Archived: Nov 19, 2007

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Retiring my favorite pair of ‘Scrubs’

The making of a final season

By Melissa Campbell

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It would be unfair to write this article without mentioning my unabashed affection for “Scrubs.” For six years, this 30 minutes of Thursday night television (and for that short while, Tuesday night) was something to look forward to.

The show, brainchild of “Spin City” creator Bill Lawrence, breathed life back into the sitcom, abandoning the laugh track and employing the one-camera shooting technique now used by many comedies like “The Office.”

It also spawned the career of Zach Braff, who was relatively unknown until he took the part as the show’s main character, J.D. “Scrubs” is told through the eyes and voice of J.D, and as a result we often find ourselves inside his head, privy to his sometimes private fantasies.

“Scrubs” is in its seventh and final season. While there was talk that Season Six would be the sitcom’s last, NBC has officially announced that this is the last season of “Scrubs.” Deny it all you want, but there are certain unavoidable signs that all point to the series finale.

  1. Colin Hay returned as that guy with the guitar (“My Hard Labor”)
    Singer Colin Hay reappears, a throwback to the episode “My Overkill,” where he first appeared. Kim (Elizabeth Banks) is about to give birth to J.D’s son Sam, and J.D. is trying to imagine what the baby will look like. The baby happens to be Colin Hay, singing “I come from a land down under.” Back in reality, J.D. says to himself, “I wondered where he was hiding.” The whole scene is a real treat for loyal Scrub’s fans, and nice completed circle for the character.

  2. Elliot breaks off her engagement to Keith (“My Own Worst Enemy”)
    At the conclusion of Season Six, Elliot and J.D. were faced with life-changing decisions: Elliot with whether or not to marry fiance Keith (Travis Schuldt), and J.D. with whether or not to stay with his pregnant girlfriend Kim. Both are unsure of their feelings and are contemplating running away together. Lucky for fans, they don’t. In Episode 201, Elliot decides to break off her relationship with Keith, a minor character that first appeared in season three, allowing the show to focus more on its original cast.

  3. J.D reconciles the relationship with his brother Dan (“My Inconvenient Truth”)
    J.D’s brother Dan returns again this season in Episode 203. Their relationship is less than harmonious, and each time Dan comes to visit J.D, it brings a new set of problems. This time, Dan, who has always been less successful than J.D, has started a new career as a house flipper and has brought J.D. a hybrid car as a gift so that he is able to drive to visit his son. J.D. is less than grateful for the gesture, as he is taken aback by Dan’s newfound success. In the end he gets over his whiny self and the two brothers go to see baby Sam together.

  4. Dr. Cox realizes he is not an island (“My Identity Crisis”)
    In last Thursday’s episode, Dr. Cox’s partner Jordan (Christa Miller) takes their two children to her mother’s house for the week. The two make a bet about who will miss whom first. Cox, despite his efforts, caves first, and calls Jordan. The man fans have come to know as an island finally realized he needs people who love him in his life.

What is still to come? Well, Laverne (Aloma Wright), who was killed last season, has returned as a new character, Nurse Shirley, which has to provide some conclusion to Laverne’s death.

Likewise, viewers almost learned the name of the Janitor on Thursday night; maybe that is in store for us in the 20 or so remaining episodes.

As the season goes on, there are bound to be more plot points like these, as Scrubs attempts to tie up all the loose threads left behind by seven years of work, creating the conclusion to a masterpiece that should go down in sitcom history as one of the greats.

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