I began to write that I found them surprisingly enjoyable, but given that it’s been a generally amusing season thus far, I should no longer be surprised. What is surprising, though, is that they’ve somehow managed to rehabilitate JD. Usually I watch the show to laugh at him, not with him, and in the vain hope that the Janitor will decide to quit effing about and do him in for the good of humanity. But his interactions with Not!Jo the Intern were not merely funny but actually had me on his side; he was not being a total geek and douche.
Promoting Cox to Chief of Medicine was also good. And Krista Miller’s performance, as always, was a hoot.
I think the “betterness” we are currently experiencing is due to the focus on the interns. The writers can do stuff they did before with the protagonists on the different side of the fence this time around. It’ll be interesting to see JD having to get up in Cox’s face because he discharged someone who didn’t have insurance or some such.
I also am loving the new season. This is the best Scrubs since the first two years.
I didn’t love the Sesame Street episode, but felt the next one was good. I love the outtakes with the Janitor. “This one’s for you, pop pop. He’s not dead. He’s upstairs dying of dementia. He thinks he’s an owl, but you can’t believe any word he hoots.”
I thought the two episodes on Jan 27 were pretty good. They seem to be advancing the storyline to a conclusion. Seeing JD’s interaction with Jo was nice, and seeing Eliot go nuts about wanting a Hot Sex Night with JD and Turk telling her to stop being so neurotic was sweet.
I could have done without the Sesame Street muppets. That seemed a bit more jarring than JD’s normal fantasies.
It will be interesting to see how Cox handles being Chief of Medicine…if he will be sucked into the bureaucracy, or if he can make meaningful changes from the medical perspective.
I liked that they made a character with the “laziness” character flaw who was not a white male (aka, the “safe” stereotype). Although they sort of copied Harold and Kumar by using an Indian guy rather than push the envelope with other possibilities, I can see where certain other choices would have led to some PC outrage. So basically, the writers were stuck with making a lazy character be either a white male or an Indian / Asian male.
Jo the intern is the best addition to the show, as Iggin’s quote will attest.
But she’s the only new character who I find intriguing. The other interns are kind of detestable, especially the one who’s taking advantage of Elliot. You can’t do that to my girl!
And I disagree with those of you who say this season has been great.
Frankly, I think it’s been kind of lacking in . . . something. I’m not sure what.
Maybe humor? The episodes so far have been more consistently serious in tone than any other stretch in the show’s existence. First there was the episode “My Last Words”, where JD and Turk spent their “steak night” with a dying man. Then this Tuesday was the patient with terminal lung cancer and an 8-year-old son.
I realize that death has always been a part of the show, it just seems that they’ve been dwelling on it a little too much lately.
Also, the show has worked best as an ensemble comedy. But this season the plan is that each of the regulars will take a few episodes off, so that has thrown off the chemistry. Turk and JD’s silliness hasn’t been balanced by Carla, who has barely been in any of these episodes. (Judy Reyes, who plays Carla, is adamant about not coming back for a 9th season, if it happens.)
And Cox doesn’t really resonate as a character without Kelso and Jordan as his foils; now that Kelso has retired, and Jordan is a happy housewife, Cox is just spinning his wheels.
