Spoilers for tonight's "Scrubs" coming up just as soon as I enjoy some ranch dressing...
I want to start off by kneeling at the altar of the musical god that is Sam Lloyd. We're eight years into the run of "Scrubs," a show that has made extensive and memorable use of music -- both pre-recorded tunes and a cappella reinterpretations by Ted's "band" -- and yet I would have to already place his slowed-down, acoustic rendition of "Hey Ya!" as one of my favorite "Scrubs" songs ever. I don't know if that was a pre-existing arrangment (the song's old enough, and was ubiquitous enough for a while, that I wouldn't be surprised if someone had done something similar before) or if this is something Lloyd came up with on his own, but it was beautiful, it gave me a new appreciation of a song I had long since grown sick of, and it seemed the perfect accompaniment to the reconciliation scenes for our three main couples.So what I'm saying, I think, is that Sam Lloyd should be your next American Idol.
Having proved the point (as far as I was concerned, at least) that they could produce a funny episode filmed at a remote location with part one of "My Soul on Fire," Bill Lawrence and company (specifically, Bill Callahan, who wrote both parts) seemed content to move into more emotional territory for part two, as Cox forced Jordan to let go (as much as she could) of the fiction that they dislike each other, Carla realized that sometimes it's okay to be a wife first and a mother second (and Judy Reyes got her own chance to strut in a swimsuit), Janitor said something relatively heartfelt (and only slightly deranged) in his vows to Lady, and JD finally figured out the most romantic thing he could possibly say to Elliot:
"Elliot, I love you more than Turk."Nice work all around by the entire cast, and the silliness with the imitation "Brady Bunch" tiki necklaces paid off well in a more dramatic context, which is the kind of thing "Scrubs" does so well when it's at its best.
And there was just enough comedy -- Kelso parking himself at the bar for the entire trip, Ted's ongoing sunscreen problems, Todd loudly high-fiving over the announcement of Janitor's name -- that it didn't feel like a complete 180 turn from the first part. Also, Lawrence -- who's always been very funny and charming at press events for the show -- acquitted himself just fine as justice of the peace Van, particularly his delivery of, "I am not a strong public speaker, nor am I that familiar with the Bible..."
What did everybody else think? And has Donald Faison ever done the George Jefferson walk before the way he did as Turk followed Carla into the ocean?
54 comments:
There was a guy who did the acoustic slow version of Hey Ya:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-8nkkOA_AM
But it's not that I didn't appreciate Ted's, either. His was good.
This was pretty satisfying, although I was really faked out and thought we would get janitor's real name. Guess that's a finale type thing.
I'm hoping for an mp3 of that song it was really well done and a pretty good episode all around
I thought it was a great episode, even felt like a finale type episode. Ted's rendition of the song made me immediately go on youtube to see if it's been done before. I agree a mp3 would be great.
So what I'm saying, I think, is that Sam Lloyd should be your next American Idol.
I totally agree! That was surprisingly beautiful, so kudos to whoever arranged it.
Carla looked hot in her swimsuit, but decidedly not as pregnant as she had looked in her "mom" clothes. I guess I can justify it by saying the "mom" clothes were so unflattering they made her look fatter, but that was kind of jarring.
Overall, a pretty satisfying episode. Plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, and some "aw" stuff, too.
My roommate plays an acoustic version of "Hey ya!" which I always thought to be kinda odd, especially when he shouts "Give me some sugar, I am your neighbor!" I like Ted's version though.
It was a good ep, but I think it would have felt stronger if the whole thing had been aired as an hourlong.
I was amazed to learn that I could identify the 1960s Ballantine Edition of The Two Towers that Eliot was reading from the establishing shot.
Yep. The original slowed down acoustic version of "Hey Ya" was done by a guy named Obidiah Parker. He released it in 2006 and I believe StereoGum named it one of the best covers of the year. It could still be out there for a free download from their site, but if not and you're interested in the mp3 of his version, feel free to e-mail me and I'll send it on over tomorrow when I'm back at my "music" computer.
