With a Scrubs comeback on the horizon, speculation can begin in earnest about what the sitcom’s revival will bring, and the show’s original run can provide several clues regarding character motivations and future storylines. Although the Scrubs revival has yet to be officially greenlit, those involved with the show have been very vocal about their desire and plan to resurrect the cult classic. Showrunner Bill Lawrence himself has confirmed Scrubs is “so very close” to coming back. While Lawrence has announced some loose details about what he has planned, solid information remains scarce.
All nine seasons of Scrubs aired between 2001 and 2010, although Scrubs season 9 is often maligned for its drastic overhaul and reshuffling of the cast. The medical sitcom is remembered for its zany sense of humor, reality-breaking fantasies, and devastatingly emotional moments. When Scrubs eventually makes its inevitable return, it will need to recapture the magic that made so many viewers fall in love with it. However, it’ll also need to push the boundaries to make it worth the effort of producing more episodes. From a story point of view, it’s easier to predict some things than others.
10 Rowdy (& Steven) Will Still Be Going Strong In The Scrubs Revival
Turk & JD’s stuffed dogs are strangely indispensable
One of the weirdest running gags in Scrubs lore is JD and Turk refusing to break the illusion of their stuffed dogs still being alive. It’s even more unusual when it’s considered neither pooch belonged to either character when alive. Regardless, the scenes and exchanges about what Rowdy needs, wants, and likes are incredibly memorable – even if only for their irreverence. The appearance of an identical stuffed dog named Steven only deepened the joke and made sure it wasn’t going away, and the revival will almost definitely continue the bit.
One of the last updates about Rowdy and Steven revealed that Turk took the former, and JD took the latter.
One of the last updates about Rowdy and Steven revealed that Turk took the former, and JD took the latter. Although Steven was originally sourced by Carla to replace Rowdy after she lost him, JD had weirdly grown just as attached to Steven as he had to Rowdy. So, Scrubs season 10 is likely to abide by this development. That being said, the dogs can’t really contribute much to the story in any active manner, so it would be reasonable to assume they won’t feature too heavily if they do show up in the revival.
9 JD Will Have Built A House On His Half-Acre
Zach Braff’s character has had plenty of time to finish this project
JD’s Scrubs season 5 romance arc with Julie quickly spirals out of control when the couple purchases a half-acre of land together to cement their relationship. Although the sitcom does follow this plot for a while, it quickly slips out of prominence. JD presumably retained ownership of the land after his split from Julie, although Scrubs never implicitly states this. What’s so memorable about JD’s half-acre is that he never got around to building a house on it – just a deck.
JD could very well have made more progress and added to the deck in the last 15ish years.
Scrubs season 10 will need to bring JD back into the area after moving away at the end of season 8, and his half-acre is a perfect way to do that. It would make sense for the revival to mimic the amount of time that has passed since the show ended in 2010, so JD could very well have made more progress and added to the deck in the last 15ish years. With a wife and two kids – and possibly even more since – the Dorian family will certainly need the space.
8 JD’s Son & Turk’s Daughter Will Be The Scrubs Revival’s Will They/Won’t They
Sam & Izzy tie the knot in JD’s Scrubs season 8 farewell fantasy montage
As soon as JD’s firstborn arrives in Scrubs season 7, episode 2, “My Hard Labor,” JD and Turk make it clear that they want their offspring to get married, so the two best friends can spend even more time together. While the kids were still far too young for this to become a reality in the sitcom’s original run, Scrubs season 10 can begin to tease the future union between Sam Dorian and Isabella “Izzy” Turk.
It all depends on how much
Scrubs
‘ comeback intends to focus on the next generation of Dorians and Turks.
Scrubs seasons 1-8 had Elliot and JD fulfilling the famous will they/won’t they sitcom trope, so the revival will need a new couple to focus on in this respect. While Sam and Izzy will still only be in their mid-late teens by the time of the Scrubs revival, it would still be hilarious to see their respective fathers so invested in making sure their kids fall for each other. It all depends on how much Scrubs‘ comeback intends to focus on the next generation of Dorians and Turks.
