5 Biggest Scrubs Actors & Characters Missing From the Reboot

Scrubs has officially returned for a tenth season, reclaiming its position as a cornerstone of medical comedy after more than a decade of fans demanding a proper continuation. Premiering on ABC, the revival centers on the original core ensemble, with the first two episodes already garnering significant praise for capturing the specific blend of slapstick humor and emotional sincerity that marked the show’s peak. Crucially, this new season makes the bold creative choice to retcon the most divisive elements of the ninth season, which many viewers considered a disjointed departure from the established formula. By setting the narrative back within the hallways of Sacred Heart—the very hospital that was canonically destroyed and replaced by a medical school in the previous run—the show restores the atmosphere that originally made the series a hit.

The narrative of the tenth season of Scrubs follows John “JD” Dorian (Zach Braff) as he returns to Sacred Heart, exploring the matured version of his iconic bromance with Christopher Turk (Donald Faison) and his evolving relationship with Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke). While the return of Perry Cox (John C. McGinley) and Carla Espinosa (Judy Reyes) provides a stabilizing sense of nostalgia, the transition back to the original hospital has highlighted several notable absences from the supporting cast.

5) Sam Lloyd as Ted Buckland

The absence of Ted Buckland (Sam Lloyd) is perhaps the most poignant omission in the Scrubs revival, primarily due to the real-world passing of Sam Lloyd in 2020. As the perennially downtrodden hospital attorney, Ted provided a unique form of comedic relief, serving as the verbal punching bag for the administration while occasionally finding moments of musical brilliance with his a cappella group, The Worthless Peons. His character arc had reached a relatively peaceful conclusion in the original run, particularly after he moved away with his girlfriend, Stephanie Gooch (Kate Micucci), and even made a brief cameo in the fellow Bill Lawrence series Cougar Town.

4) Kerry Bishé as Lucy Bennett

Kerry Bishé joined the franchise during Season 9 as Lucy Bennett, an idealistic medical student intended to serve as the new protagonist following JD’s departure. Because the tenth season has explicitly chosen to ignore the “Med School” era in favor of a return to the original Sacred Heart setting, Lucy is notably absent from the current storyline. Her character was designed to mirror JD’s internal monologues and quirky daydreams, effectively functioning as a passing of the torch that many longtime fans struggled to accept. This creative pivot toward a new generation was the primary reason for the ninth season’s polarizing reception, as it lacked the established chemistry of the veteran staff.

3) Eliza Coupe as Denise Mahoney

Denise Mahoney (Eliza Coupe) stands out as one of the few additions from the later seasons who managed to secure a genuine following among the Scrubs fanbase. Known for her cynical, no-nonsense approach to medicine, Denise provided a sharp contrast to the bubbly personalities of the original interns. She was arguably the strongest element of the eighth and ninth seasons, helping anchor the newer cast members by maintaining a level of professional intensity that mirrored a younger, female version of Dr. Cox. Despite her popularity and the fact that her character was still working at the hospital when the original series ended, she is currently nowhere to be seen in the Scrubs revival.

2) Ken Jenkins as Bob Kelso

Ken Jenkins portrayed the curmudgeonly yet secretly empathetic Bob Kelso for all nine seasons of the original Scrubs run, but he is not a part of the tenth season’s initial lineup. This omission is logically sound within the show’s internal timeline, as Kelso had officially retired from his position as Chief of Medicine during the seventh season and spent much of his remaining screen time enjoying muffins and free healthcare as a retiree. Following the emotional weight of the Season 8 finale, where he walked out of the hospital on his own terms, bringing him back as a regular staff member would likely diminish the impact of his original exit. Furthermore, the real-world status of the actor has influenced this absence, as Jenkins is now 85 years old and has largely stepped away from professional acting.

1) Neil Flynn as The Janitor

The Janitor (Neil Flynn) remains the most significant missing piece of the Scrubs puzzle, as his unpredictable antics and adversarial relationship with JD were essential to the show’s absurdist identity. In the ninth season premiere, it was revealed that the character simply quit and disappeared the moment he realized JD was no longer working at the hospital, an ending that perfectly suited his enigmatic nature. Still, because he was never given a traditional emotional send-off, his absence in the first two episodes of the reboot is deeply felt by viewers who expected his immediate return to torture the new Chief of Medicine. The character’s omission from the main cast list is likely due to the busy schedule of Flynn, who has remained a constant presence on television through various other projects. However, showrunners have confirmed that he is expected to appear in a guest capacity later in the season, offering hope that the legendary rivalry will eventually be revisited.

New episodes of Scrubs Season 10 premiere on ABC every Wednesday.

Which missing Scrubs character do you think needs to make a guest appearance before the new season concludes? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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