I caught the Bill Lawrence cameo, but didn't recognize Ira. Was that a cameo, or just a really bad actor? (He was the guy at the bar who Kelso took the Bahama Mama from, right?)
Was I seeing things, or was that guitar strung for a right handed player, even though Ted played it lefty?
For some reason this isn't airing in the Atlanta market until 2am. Thanks, WSB. I realize this contributes nothing to the conversation here at all, but it annoys me, so I vent.
The most well known (and first) acoustic version of Hay Ya! was indeed done by Parker, but here's another great version. A bit faster too, and with a great soulful voice, courtesy of Michael Bernard Fitzgerald of Calgary, AB!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEbZxaXYGHk
amysuzanne: don't worry we didn't get Scrubs pt 2 or Better Off Ted either. The Scrubs pt 2 is airing at 3:35am on like Sunday or something. I'm lucky I went hunting for it. Our DVR missed it completely. I'm ranting right along with you here in Dallas. :(
Ditto what everyone else said!
Loved it! So touching and sweet!
And I really hope they release this mp3.
I knew they weren't going to tell us the janitor's name, but I was still on the edge of my couch.
Did anyone else notice Jordan wearing a wedding ring when she confronted Dr. Cox? Given the previous episode where they made such a big deal of Dr. Cox wearing his I thought the show was going to use it as a subtle acknowledgement of the growth of the relationship, but I didn't hear any mention of it in the show. Seemed odd to me, unless they mentioned it earlier and I missed it.
Just a really solid episode all around. It did well everything that scrubs does well
Loved this episode, and I thought Bill Lawrence was delightful in his cameo. Thanks for all you sleuths who found the acoustic Hey Ya on YouTube. Hopefully Ted's version will show up on iTunes.
Pathetic side note: I can't believe how excited I got to finally hear Janitor's name. I seriously need to get a life.
p.s. Who is Ira?
BTW, I think Bill Lawrence's dad's name is Van.
"I love you more than Turk." That was possibly the most perfect way for JD to express his love for Elliot. Brilliant writing. "Nice hat. Does it come in human size" Oh, Perry. Hilarious. Definitely feels like the show is winding down. I'll miss it.
Right now this blog post is the first listing when you search for "Hey Ya Scrubs" on Google.
The song reminded me of Colin Hay's "Men at Work" reworkings a few years back.
So for somebody who missed it...what's the Janitor's name?
let's be honest, nothing can compare with Outkast. However, Ted did it justice with his cover.
The Janitor's name may have been spoken but was heard by no one, as two different noisy things got in the way. (or one noisy thing and something else)
I liked the episode and why does Bill look so young?
What is going on in Dallas and Atlanta to push the show to the wee hours? (glad you caught that)
and then there was Elliot and her fear of redheads.
I still cringe at that laptop flying into the water.
Good ep, would have been better in one piece, especially considering the two-fers they gave us for half the season anyway.
and yeah, who was Ira?
still, nice to see Doug.
and yes, I love you more than Turk will work
Alan,
Are you going to do a Best and Worst Moments of Scrubs like you did ER?
"Ira" was a local Hope Town character. Not an actor. Just a crusty local dude. The guy who Kelso took the Bahama Mama from is Bill Lawrence's Dad. I spent all three days last summer with the cast at the Bahamas shoot... Oh yeah, did anyone else catch the fact that at the end, when Judy was strutting down the beach in her bikini - there were mountains in the background. No mountains in the Abacos...
I think I understand why Christa Miller gets procedures done: Bill Lawrence looks so young!
I thought this episode was just perfect. My boyfriend and I were clutching hands waiting for the Janitor Name but got a lot of laughs out of the way they handled it instead.
The janitors vows were so right for him, so well written, such a happy ending for our beloved adversary. (Especially that we go to see that Lady is a little on the weird side too). And I didn't see it coming at all, but what JD said to Elliot was exactly what to happen, and it was wonderful.
And Ted....Oh....wow......please let him make an album! With some Gooch duets too I hope!