7 Dr. Kelso Will Have A Reduced Role
Ken Jenkins hasn’t acted in a few years (but he must come back for Scrubs season 10)
Scrubs wouldn’t be the same without Ken Jenkins back as Dr. Kelso. Unfortunately, the actor’s recent career suggests he may be enjoying a soft retirement. Jenkins hasn’t accepted a role since 2019’s Girls Weekend, and he doesn’t appear to have any upcoming projects in the works. Paired with the fact he’s now in his mid-eighties, it could be that Jenkins has no desire to return to acting, or it could be that no projects presented to him have been to his liking. Hopefully, it’s the latter, and Dr. Kelso makes a cameo at the very least.
After serving as Sacred Heart’s Chief of Medicine since the sitcom’s pilot, Kelso transitioned into a muffin-loving mentor for Dr. Cox while hanging aimlessly around the hospital.
Jenkins’ role already transformed a great deal toward the end of Scrubs season 7 and continued to do so in the next two batches of episodes. After serving as Sacred Heart’s Chief of Medicine since the sitcom’s pilot, Kelso transitioned into a muffin-loving mentor for Dr. Cox while hanging aimlessly around the hospital. Although he was still funny, it would be great if Jenkins’ potential comeback could find a way to be more like the old Kelso.
6 Scrubs Season 9 Will Be More Important Than Everyone Expects
Bill Lawrence and his team can’t ignore the Med School episodes
It would be difficult to find a Scrubs fan who ranks season 9 anywhere else other than last place. Although the Med School premise held a compelling future for Scrubs, it just didn’t work all that well. However, the softly-rebooted era of the sitcom made massive changes to Scrubs canon that can’t be undone and must be honored when the show returns. Therefore, Scrubs season 10 can’t get away with ignoring the events of season 9.
Related
Scrubs Season 9’s Best Storyline Happened 1 Episode Too Late
Scrubs: Med School didn’t do much right, but it did introduce a storyline that could have been brilliant if it had been introduced slightly earlier.
The biggest alteration to the formula was the demolition of the old Sacred Heart Hospital. As a result, any new episodes can’t return to the beloved set – and not just because the real building was also torn down in 2011. The most logical solution would just be for the revival to take place primarily at the new hospital introduced in Med School. Additionally, the characters who debuted could also return in some form when the sitcom is revived. If so, there would likely be resistance from portions of the fan base, but there’s not really any getting around it.
5 The Todd Will Be Watered Down In Scrubs Season 10
Todd’s whole shtick wouldn’t fly in 2024
One of the harsh realities of rewatching Scrubs so long after the show ended is just how inappropriate the Todd was. Almost every line out of his mouth was an innuendo, and while many of them were hilarious, present-day sensibilities make it much less likely that Rob Maschio’s character would be permitted to utter such vulgarity in a Disney-owned sitcom. It would be an incomplete reunion without Todd’s comeback in Scrubs season 10, but his dialogue and general demeanor will probably be a shadow of what it was during the original run.
The fact that the Todd was a skilled and sought-after surgeon elevated his crude one-liners even further into the world of comical absurdity.
Lewd behavior and sexually charged dialogue aren’t unheard of in sitcoms in 2024, but Todd’s outbursts quite often blurred the line between what was good-natured comedy and what would have resulted in serious escalation. However, the fact that the Todd was a skilled and sought-after surgeon elevated his crude one-liners even further into the world of comical absurdity, so there’s still a chance Scrubs‘ new era could sneak more graphic innuendos under the wire than expected.
4 There Will Be Flashbacks To Scrubs’ Original Run
Scrubs season 10 will almost definitely cash in on its heyday
Nostalgia will undeniably be one of the main driving forces behind the Scrubs revival. Although the aforementioned ninth season was received incredibly poorly, existing fans will be tuning in to feel that warm glow of familiarity from the first eight sets of episodes. The presence of the original cast will go a long way to achieving that, but Scrubs season 10 can go one step further and include freshly shot flashbacks to when the old Sacred Heart Hospital was still standing.
The sitcom’s original run can remain unaltered while Zach Braff’s character takes viewers back to
Scrubs
‘ golden age all within the safety of his imagination.
