Scrubs is a show that holds a special place in the hearts of many fans. A unique blend of medical drama and wacky comedy, Scrubs achieved massive success across its run, earning a stellar reputation as well as a dedicated fanbase that continues to enjoy the show today even years after it ended. The hallmarks of the show include its use of bizarre, prop-heavy cutaway gags, its expansive cast of unique characters, and its moments of heartfelt and emotional drama mixed organically into the majority of its stories. A sitcom that showed both the lighter and the heavier sides of the medical profession, Scrubs is a show that helped define an entire era of TV comedy.
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Over the course of its run, Scrubs found a way to keep its audience guessing. As well as following the interpersonal relationships between the characters of its cast, Scrubs featured regular episodes that challenged the expectations of even its most loyal viewers. From episodes with unexpected twists to high-concept parodies, Scrubs is a show that regularly broke its own rules in the name of delivering quality entertainment.
7) My Old Lady (S1, E4)
For its first few episodes, Scrubs seemed to be another great workplace comedy that blended light drama with comedic elements. Its fourth episode, “My Old Lady”, initially appeared to continue that trend, as it followed JD’s budding relationship with an elderly patient. The episode’s final scenes saw JD forced to come to terms with her passing, as well as her upbeat attitude towards coming to the end of her life. An episode as poignant as it was heartwrenching, “My Old Lady” pulled the rug from under viewers who thought Scrubs was just another lighthearted TV sitcom.
6) My Life in Four Cameras (S4, E17)
By the time Scrubs reached season four, its audience had learned that it was far from a traditional sitcom. However, the episode “My Life in Four Cameras” imagined Sacred Heart as the setting of a classic sitcom, with JD repeatedly envisioning how events would play out if he was living inside a TV comedy. Every time the episode plays into a sitcom trope to deliver a happy or fortunate chain of events, the reality is shown to be the opposite. It’s a cleverly-written subversion of the genre that highlights just how different Scrubs is from the majority of its comedic contemporaries.
5) My Way Home (S5, E7)
There have been many Wizard of Oz adaptations over the years, but Scrubs‘ take on the story is one of the show’s most memorable episodes. As well as its story featuring each of the main characters seeking something that mirrors the characters of The Wizard of Oz, “My Way Home” also contains many clever references and homages to the original 1939 movie. It’s an episode in which Scrubs took its own original story and used it to pay homage to a classic, borrowing ideas and organically slotting them into its established format in a way that proved to be as satisfying as it was clever.
4) Their Story (S6, E17)
From its very first episode, Scrubs served as an examination of life working at Sacred Heart through the eyes of protagonist JD. On a handful of occasions, this perspective shifted to incorporate other characters, beginning with other main cast members. However, season six’s “Their Story” was the first to shift this perspective to more minor characters, reframing the show completely in three different ways. It was a subtle way to break the show’s standard format, delivering an anthology of stories involving characters that had not previously been explored in depth.
3) My Butterfly (S3, E16)
Season three was the year that Scrubs developed its reputation as a TV show that took unexpected turns, delivering many memorable episodes in the process. One of the season’s best was “My Butterfly”, which told two stories of the same day, each beginning with a butterfly landing on the chest of a patient. A great examination of how the butterfly effect can be applied to storytelling, “My Butterfly” is a shining example of Scrubs‘ ability to toy with its own format in imaginative and entertaining ways.
2) My Musical (S6, E6)
Scrubs might not be the first TV show to do a musical episode, but its method of executing the idea was inspired. “My Musical” follows the admittance of a patient who is hearing speech as musical numbers, with the majority of the episode’s scenes playing out through catchy and well-choreographed song and dance routines. Scrubs‘ foray into musical territory still makes use of its sense of humor and its medical premise, but it steps outside of its traditional sitcom format to deliver something completely unique.
1) My Screw Up (S3, E14)
Over the course of the show, the characters of Scrubs experiences several tragic instances of heartbreak. The season three episode “My Screw Up” serves as one of the most gut-wrenching in the show’s history, largely due to the delivery of a powerful twist that reframes its whole story. It follows Dr Cox being upset with JD throughout the episode, with the eventual reveal being that his brother-in-law died under JD’s care and the senior doctor had simply been in denial about it. It’s an episode that proved not only would Scrubs kill off great characters, but would also mislead its viewers in order to deliver hard-hitting emotional beats when necessary.
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Image courtesy of Stage 6 Films -
Image courtesy of Lucasfilm
