Angel Shaw is a TV Lead Writer and Critic with ScreenRant who knows far too much about Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings.
The Scrubs revival took a bit of a risk in episode 4 by calling out one of its oldest and most problematic features. The medical sitcom's tenth season arrives 25 years after its 2001 premiere, so things have obviously changed a great deal over the last two decades.
However, part of what makes this new Scrubs installment such a winner is just how much it feels like the original show. These are the same old characters in the same old setting, just a generation later. This naturally means we see many of the same old faults as well. Something refreshing about the Scrubs revival is that it isn't bending over backward to overcompensate for some of the ways the original show might have aged poorly. We all know social expectations have changed over the last 25 years, so many of the jokes from early seasons wouldn't fly anymore. Reboots and revivals tend to make cheesy efforts to distance themselves from those non-PC choices, or else pretend those things never happened. Scrubs has taken a different route. For example, rather than overcompensating for Dr. Cox's old behavior, the revival simply acknowledges it. The Scrubs Revival Calls Out Dr. Cox's Old Behavior Toward Elliot In the Scrubs revival's fourth episode, Elliot becomes frustrated with one of her medical interns' social media addiction. She begins calling her"Dr. Selfie," which is clearly not meant as a term of endearment. JD picks up on the condescension and points out that Elliot is beginning to sound like Dr. Cox. When Elliot points out that their old mentor taught them how to do things right, JD says,"he also called you 'Barbie' and undermined your confidence for years. Don't you remember how that made you feel?" It was a bit jolting to hear JD talk about Dr. Cox that way. Throughout Scrubs, he wanted nothing more than his mentor's approval and would endure any amount of verbal abuse to get it. All these years later, it seems that JD has come to recognize that the way Dr. Cox did things wasn't altogether right. Yes, he and Elliot learned a lot from him, but calling a female doctor"Barbie" as a way to demean her is, no contest, toxic and problematic. Now, before anyone gets angry and accuses Scrubs of having any sort of agenda, it's important to recognize that the revival is by no means attacking or undermining the original series. Dr. Cox isn't being called a bad person, and Scrubs isn't apologizing for ever including a character that was demeaning to women. Instead, the series is placing its old problematic features within a realistic lens. Scrubs Doesn't Apologize For Its "Problematic" Features - It Embraces Them We saw in the very first episode of the Scrubs revival that Dr. Cox is still the same passionately non-PC man he ever was. We also see that JD idolizes and reveres him just as much as he ever did. These two truths prove that the TV show has no interest in apologizing for its characters. Instead, JD's comment about how horribly Dr. Cox treated Elliot was Scrubs' way of embracing its characters' faults as only a small part of their overall identities . After all, real people and real stories are messy and complicated. Scrubs may be outrageous comedy through and through, but it has always had a knack for realism. It makes complete sense that JD would grow up to recognize that Dr. Cox was a problem. It doesn't mean he no longer loves or respects the man, just as it doesn't mean we aren't allowed to find him hilarious. It simply suggests that, just as many people do with their mentors, JD came to understand all the ways he wants to be different from Dr. Cox. Scrubs essentially called itself out, but without undermining any of the show's original fun. Scrubs revisits the dynamic duo of JD and Turk as they reunite at Sacred Heart Hospital. Amidst the evolving landscape of medicine and changing interns, they navigate challenges with their enduring friendship. Powered by Expand Collapse Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10 Leave a Review Your comment has not been saved Like Follow Followed Scrubs TV-14 Comedy Drama 8/10 39 8.4/10 Release Date 2001 - 2010-00-00 Network ABC, NBC Cast See All Powered by Expand Collapse
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'Scarpetta' finally brings the medical examiner and a slew of details to the screenThe Prime Video series features a stacked cast, including Nicole Kidman as Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the medical examiner made famous by Patricia Cornwell's novels.
Read more »
A Creature Feature Hidden Gem Just Arrived on Paramount+ (And It Finally Has a Sequel Update)A top-tier modern creature feature hidden gem is lurking in the depths of the Paramount+ streaming library, and fans finally have an update about its anticipated sequel.
Read more »
We Finally Know How Bumblebee Queens Can Survive Underwater For DaysThe Best in Science News and Amazing Breakthroughs
Read more »
‘High Potential’ Finally Spotlights a Fan-Favorite Character in This Must-Watch EpisodeJavicia Leslie as Daphne Forrester interrogating a suspect in High Potential Season 2 Episode 14
Read more »
Godzilla vs. Power Rangers Kaiju Figures Are Finally Available (And More Are On The Way)The Godzilla vs. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Kaiju Figures Are Finally Available, And Even More Are On The Way
Read more »
How Many Kids J.D. Has In Scrubs Revival Clarified By ShowrunnerZach Braff as JD smiling while holding a baby in Scrubs
Read more »