Scrubs remains a hugely underrated sitcom. Hilarious, heartwarming, and whip-smart, for fans of Bill Lawrence’s precursor to mainstream hits like Ted Lasso and Shrinking, the series remains an undisputed classic. Reviving any iconic series is a risk, something we saw not too long ago with the underwhelming Frasier reboot. Unfortunately, Scrubs’ long-awaited return doesn’t fare too much better, even if much of the heart and humour remain.
First, a little backstory. Scrubs Season 8, while somewhat hampered by budget cuts that meant recurring cast members only appeared sporadically, delivered a pitch-perfect ending to the series. Zach Braff’s JD got a glimpse of the future he hoped would come true ("Who can tell me my fantasies won’t come true, just this once?" he wondered), delivering the ultimate feel-good happy ending. Scrubs Season 9 eventually followed, shifting the spotlight to a medical school and a new cast of characters. It wasn’t as bad as some would have you believe, but it never quite clicked, and no one really mourned when the plug was pulled on the spin-off/continuation. Still, it mostly did right by JD and the gang, and seemed to canonise Season 8’s emotional finale by showing viewers what came next for him.
The Scrubs reboot largely ignores Season 9, but, to its detriment, largely does the same with the original series finale. While tackling this review, I knew it would be important to judge the new series on its own merits while balancing my own decades-long fandom of the original show. To the latter point, it’s nigh on impossible not to be disappointed by some of the creative decisions made, particularly when it comes to what JD has done with his career—it feels wholly out of character, and a forced decision to set up his return to Sacred Heart—and the handling of his relationship with Elliot (without getting into spoilers, that’s treated with such a lack of care here, it's worth revisiting what Lawrence has said about being pressured by fans to reignite their romance before the series ended for context). So, right from the start, decisions are made that won’t sit well with fans. Still, those involved with the series have billed this as "Season 1," so looking at it in that respect, does it work as a standalone series that simply builds on what came before? Yes and no.
JD’s hilariously offbeat fantasies are still a big part of the show, and it’s hard not to take joy from seeing JD, Elliot, and Turk back on our screens. It’s unfortunate that over the first four episodes, much of the humour boils down to a combination of "we’re old now" and "young people use social media," as that’s neither particularly funny nor clever. There’s also a distinct lack of the silliness and zany antics that once made Scrubs so special. Much of that can be blamed on a long list of missing characters, many of whom helped balance the strong character beats and medical drama with such ridiculousness as The Janitor trying to train a wolf to attack JD or Carla trying to find a replacement dead dog for her husband without him knowing. JD, Elliot, and Turk were always Scrubs' "leads," but the show was just as much about Carla, Dr. Cox, Dr. Kelso, The Janitor, and Jordan; only Carla, who appears sporadically, really gets anything noteworthy to do when Cox vanishes after the pilot. Todd and Hooch show up, providing at least a little fan service.
The new interns are fine, but ultimately make less of an impact than the med students in Season 8. Ava Bunn, Jacob Dudman, David Gridley, Layla Mohammadi, and Amanda Morrow all do great work, but the interns were always better served in minor roles. Making them co-leads is too big an ask, especially as their respective characters aren’t really interesting or compelling enough to get invested in. Wellness administrator Sibby is, unfortunately, the worst addition, and it’s not solely down to Vanessa Bayer's performance. With so many missing characters, Scrubs has attempted to make her an amalgamation of almost all those absent supporting players, only to create someone who exists primarily to set up flat jokes about political correctness and how you can no longer say certain things that were acceptable years ago.
Fortunately, Braff, Sarah Chalke, and Donald Faison are all as fantastic as ever in these roles, reminding us why we fell in love with these characters in the first place. Simultaneously, they do the best they can with the decisions for their characters that often don’t sit right. It’s wonderful seeing them back on screen together, and it’s like no time has passed, which is joyous if you're a longtime fan. They’re the undeniable highlight and make it worth tuning in.
Across these four episodes, there’s a great deal of inconsistency. Subplots are introduced and quickly abandoned; JD finds a rival in the form of a brilliant Joel Kim Booster as Dr. Eric Park, but he’s suddenly absent from the series as it continues. In the pilot, we learn that Turk has been dubbed "Dr. Bummer" by his interns and no longer sees any joy in his work; it has the potential to be a really fascinating arc for the character, but it's ditched as soon as JD decides to return to Sacred Heart (a fine resolution, albeit not an overly satisfying one). There are lots of unanswered questions about what’s become of everyone since we last saw them, which will hopefully be addressed in upcoming episodes, because an awful lot is glossed over, including how things played out for the now grown-up Sam, Jack, and Izzy. The latter has a blink-and-you'd-miss-it cameo in the pilot, at least. Season 9 has seemingly been totally retconned, which does the good work done there a disservice. On the plus side, the team behind Scrubs has done a terrific job of bringing Sacred Heart back to life with familiar sets—the hospital the show was originally shot in was demolished long ago—and it does feel like the series is starting to find its footing with the third and fourth episodes.
Back to being a fan for a moment, and in many respects, it hurts not to have enjoyed this Scrubs revival more. Having loved the original series since my teenage years, it almost feels like a slap in the face to everyone involved not to have a greater appreciation for what they’ve delivered. Unfortunately, the show doesn’t do enough to make this feel like a necessary return to Sacred Heart, and while it does feel familiar, there’s just too much missing. That unintentionally makes it feel like a half-hearted effort, and while everyone is giving it their all, the writing isn’t strong enough to do right by them and with so many jokes that don’t land, something is missing. Yes, the heart is still there, but it’s just not in it, and some of the decisions made with these characters just don’t sit right. Yes, people change in 15 years, and the show effectively portrays that, even if it means these characters have turned into versions of themselves that are no longer as easy to love.
When this Scrubs revival is good, though, it's really good. The medical storylines still click, and there are character beats, including with some of the interns, that feel like the Scrubs of old. It's good, not great, and if you consider the Season 8 finale one of the best series finales ever, perhaps it's best to steer clear. Alternatively, if you just want a taste of the magic that used to be contained within the walls of Sacred Heart and wish to spend more time with JD, Elliot, and Turk again, this is the show for you. There’s potential in the episodes to come, but based on the first four alone, it doesn’t seem unfair to say that some things are best left alone, and Scrubs might be one of them.
Braff, Chalke, and Faison remain excellent. However, one too many missing characters, some baffling creative decisions, and inconsistent writing make this feel like Scrubs-lite, despite the familiar heart and humour doing its best to carry the revival. ⭐⭐⭐