Welcome to a new Sitcom Tuesday! This week, we’re continuing our coverage on the best of Scrubs (2001-2008, NBC; 2008-2010, ABC), which is currently available on DVD and Hulu.

Scrubs stars ZACH BRAFF as J.D., SARAH CHALKE as Elliot Reid, DONALD FAISON as Christopher Turk, JUDY REYES as Carla Espinosa, JOHN C. MCGINLEY as Perry Cox, KEN JENKINS as Bob Kelso, and NEIL FLYNN as The Janitor.

I’m glad Season Six wasn’t Scrubs’ last, for it ended on an ambiguous note with both J.D. and Elliot that failed to properly display their growth. So, the mission of Seven — with 18 episodes ordered last minute, only 11 of which got produced before the Writers’ Strike — was to bring all the characters now, but mainly J.D. and Elliot, closure… Unfortunately, strike or no strike, Seven lets itself down with its own bad decisions. For instance, there were only two ways to resolve the cliffhanger with J.D. and Elliot; either they realize they love each other after all and this final season is about them navigating a real, long-term relationship while raising his kid, or they decide that their impulse to turn back to each other is not about love but merely their shared fear of commitment, the recognition of which allows them to finally move on with their respective partners, as this final season shows them adjusting to their new families. Anything else destroys the setup for growth. Now, I prefer anti-romance, for that’s what makes sense based on the series’ continuity — all their previous trysts ended because they just didn’t love each other enough. And yet, the pilot did premise their coupling as a foundational part of the situation, so I don’t mind them paired — especially if there’s a season of them evolving together. The problem is Seven doesn’t do either — it not only doesn’t couple them, it actively clears away the other established arcs that could also suggest their maturation. While Elliot dumps Keith, J.D. and Kim split, and she takes their baby out of town — an excuse to keep him from stepping up into a full commitment. And sadly, no matter how self-conscious scripts try to be here about his need to “grow up,” putting this arc on the back burner simply feels like a delaying tactic not motivated by character. Similarly, once Seven starts to hint again at Elliot and J.D.’s renewed future, it only proves its own stupidity, for after having pulled away the figurative football yet again, the believability of their compatibility is further diminished; Seven has harmed their emotional logic and made investing in story less worthwhile. This is all confirmed by their official pairing in Eight, which renders the truncated Seven a total waste of time. In fact, the only thing for which I can credit this year is its choice to give the Janitor a girlfriend. Otherwise, it’s a fake final season that would have disappointed even if it was indeed the series’ swan song.

 

01) Episode 144: “My Growing Pains” (Aired: 11/29/07)

J.D. thinks it’s time for him and Turk to grow up.

Written by Mike Schwartz | Directed by Zach Braff

As noted above, Season Seven is very conscious about J.D.’s need to grow up in the wake of its decision to delay him having to be a father on a regular, episodic basis — the previously established metric of his maturation, his endgame arc. However, while I appreciate the series acknowledging what it must do — and I like that, here, the suggestion is so centered around his friendship with Turk, which is rooted in the childish fun they had when they were younger — talking about his need to become more of an adult is NOT a real substitute for him demonstrating it by taking on active responsibilities… you know, like with a partner, or a kid (the one he’s just had but barely sees)… Nevertheless, this is an offering that genuinely has some bearing on character, which makes it a step above its competition in Seven.

02) Episode 145: “My Number One Doctor” (Aired: 12/06/07)

Dr. Kelso signs up the hospital for a rate-your-doctor website.

Written by Janae Bakken | Directed by Will Mackenzie

At this point in the run, the show has lost the novelty of its hospital setting, and it’s hard to find unique medical or patient stories that allow Scrubs to freshly reveal aspects of its identity from the balance of humor and heart, and the characters’ own individual workplace dynamics. In short, we’ve basically already seen the best ideas, and that’s becoming increasingly obvious… That said, this entry pumps in some fresh comedy with an ensemble workplace story brought about by the funny notion of a “rate your doctor” website that turns the staff competitive. Also, I appreciate this outing because it furthers the Janitor’s romance with Lady — a sweet arc for his character that expands his potential humanity and gives us something new.

03) Episode 147: “My Manhood” (Aired: 04/17/08)

J.D. and Turk try to prove their masculinity.

Written by Angela Nissel | Directed by Michael McDonald

Although there’s a childishness to both J.D. and Turk in this episode that feels regressive amidst the year’s crusade for endgame character growth (which is talked about more than shown), “My Manhood” is nevertheless one of Seven’s funniest, thanks to a focus on the series’ central J.D./Turk friendship, along with a solid subplot for Dr. Cox that sort of addresses the evolved complexity of his emotional depiction and is then united with this A-story by the Janitor, who is putting out a hospital newsletter called The Janitorial, in which he airs staff members’ secrets. So, this is a comedic character show that doesn’t sit entirely well within Season Seven but is still agreeable enough to make this list. Michael McDonald and Mindy Sterling guest.

04) Episode 149: “My Waste Of Time” (Aired: 05/01/08)

J.D. and Elliot spend time together.

Written by Andy Schwartz | Directed by Chris Koch

The 2007 WGA Strike (and an apathetic network) prevented Scrubs from finishing Seven’s 18-week order, so we’ll never get to see how the series was planning to end if this year was truly its last. But we do get some laid groundwork, starting in this, the last finished excursion, which heavily implies the forthcoming reunion of J.D. and Elliot on the basis of them cultivating more of a friendship. It’s a heartwarming notion, but it makes no sense, especially after so many previous times when the two seemed to realize they were better friends than lovers. What’s changed? Nothing that feels motivated… However, this effort is worth discussing, and I enjoy the comedic subplot where the Janitor and his posse take over Kelso’s office — the use of these peripheral players (like the Janitor) is one of the only things Seven does okay.

05) Episode 150: “My Princess” (Aired: 05/08/08) 

Dr. Cox tells his son a fairytale inspired by the hospital staff.

Written by Mark Stegemann | Directed by Zach Braff

My choice for this year’s Most Valuable Episode (MVE), “My Princess” was held to air as the season finale — and it was the last segment broadcast by NBC, which cancelled the series, thereby allowing ABC to pick it up for 2008-2009. I single it out here because it’s easily Seven’s most memorable, offering an elaborate fantasy that basically consumes the half hour, just like the major gimmicks of the past few seasons: the Oz parody, the musical, etc. In that regard, this definitely feels like a good example of Scrubs’ comedic and narrative sensibilities in its (now passed) peak era, and to its credit, I do think the fantasy sequences are fairly creative and tailored well to the characters, their relationships, and the entry’s actual medical circumstances. So, this one stands out — it’s a stunty show that isn’t the best of this aggrandized subcategory, but it’s certainly the most enjoyable sample produced in the brief, otherwise unideal Season Seven. (Oh, and note the apparent homage to I Love Lucy with Turk and Carla as the two-headed monster.)

 

Other notable episodes that merit mention include: “My Identity Crisis,” which actually boasts smart character concerns for both Dr. Cox and Carla in a thematically tight script, “My Bad Too,” which has a lot of laughs as Turk learns Spanish and is able to decipher what Carla says when she thinks he can’t understand, and “My Dumb Luck,” which says goodbye to Dr. Kelso as a regular employee of the hospital — an arc clearly designed to be his endgame.

 

*** The MVE Award for the Best Episode from Season Seven of Scrubs goes to…

“My Princess”

 

 

Come back next week for Season Eight! And stay tuned for a new Wildcard Wednesday!