Scrubs

Hey everyone,


       My family has a tendency to obsess about TV shows. At one time or another, we've obsessively watched NUMB3RS, Eureka, Supernatural, In Plain Sight, That 70s Show, How I Met Your Mother, and Scrubs. Right now, I'd like to talk about Scrubs. It seems to be a really polarizing show. You either absolutely adore it, or you can't stand it. I can understand why, because there seems to be a thin line in that show, and if you are slightly to one side, it's just the worst thing on TV. Personally, I think it's the goofiness. The main character, J.D., is prone to daydreaming and subsequently, the show is filled with sequences akin to drug-induced hallucinations. These make the show a confusing motley of deep meanings and relationships, odd characters, important realizations and surreal vignettes all wrapped up in a comedy-style bun. It's hard to pinpoint why someone would watch it. Not that I personally dislike it, but I know for a fact that the human brain accustoms itself towards situations and experiences it is exposed to repeatedly. That's why you eventually came to like that P!nk song. It played on the radio so much, you got used to it. The same with Scrubs. If you watch a few episodes, you become attuned to the humor and forgive the oddities that abound in the circular plot line. Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe it really does just take that long to understand the characters and underlying humor. Maybe I'm missing something. Whether I'm right or wrong, the show does have merit. The Janitor, played by Neil Flynn, is a slightly psychopathic but endearing addition to the show. Did you know that he was originally billed as a recurring guest star, but the fans just loved him so much that he became a regular? A really important choice, in my opinion. Without the Janitor, I don't think I'd watch the show. Well, maybe I would. Because of Dr. Cox. John C. McGinley, who's 53 in August, has got it going on. Dr. Cox is probably the single most important character on the show. In contrast to the annoying Christopher Turk and the irritating Elliot Reid, he's positively a ray of sunshine or a cool drink of water, whatever colloquialism floats your boat. Both my mother and I consider him the epitome of aging gracefully. Ted Buckland, the hospital's lawyer, is sweet and sad, and every time the other characters bash on him, it upsets me. Bob Kelso, the Chief of Medicine, irritates me, but unlike Turk and Reid, has enough back-story and redeeming qualities to deserve forgiveness. Judy Reyes, who portrays Nurse Espinosa, is also talented and I thought that while I'm basically bashing the show, I'd include her in the list of reasons to watch it. Finally and half-assedly, I'd like to acknowledge Zach Braff, who plays the main protagonist, J.D. I'm not sure whether to hate him or love him. I guess you'd say I'm smack dab on top of the thin line. He has some great lines, but you could argue the credit away from him and back to the writers. His acting and slapstick comedy amuses me, but I can't bring myself to forgive his lack of depth and absolute lack of progression of character. He remains immature to the very end, adding to the ridiculousness of the show. All in all, if you watch Scrubs, it's probably for the humor and the characters. If you don't, it's probably because of the ludicrousness and the lack of character progression. 


-Kaetie Mulhern