I hadn’t watched Scrubs much the past few seasons (and NBC certainly did not do much to remind me to check it out). But last night’s two new episodes on its new network, ABC, were aces, top-notch, silly ("Steak Night!") and funny (the episode-closing bit with barely-inside-jokes about Tony Shaloub’s universe-baffling multiple Emmy-wins) and a wee bit touching without being maudlin.
In short, the show proved decisively why it should continue. And as creator Bill Lawrence proved in his interview with my esteemed colleague Monsieur Ausiello, the show is likely to maintain this comic momentum for the rest of its season, and NBC made yet another boneheaded programming mistake in showing the show so little support over the years.
Scrubs fans and Scrubs skeptics: agree about last night? Disagree? Will you keep watching?
As a Scrubs devotee, I have been a fan of the show since the beginning. Like others, I’ve been really disappointed with the quality of the show over the past couple years. They were always able to blend humor and drama so well, and the past few years I just felt like they gave up and threw every slapstick gag they had at the screen. Last night I was SO happy to see Scrubs back in top form. I will definitely be watching every week, and I just hope it continues on this stellar path it showed us last night.
classic scrubs. nbc sucks.
Greatest. Show. Ever.
I totally agree about the episodes. Scrubs is a shining beacon of semi-intelligent humor in an otherwise dark cave of sitcoms. However I must admit that last night left me in a mild state of panic. Did they really fire The Janitor?!?
Loved it – a wonderful Scrubs mix of the ridiculous and the sublime (and Ted singing – yay!). The second episode was particularly touching to me, having recently lost my stepmother to leukemia. It’s a rare show that can have me bawling one minute and then cracking up laughing the next. Take that, NBC! Here’s hoping Scrubs flourishes on ABC!
I hope the HD stays instead of the one season finale episode they did a few years ago, then came back in 4:3 SD.
Always been a huge Scrubs fan and I was so elated to see not one, but TWO episodes last night!!! SCRUBS ROCKS!!!
Keep this show on the air! We need more seasons ordered STAT! Can Braff and Lawrence be paid to stay additional seasons? This show is finally firing on all cylinders again I hate to see it go.
The show was fabulous last night. NBC made a huge mistake in ignoring this show. I’m grateful to ABC for giving it a second chance, it was well deserved.
this is my favorite show ever, and I loved watching new episodes last night!! it was a nice change from all the other episodes I’ve seen 4+ times. ABC did a really good job of advertising “Scrubs” and I think it’s awesome that they kept referring to themselves as a better network, a better home, etc. I don’t know who decided that ABC should pick up “Scrubs,” but they’re my favorite person right now.
I loved last night’s episodes. Hilarious, absurd and touching. The 2nd episode was especially meaningful as I remembered how my grandma slpped away quietly, peacefully after the nurse gave her just one more taste of ice cream.
I thought the first episode was as good as typical Scrubs gets (loved that the first joke they aired on ABC was a joke about being on ABC.)
The second episode, however, “My Last Words”, was the kind of entertainment that Scrubs excels at over every other comedy (besides perhaps The Office) – goofy comedy rooted in sincerely moving gravitas. Watching Turk and J.D. comfort the dying patient George over the length of the episode was surprisingly moving, even for Scrubs which has been known to pull this kind of tender emotion out of nowhere now and then.
Also, I don’t know how these things get started but can we please keep the actor who played George (IMDb tells me it was Glynn Turman) on our short-list for Guest Actor consideration at the Emmys. His work was some of the best I’ve seen, Guest or Lead, all year. Anyone else?
Both eps were stellar, the new intern characters somehow against all odds DON’T suck, and “My Last Words” in particular is one of the strongest eps in the show’s history I think.
Also, I knew going in that every cast member had to take a couple episodes off for the show to make budget this year, but if they’re all this smooth (JD and Turk were the only regulars in the ep, did you notice?), then all will be well.
I agree with Bill Lawrence that they had to replace some of the silliness with more serious plot lines. The entire 2nd episode felt like a season 1 or 2 show, especially JD and Turk admitting that they were scared of death but couldn’t afford to admit it. Great stuff.
Oh yeah, I’m on board. Even when episodes have been uneven in the past, it’s still a better show than most and certainly than its timeslot competitors. I enjoyed last night’s episodes and look forward to more! Is Courteney Cox staying on, or is this a few-episodes guest stint?