A quick review of the "Scrubs" finale (which is at least the third time the show has aired an episode that many assumed to be the last one ever) coming up just as soon as I dress as a slutty ninja for Halloween...As I've been saying for the last bunch of episodes, how you feel about this one depends on if you viewed this as "Scrubs" season 9 or "Scrubs Med School" season 1. The early episodes with Zach Braff didn't work no matter which viewpoint you took, and the rest certainly didn't live up to the best of original "Scrubs." But once JD wrapped up his teaching stint at Sacred Heart 2.0, the season evolved into a promising, albeit uneven debut for a spin-off.
When I talked to Bill Lawrence a couple of months ago, he said, "I loved the ending of 'Scrubs.' I didn't end this." However, he and his team (in this case, writer Sean Russell and director Rick Blue) did come up with a fairly satisfying conclusion to this first season.
Cole finds a new career path (and very belatedly gives Donald Faison something to do now that JD is gone). Denise and Drew finally accept that their relationship is exactly that. And the med students finish working with the corpse of Ben, whom we met in the season (series?) premiere.
If "Our Thanks" wasn't as strong as last week's episode, it was because the episode leaned more heavily on Lucy, who never really clicked as our new main character. (Too JD-like, and only the running gag about her horse obsession ever made me laugh much.) But Turk's attempts to scare Cole off of surgery were all funny (and gave us one more/last scene of Turk dancing), and the Denise/Drew storyline was a nice role reversal on all the earlier shows where she was the one who had to soften up and embrace her feelings, and well-played by Michael Mosley.
Like I said last week, I seriously doubt the show gets yet another reprieve, unless ABC's comedy development is just a complete disaster (or unless the economics somehow make sense to use it again as filler in timeslots where ABC knows it won't compete anyway). The ratings last week were quite a bit below what "The Middle" and the other Wednesday comedies did, and with those three in reruns, I imagine last night's numbers will be even lower.
To me, "Scrubs" ended a year ago, and it ended really, really well. "Scrubs Med School" had a lot of growing pains, but ultimately it became something I enjoyed. I don't expect or need it to return, but if it did? I'd probably keep watching.
What did everybody else think?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI pretty much agree with your review. It was a good episode and I still would love to see a second season of Scrubs: Med School
ReplyDeleteAnd just one tiny little nitpicking: It's Michael/Mike Mosley not Matt. You might correct that ;-)
I think this season had to be viewed as a separate series. Heck I think Bill Lawrence even said they were toying with other names for it, so I'd like to think Scrubs ended awesomely last year, and we had a nice one year show about the perils of med school.
ReplyDeleteI doubt it gets picked up next year, I think Turk already has a cop show pilot in the works, but if anything, I hope this boosts the profile of Drew and Denise for other roles. Could easily see them leading some shows on television, and figure Lucy and Cole would make for good sidekicks. Though I fear Cole's going to be typecast as the character he played on the show here.
Regardless, though it had some bumps along the way, and even with them dropping the random security guards midway through the season, I liked having some form of new Scrubs still on television.
Matt Mosley is a football blogger for ESPN. Thanks, Christian.
ReplyDeleteI forgot about those security guards. They were annoying and out of place, glad they finally got rid of them.
ReplyDeleteAs Scrubs is my favourite show of all time, I was pleased to see that Med School didn't ruin the legacy of the first 8 years; it had it's flaws and growing pains and probably shouldn't have existed in the first place, but this show proved to be as funny and potentially poignant in the latter episodes as Scrubs was in its original form.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting sick of eulogising Scrubs though, I hope its renewed because it clawed its way up to a high level of comedy once more, and I like to have Turk, Cox, Cole, Denise and Drew in my viewing schedule, but it should just make way, nobody's watching.
As flawed as this season has been, this was a good episode to bow out on. I liked the Cole storyline, but maybe that's because it also heavily involved Turk (and I really hope Donald Faison latches on to something that will fully utilize how talented he is).
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I think this cast will go down in history as having the largest neck veins of any series.
I liked the way they've been taking the piss out of other TV show (the boring parts of Lost), and that they finally found something for Turk to do besides whimper about JD. I liked seeing him as the exasperated elder-- and apparently his and Carla's second baby was another girl. Did we know that before? There was some strong stuff in this last run-- Denise and Drew (in that order), Cole got funny, and most of all for me: Kelso Unbound!-- that probably would've gone into the DVD if Bill Lawrence didn't have CougarTown on ABC? and I never would have seen them, 'cause as much as I loved Scrubs, I probably wouldn't have bought the DVD set.
ReplyDeleteWith the exception of the Lucy scenes, I thought it was very funny last night. Cole was on fire. (Cole Cutz. Hee.) Cox had a good rant or two. And Turk danced. Good times.
