The debate about whichScrubsepisode is the best will probably never be settled, but there is definitely a trend that emerges when the sitcom’s upper echelon of offerings is assembled and analyzed.All nine seasons ofScrubsaired between 2001 and 2010, and there are several episodes regarded as the show’s superlative efforts. With aScrubsrevivalseemingly on the way, the cult classic will have a tough task trying to improve upon its original run, but it stands a chance of doing so if it takes its past successes into account.
Every doctor inScrubshad a variety of arcs. The show’s storylines went from comical absurdity to heartfelt tearjerker in the blink of an eye, and both approaches were incredibly effective during its nine years on the air. The equal blend of sad moments and sidesplitting hilarity helped the medical sitcom stand out among its contemporaries, and few shows since have struck the balance quite so well. AlthoughScrubs’s potential comeback is likely to replicate this formula, it should arguably focus on one more than the other.
Most Of Scrubs' Highest-Rated Episodes Are Devastatingly Sad
Ben’s funeral episode is at the top of the list
Almost every one of the top 10Scrubsepisodes onIMDbis filled with emotional turmoil. While the sitcom had a sadness quota to fill due to being a medical show, the deeply emotional episodes being rated so highly suggests they were much better received than their comically-led counterparts. Most of the episodes in question involve a character’s death or at least bidding farewell to them in another capacity.It’s a surprising pattern given how few truly sadScrubsepisodes there areby comparison, but it’s very telling.
3
14
9.7/10
Ben’s funeral
8
19
JD’s last day
5
20
9.6/10
Jill’s death & Dr. Cox’s breakdown
2
9.3/10
Turk & JD cancel their plans to keep a dying patient company
21
9.2/10
Dr. Cox is stuck in a spiral
1
4
9.1/10
JD loses an elderly patient who is ready to die
18
7
22
9.0/10
Ben’s leukemia diagnosis
6
15
Laverne’s death
In the top spot with 9.7/10 isScrubsseason 3, episode 14, “My Screwup.” TheSixth Sense-style episode is brilliantly written and only shows its true sorrow when it’s revealedBrendan Fraser’s Ben Sullivan has been a projection of Dr. Cox’s grieving psyche. Other characters lost inScrubs' top 10 episodes include Jill Tracy in “My Lunch,” Mrs. Tanner in “My Old Lady,” and Laverne in “My Long Goodbye.” However,Laverne’s passing was somewhat undercut when Aloma Wright returned as Shirleyin the next season.
Scrub’s homage to The Wizard of Oz deserves to be in the top 10
In 8th place between “My Finale: Part One” and “My Occurrence” rests something of an outlier. “My Way Home” doesn’t have a melancholic atmosphere like the other nine episodes, but there’s a very simple explanation for why it has managed to rank so highly despite bucking the trend.“My Way Home” was made asScrubs' 100th episode, so the installment has a unique feel that’s impossible to forget. As one of thesevenScrubsepisodes directed by Zach Braff, “My Way Home” is a clever homage to 1939’sThe Wizard of Oz, and it’s deserving of its high ranking.
If “My Way Home” were to be removed from the ranking, then its place would be taken by an episode that’s much more consistent with the theme of negative or unwanted emotions.
Interestingly,Scrubsseason 3, episode 12, “My Catalyst” is in 11th place on IMDb’s list. While it’s not sad all the way though,Michael J. Fox’sScrubscharacterends the episode at the mercy of his OCD symptoms, and the scene is an upsetting one to witness. So, if “My Way Home” were to be removed from the ranking, then its place would be taken by an episode that’s much more consistent with the theme of negative or unwanted emotions. Similarly,“My Musical” is in 12th place, which would chalk another one up forScrubs' brilliant gimmick episodes.
Scrubs' Saddest Episodes Being So Successful Influenced The Showrunner’s Future Projects
Bill Lawrence has reworked the Scrubs formula for shows like Ted Lasso
Scrubsshowrunner Bill Lawrence has continued his success in the wake of the show’s ending and developed several other shows. AlthoughCougar Townhoned in on the emotional side of the approach a little less thanScrubs, two of his Apple TV+ shows have definitely benefited from the sadder aspects of the formula. The most prominent would be the comedy-drama,Ted Lasso. The Jason Sudeikis-led show has, at times, completely dispensed with trying to make the audience laugh and instead included scenes and sometimes entire episodes that are there solely for dramatic purposes.
Scrubs Creator’s New 93% RT Show Repeats A 22-Year Returning Actor Trend That Began With Season 1
Bill Lawrence could be creating a shared universe by bringing a Scrubs side character back, but it would be his third project doing so.
TheShrinkingcastis also no stranger to Lawrence’s propensity for brilliantly upsetting his audience. That being said, although bothTed LassoandShrinkingcan go toe-to-toe withScrubs' sadder moments, the medical sitcom still comes away the victor when it comes to purely comedic moments due to its heightened sense of reality. If aScrubsrevival does get officially greenlit, it will be interesting to see if Bill Lawrence’s more recent projects will unconsciously shift the balance between the sitcom’s two sides, or whether he’s able to recapture the same ratio of laughs and tears.
Scrubs
Cast
Scrubs is a Sitcom and Medical Comedy/Drama created by Bill Lawrence that follows a group of medical students throughout their daily lives at the Sacred Heart Teaching Hospital. The series stars Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, and Donald Faison, as they work their way up from Medical Interns while juggling all sorts of hospital shenanigans.
