# Episodes without the main character(s)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-without-the-main-character-s/723144>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 22, 2015, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-without-the-main-character-s/723144 "2015-06-22T12:28:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Kimble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimble/32/19185_2.png) [@Kimble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimble)\
**Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-without-the-main-character-s/723144/61 "2015-06-23T05:14:12Z")

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> [@DCnDC](#):
>
> Main characters who have left the show don’t count (e.g. Zach Braff in the last season of _Scrubs_).

Speaking of Scrubs, though, [most episodes in season 8](http://scrubs.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_character_appearances#Season_Eight) were missing at least one of the main 7 characters (J.D., Elliot, Turk, Carla, Cox, Kelso, Janitor) due to production budget cuts. Each actor was originally planned to only be in 15 of the 18 episodes, but J.D. and Elliot ended up in 16. (J.D. was in a 17th episode via speakerphone, but he doesn’t physically appear.)

The only pre-season-8 episode that doesn’t have all 7 of the main characters is 2x08, “My Lucky Day.” Janitor doesn’t appear because… well… it’s J.D.'s lucky day. (There doesn’t seem to be a behind-the-scenes reason for Neil Flynn not being there.)

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**Author:** ![MsKaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@MsKaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsKaren)\
**Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-without-the-main-character-s/723144/62 "2015-06-23T06:06:16Z")

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> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#):
>
> There was an episode of _ **House, M.D** _. which was completely from Wilson’s point of view (I think the ep was called _Wilson_). There was one very brief scene showing House and his team doing something stupid in the background, which was never explained.
> 
> PS - \*The Finder \*was a decent show. I think it failed because Michael Clarke Duncan up and died.

Good point. The show was interesting and fun, but impossible without the finder’s …?..advisor? conscience? I can not remember. Didn’t he advise that he’d consider the finder whacking the bad guy with the statue of the Virgin extremely offensive in the pilot?

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