ReplyDeleteI still consider last season's finale the finale of Scrubs and this season a spin-off.
What a sad way for a previously excellent series to bow out.
ReplyDeleteIf they were trying to go with "not funny" for their final episode... well then congratulations because they nailed it.
ReplyDeletePlease let Zombie Scrubs die...Bill Lawrence fanclub aside, it's been awful.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think a network could do worse to "Scrubs" than NBC had done. I was wrong.
ReplyDeleteBut even with all of ABC's missteps, the show really lost its way. Call it: Time of death, St. Patrick's Day 2010.
Heresy perhaps, but I preferred Med School to the original series, which I never found to be actually funny. Here's hoping it gets another pickup.
ReplyDeleteI still like it and hope that it gets a miracle season two.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what would happen if they gave it a new name, though: "Sacred Heart," maybe? Something other than "Scrubs," though.
It was an enjoyable episode, but a little bit too late. Its a shame they didn't have the confidence in the show to have it completely Zach Braff-less.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was as good a finish as they could've done. The characters are just starting on their medical journey- no place for conclusions really.
Won't miss it if it goes, but the cast and crew should be pleased they did a good job of rebooting
Sorry, but I reject the idea that this show was in any way a spin-off. Joey Tribbiani moving across the country to live with his sister and nephew was a spin-off. Joey moving to another apartment in the same building and hanging out with Ross, Phoebe, and a couple of new people with frequent visits from Chandler, Monica, and Rachel would NOT be a spin-off.
ReplyDeleteIf they wanted to do a spin-off they could have sent Dr. Cox to an entirely new hospital to clash with an entirely new group of people. That would have been a spin-off. Granted, it also would have been House, but it would have been a spin-off.
There's a complicated non-mathematical formula that determines spin-off status. Inclusion in a syndication package can throw it off.
ReplyDeletei'm glad they got rid of the Security Guards.
ReplyDeleteI'd watch any show about Med School. At least when Cole decided he was interested in Surgery, I had to stop myself when I started to say "Isn't it a little late... never mind."
I'm *still* trying to figure out why the Trauma Surgeon at Seattle Grace is taking out tumors.
Am I the only one who thinks Michael Mosley is a total stud? Damn!
ReplyDeleteThe show definitely grew on me throughout the season. Whether you class it as a spin off or not is up for debate. I think they could definitely have been bolder in some of the changes made such as using an alternative name, no Braff or Chalke & an end to the voiceover that ties up all the storylines. If you going to try & make a new show you may as well go the whole hog so it has its own identity instead of suffering in comparison to its predecessor.
ReplyDeleteOverall I thought it was ok season & would in all probability watch it if it returned.
On another note who noticed the cricket bat next to the sledgehammer. How bizarre?
Oh and I like the security guards.
"Kensington" provided an answer to a question that I had: "Would the new version of the show pick up any EXTRA fans or just lose old ones?" Apparently the answer is "a couple of new ones." Anyway, while the new Scrubs isn't the top-tier comedy that the old Scrubs was in its heyday, I really enjoy spending time with all the characters. And I know many disagree, but I find Lucy really likable.
ReplyDeleteI think part of the problem with this show was that the characters never really came together. Even in episodes where the cast of Scrubs was fighting and not getting along, they would usually figure out the problem and come together by the end. And they were genuinely good people. Even at their most annoying, JD, Elliot and the others were still good at their jobs and committed to excelling.
ReplyDeleteLucy never got "better" as a character and you only get the sense that Drew and Denise would tolerate Cole and Lucy after 30 minutes. And that goes for all the characters. They never seemed to bond. Even the final speech by Lucy was more her doing it on her own and the other students not really stopping her/helping her.
I agree Michael Mosley is super hot! I can't wait to see him in his next role! He was the best character on Scrubs Med... and one the best actors! I'd rather watch him than the whiny JD anyday!
ReplyDeleteThe biggest problem with Scrubs Med School was Lucy. They tried to make her a female JD when JD already embraced feminine qualities! On him, the whiny, emotional, dreamy characteristics were funny and endearing but on her they are just annoying and made me wince. The supporting characters were great, but an annoying main character is a killer.
ReplyDeleteIf it really is the for reals no foolin' this time finale this time, I will miss it. I came to like the characters and would like to see more of them.
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch Scrubs this season. But if it really came together by the end and became an enjoyable show then I think it definitely deserves another season.
ReplyDeleteNOT another season of 'Scrubs' though, I meant another season of 'Scrubs: Med School'.
(Not that it would have made much of a difference with the ratings, but did ABC do the smart thing when they decided to launch it as 'Season 9' instead of a spin-off)?