Random thoughts:
To anonymous that asked about Jordan's ring, she did put it on at the end of the episode where Dr. Cox wanted to wear them, and then got made at him for noticing (or did I just dream that?)
I"m so glad The Todd was on the trip, aside getting to use the high five as a punch-line to cover the janitor's name I was glad the actor got to go on the location shoot. He's been with them since the beginning and while he only had a few really big episodes he was always there for comic relief. Well deserved trip to the Bahamas I say.
If the show never aired another episode I would be sad of course, but this was a send off that I could be really pleased with.
Bill Lawrence WINS the bet.
Obadiah Parker is the name of the folk band that did the Hey Ya cover a few years back, and their EP with two versions of that song are on iTunes, but that's no rip on Sam Lloyd, both versions are stunning.
Also, if you like Lloyds music "Ted's Band" is ACTUALLY a real band called The Blanks and they have three albums on iTunes, all which fall into a similar vein as the "Hey Ya" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" covers.
One of the best episodes of the season, and up there overall. Good to see they are going to end this show the right way and not try and pass off an "interns" show without wrapping up storyline
The guy who Kelso took the Bahama Mama from is Bill Lawrence's Dad. It was obvious he wasn't an actor. I figured he was related to the cast or was a long-time crew member. Nice trivia. Thanks. :)
@Jennifer:
We *did* get Ted, we only lost "Scurbs". Don't know what you guys got in its place, but we apparently got a special about tornadoes.
Yep. A thirty minute special about *tornadoes*.
God i am going to miss this show when it's gone! What a great job Bill and his crew have done wrapping up the series. I have laughed so hard at every episode this year and i definitely can't say that about the last 2 years.
J.D.'s expression of his love for Eliot was priceless, loved the Janitor's clearly improv-ed vows, and Bill Lawrence was great in his role.
Other favorite line besides J.D.'s expression of love was when Janitor was talking to Doug back at the hospital and said "I'll stay on the line as long as you want" and then immediately hangs up when someone yells his name.
Great stuff, going to be sad when this show goes.
Here are The Blanks' website.
Thanks for that headsup, Mitch.
http://www.theblankswebsite.com/
I keep forgetting to ask about this. Christa Miller used to be credited as Christa Miller-Lawrence but for awhile now she's been back to Christa Miller. Did she and Bill Lawrence split?
Last night's episode was kinda melancholy for me. I laughed and really enjoyed, and loved Ted's "Hey Ya" rendition. But it also made me sad to think about what this show could have been had NBC not destroyed it by constantly moving it. When Scrubs is on, like season's 1-3 and then again this year, it's one of the best shows on tv.
I'm glad they are going out the way they are. Season 8 has been awesome, and thats how the show should go out; at it's creative best.
and the song is on youtube now!
yay for technology!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXGqfmUsE7M
Amy - we get hourlong specials on hurricanes. so...
last I heard, on Bill's blog, he was saying something about how his wife was going to post later and how she chose the music for the show. I never got the impression they'd broken up.
Okay, you guys are awesome because I had no idea that The Blanks had a CD. It will now be at my house...sometime in the next two weeks, I guess.
On the Scrubs blog, Bill L. says, "I liked the Bahamas episodes more as one, hour long episode (the comedy/drama was more balanced - but understand that ABC had to split them up. I'm going to try to get the hour long version (which is actually quite different) on the DVD." I wonder how it's different.
When JD calls Elliot his "dream girl" at the end of the episode, I want to think he said that before when they first met. Am I remembering correctly?
Hi Guys- Thanks for all your kind words- Yes, we stole the arrangement from Obadiah Parker, and Sam was playing on a guitar that was not strung for him, and he had to learn to play it upside-down. Sam is awesome-
My husband and I are still together and he is still driving me crazy as usual. The finale rocks- you will be able to spot one of my many real children at the beginning, saying, "Action".