Of course, Scrubs has the added advantage of JD’s fantasies, which generally don’t affect the show’s main canon. Therefore, the sitcom’s original run can remain unaltered while Zach Braff’s character takes viewers back to Scrubs‘ golden age all within the safety of his imagination. There’s also the possibility of actually flashing back to the 2000s within the world of the sitcom. The actors may have aged since then, but sitcoms often don’t need to worry about historical accuracy in that respect. In fact, token efforts to age down a member of the cast can often make these moments much funnier.
3 Ted Will Be Respectfully Written Out Of The Show
Sam Lloyd sadly passed away in 2020
Sadly, Sam Lloyd’s death in 2020 means he’s currently the only member of the original cast who definitely won’t be part of the revival. Ted’s presence will be sorely missed in Scrubs season 10, but he can still be mentioned by his friends and former colleagues. The show will need to explain where Ted has gone, so Bill Lawrence and company can include a respectful reason why Ted is missing in one of the scripts.
There are a few possibilities for explaining Ted’s absence in the
Scrubs
revival.
There are a few possibilities for explaining Ted’s absence in the Scrubs revival. The first revolves around Lloyd reprising the role of Ted in Cougar Town, so the character could just be living in Florida and choosing not to return. The alternatives largely revolve around an offscreen death to mirror Lloyd’s passing. There is already precedent for this in the sitcom, as John Ritter’s planned return as JD’s dad in Scrubs season 6 had to pivot to a story about the character’s death after Ritter also passed away.
2 The Scrubs Revival Will End With JD As Chief Of Medicine Of Sacred Heart
Turk & JD running Sacred Heart together just feels right
Although Scrubs season 8’s “My Finale” two-parter was brilliant, the sitcom arguably dropped the ball by not giving JD his perfect ending. With Turk being promoted to Chief of Surgery near the end of season 8 – a role he retained in season 9 – Scrubs had the opportunity to retain JD as Dr. Cox’s number two and tease the eventual possibility of Braff’s character supplanting his mentor and taking over as Sacred Heart’s Chief of Medicine.
JD and Turk running the hospital sounds like the ending the original run couldn’t make happen, and it would be the best place to end the
Scrubs
revival.
Dr. Cox will be older in the Scrubs revival than Kelso was in the show’s first-ever episode, so it would not be surprising if Cox retires during the revival. Even if the sitcom decides not to bring JD back to Sacred Heart at first, then Dr. Cox’s retirement would open the door for him to name his protégé as his successor. JD and Turk running the hospital sounds like the ending the original run couldn’t make happen, and it would be the best place to end the Scrubs revival.
1 The Janitor Will Return In Scrubs Season 10 After Disappearing In Season 9
Neil Flynn only appeared very briefly in the Med School pilot
Neil Flynn’s enigmatic Scrubs character was one of the beloved figures who didn’t return for the Med School episodes. He appeared for a brief cameo in the first installment to jokingly explain his absence, but that was it. The hilarious dynamic between JD and the Janitor was one of the best facets of Scrubs, and there was a gaping hole in season 9. Proving that Scrubs is much poorer for the lack of the Janitor was one of the few good things the show’s final season did, so he’s almost guaranteed to return.
Related
Scrubs’ Revival Already Has Dr. Cox’s Perfect Replacement Ready For When JD Gets His Dream Ending
The Scrubs revival can only really end one way, and when it does, the sitcom already has a contingency in place for when JD settles into his new role.
The Janitor’s propensity for intentionally spreading misinformation means his comeback could be one of the funniest parts of the revival. It’s impossible to trust a single word that leaves his mouth, so the sitcom has the chance to offer up several theories about where the Janitor has been all this time, and why he chose to come back. Failure to bring the Janitor back for Scrubs season 10 could spell disaster for the sitcom’s return – but hopefully, he’ll be one of the first characters through the door.
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.
- Cast
- John C. McGinley , Robert Maschio , Donald Faison , Christa Miller , Neil Flynn , Judy Reyes , Aloma Wright , Zach Braff , Sarah Chalke , Sam Lloyd , Ken Jenkins
- Release Date
- October 1, 2001
- Seasons
- 9
- Showrunner
- Bill Lawrence
