It's not like I'd never seen an episode of the Scrubs. My friends watched it, and we would occasionally sit through an episode while waiting for our gaming buddies to show up for a board game session. But seeing a single installment in isolation doesn't give you a complete sense of what the show is about.
And so it was that I recently discovered Scrubs on Netflix and decided to give it a try. Having exhausted every episode of The IT Crowd, I was hungry for another good comedy series, one with the same kind of outrageous, laugh-out-loud moments I enjoyed with Roy, Moss and Jen. The first series to come to mind was Scrubs. Having seen a few scattered episodes of it in the past, I knew it was a good bet.
I have not been disappointed. I've been watching at least two episodes a night for the past week. While I don't find it as absurd and hilarious as The IT Crowd, I've become addicted to Scrubs largely because you just can't help loving these characters and seeing their relationships evolve.
Lately, I find myself contemplating my preconceived notions about the show from the few chapters I watched before. Primarily, I realized that you tend to judge the characters in certain ways based on out-of-context scenes. So here's my rundown of my character judgments prior to actually watching the first season:
JD: Duh. He's the main character, so you love him as the good-hearted underdog.
Turk: JD's wingman. A little on the cocky side, so I don't like him as much as I do JD.
Elliot: The token hottie. JD likes her; she's not into him. Yadda, yadda.
Carla: The hottie nurse, Turk's woman.
Dr. Cox: Total asshole. Takes every opportunity to gut JD of any sense of self worth and dignity.
Dr. Kelso: Satan incarnate.
Janitor: Weird, scary dude.
Jordan: The former Mrs. Cox, probably left him because he's a total asshole. Obviously, she deserved better.
Todd: A brainless, annoying jock.
And after watching one season of the program, my conceptions have changed to:
JD: Duh. He's the main character. I like him even more now that I've seen the show.
Turk: Still kind of cocky, but in a lovable and funny way.
Elliot: A very sympathetic character, full of vulnerabilities. I sometimes get angry at her for not being stronger.
Carla: The mercurial hottie. Don't piss her off. But she's got her vulnerable side too. Love her.
Dr. Cox: Dammit. I wanted to hate this bastard, but they went and showed how totally messed up the dude is and I can't help feeling sorry for him. He's a jerk, but he's a jerk with a heart who genuinely cares about his patients.
Todd: A lovable manchild.
Dr. Kelso: Satan incarnate.
Janitor: Still weird, still scary, and a major pain to JD. But after seeing how his father treats him and understanding his defensiveness and self-esteem issues, yeah, he's a sympathetic character too.
Jordan: Mrs. Satan Incarnate. I thought Cox was the asshole, but she obviously wrecked the man. I already know from watching isolated episodes that they temporarily get back together, but I'm on Cox's side in this battle.
Scrubs is one of those sitcoms that goes for a lot of the daydreamer humor that often gives it a surreal quality. The funniest and most outrageous moments are those in which JD creates daydream metaphors for the real-life conflicts he faces. I especially loved the episode in which he saw Dr. Cox as the superhero who could save a leukemia victim (who just happened to be Cox's former brother-in-law). The a capella band headed by hospital attorney Ted's rendition of the Underdog theme song was hilarious in this one.
Ultimately, though, these daydream moments of JD's are true metaphors representing his interpretation of events and his personal growth. In spite of all the verbal abuse he's suffered from Cox, he comes to idolize him because he sees through the craggy exterior to the vulnerable man beyond, a man steeped in emotional torment yet determined to do right by his patients. It is, after all, Cox who helps JD overcome many of his own personal fears to not only succeed in the hospital, but to also follow a moral path. In a world where money and politics grease the wheels of the machine, it is Cox who teaches JD how to game the system to do the right thing.
At its heart, Scrubs is a serious drama that tackles real issues. I'm in love with this person, but I have to work with her professionally every day and not let it interfere with my job. This person has no health insurance; how can we get him the surgery he needs? I'm afraid of death, but I have to live with it every day.
Never before has a show made me laugh so much and cry so much at the same time. Every episode is funny and moving and thoughtful. I walk away from each feeling a little sad and a little hopeful, but always I am moved. Very few TV programs have the ability to affect me so deeply. To dismiss Scrubs as comedy is to fail to fundamentally understand it and its characters.
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