Bill does look young- he is young-Please don't give any raves about his acting abilities- he will really be unbearable if you do-
Thank you for all the support-
Christa
Hey Christa! I'm completely going to assume it is you and just move on to commenting :)
I really did love this 2 parter, it encapsulated everything I love about the show. It was funny, charming and completely had its heart on its sleeve. That's what initially hooked me in and moments like that final conversation between JD and Elliot at the end seal that. The Turk/Carla storyline never quite hooked me in these two just because I needed a bit more discussion between the two of the issue at hand. The Cox/Jordan wrap up was fantastic just because I love how far these two have come, it also makes a change to see couples functioning for so long in a believable way... well done setting the example Scrubs!
Finally, while I'm sad the show is ending this show has meant a lot to me... me and my best friend initially bonded over the show and kept talking about it even after I moved away for Uni and now he has too. Even though we spend months apart we can get home, slam an ep on and its old times all over again. I'll miss that when its gone but I'm glad for the memories... and being able to chill one more time to these two eps was worth it!
I absolutely LOVED Sam's version of Hey Ya! It was great, beautiful, and I too hope they can release a downloadable version of the song. I never really knew what the song was about until now.
I thought this part was stronger than Part 1, so that's great. It did encapsulate everything about Scrubs that makes it great. Also, shocker, JD loves Elliot more than Turk. That is intense.
I swear to god, Doug Murphy got really muscular.
I keep forgetting to ask about this. Christa Miller used to be credited as Christa Miller-Lawrence but for awhile now she's been back to Christa Miller. Did she and Bill Lawrence split?She usually just uses Miller. They are together.
Turk used the George Jefferson walk in My Fallen Idol in season 5 when he happily went off to meet his new Attending(Who turned out to be uber-emotional and creepy)
Sam rocks, of course ... beautiful cover of "Hey Ya."
The scene between JD and Elliot was written perfectly. The "I love you more than Turk" and calling Elliot his "dream girl", harking back to the very beginning. Just perfect.
I was starting to get teary-eyed during the "Hey Ya" scenes ... seeing all the couple in a happy place. It's starting to sink in that things are really ending. God, I can't imagine a world without "Scrubs" (nor do I want to!).
Just an extra bit of continuity, the "Bahama Mama" is a drink we see Bob order in a cutaway set in the Bahamas in season 4's "My Best Moment". Nice continuity!
Loved Ted, too.
The one thing I didn't like, and it's been an issue throughout the whole series, is I just think Elliot was, as usual, annoying and self-absorbed and, frankly, mean. I assume this might be Bill's passive aggressive approach to giving the fans what they want against his will (he never wanted J.D. and Elliot to stay together).
She was ridiculous with her demands, and it resulted in J.D. declaring his love for her in the most incredible way he could, and I resent that. And there's no way he would, or should, love Elliot more than he loves Turk.
The Turk/Carla storyline didn't feel satisfying. While Carla's mommy-all-the-time thing was slightly irritating, she was right in her rant--she has had to take on far more responsibilities than Turk, with her job and taking care of both her baby and her husband. Her rant seemed justified, because Turk has seemed to be getting more immature as the seasons go on.
How lovely to have a visit from Christa!
I'm sure by the time abc.com gets a decent interface to Bill's blog (we had to teach him to use an html paragraph break cause noting else worked - onn *his* side), the show will be... okay, no longer airing. It's like trying to communicate with two cans and a string over there (the boards may be better, but there were 65 pages of Q&A when I got there.)
Amy - do you have Somewhere Over The Rainbow? I got it from iTunes.
hey, is uber emotional and creepy attending on Private Practice now? (or was e just a patient in sesaon 1 of Grey's?
and yes, I found Elliot's demands to be kind of selfish and Elliot-like, myself (remember when she had Keith(?) re-propose to her and she had to have it all the way she wanted?)
The cover of "Hey ya": http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/3516117/Obadiah_Parker_-_Hey_Ya.mp3
I know this blog has moved, but I caught this episode in syndication tonight, and I wanted to point something out: When Bill Lawrence (Van) is speaking in front of the wedding party, he says, "I'm going to marry these two [Janitor, Lady] in a way only the creator can." I thought that was cute.
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