enjoying it when it was on, but then I never found the drive, nor was it easily accessible to rewatch it where I live. Coming into this, I had a lot of nostalgia, but also significant distance from the show, and I’m not sure whether that helped or hurt my viewing experience.

So, to set the scene, A lot has happened to Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) in the years since the show aired. He went off to college, had a daughter, Leah (Keeley Karsten), founded a charity, and has gone mostly non-contact with his family. He keeps up the presence, but then always has a reason as to why he is busy. Well, try as he might to avoid it, his parents, Hal (Bryan Cranston) and Lois (Jane Kaczmarek), are about to have their 40th Wedding Anniversary, and they want all the kids back to celebrate it, come hell or high water. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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