# What the hell is wrong with Scrubs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-scrubs/290297 "2005-02-16T02:14:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-scrubs/290297/21 "2005-02-16T14:17:05Z")
> [@Silentgoldfish](#): > > Thanks to crap like this I have absolutely no remorse about getting my scrubs fix from certain websites (cough cough). Surely you don’t mean, like you know, well how should I put it…I think I may start looking!!! oooooo found it. As I recall the last episode I saw was the one Michael J Fox guest starred in. It was well before the end of series 3. ---
**Author:** ![jeevmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@jeevmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeevmon)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-scrubs/290297/22 "2005-02-16T14:27:11Z")
The exaggerated use of the sitcom cliches (laugh track, applause when a character comes on, neat tidy endings, etc.) was a stark reminder of how much Scrubs doesn’t rely on any of those things, and yet somehow manages to be one of the two funniest shows on television. In that, it was very effective. Maybe it dragged a bit, but they did have to try and tie together three plotlines, something “typical” sitcoms do in double the time. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-scrubs/290297/23 "2005-02-16T15:02:01Z")
First, I will say that I am a huge, huge, HUGE fan of Scrubs. It is simply the best sitcom on television. I thought this episode was outstanding, especially when they parodied/honored the stereotypical sitcom. I thought it was a fantastic episode. And it contained probably my favorite exchange on television ever. When Eliot was yelling at Dr. Cox over how spineless he was about firing Kenny and Jordan was right next to him responding about how she said the exact same things to him last night. I only wish I could remember the exact exchange, but it was so incredibly funny I nearly cried. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-scrubs/290297/24 "2005-02-16T15:17:35Z")
I thought the best gag was when JD said something to Elliott along the lines of “there’s no one in the world that I’m scared of.” JANITOR comes flying through the door with the classic “Lenny & Squiggy” timing. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-scrubs/290297/25 "2005-02-16T15:20:52Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > I only wish I could remember the exact exchange, but it was so > incredibly funny I nearly cried. "YOU’VE GONE SOFT! " ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-scrubs/290297/26 "2005-02-16T17:11:49Z")
> [@watsonwil](#): > > "YOU’VE GONE SOFT! " “Are you just going to roll over like that?” I saw this episode as a demonstration of what absolute shit Scrubs would be if it was a typical generic sitcom. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-scrubs/290297/27 "2005-02-16T17:14:20Z")
> [@watsonwil](#): > > "YOU’VE GONE SOFT! " “Okay, now it’s getting creepy!” ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-scrubs/290297/28 "2005-02-17T00:17:32Z")
It took me a few seconds to realize the blonde in the fantasy was Elliot. Guess I should have been looking at her face. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-scrubs/290297/29 "2005-02-17T04:18:19Z")
> [@Only Mostly Dead](#): > > It started off so well, too. The impromptu lyrics about face licking to the “Sanford and Son” theme and “There’s nothing that says e.coli quite like exploding out of both ends.” Then it was the too-long sitcom lampoon, and with the exception of a very few good jokes (“Jordan’s talent is illegal in 27 states. Make that 28, Arkansas caved.”), there wasn’t much to laugh at. If I want to watch bad sitcoms, they’re easy enough to come by. > > I was very pleasantly amused by how well Clay Aiken totally ignored image and ego to be a thoroughly loserish cafeteria worker in the “real” parts of the episode. cmon, how could you have not have loved “It’s floating wicker propelled by fire” ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-scrubs/290297/30 "2005-02-17T06:49:28Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > Since J.D., Turk, and their girlfriends are such fans of sitcoms like Cheers, J.D. was reflecting about how much better life would be if it was like a sitcom. The majority of the episode had the laugh-track, cheese jokes, bright lighting, and happy endings that all wrapped up neatly, but in the end, the nice old man had lung cancer after all, Dr. Cox had to fire the friendly cafeteria worker due to budget cuts, and Turk and his girlfriend realized their relationship still had some rough spots. It jolted J.D. back to reality, but the episode ended as it began: with him at home watching a favorite sitcom, engaging in some much-needed escapism after the harshness of “real life.” The nice old man was, IIRC, one of the creaters of _Cheers_. ---
**Author:** ![jeevmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@jeevmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeevmon)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-scrubs/290297/31 "2005-02-17T15:37:40Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > The nice old man was, IIRC, one of the creaters of _Cheers_. I don’t think so. I recognized him as Principal Flutie from the first season of Buffy. His name is [Ken Lerner](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0503624/). ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-scrubs/290297/32 "2005-02-17T16:10:49Z")
> [@jeevmon](#): > > I don’t think so. I recognized him as Principal Flutie from the first season of Buffy. His name is [Ken Lerner](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0503624/). But he was supposed to be one of the Cheers creators, leading JD into the sitcom fantasy. Personally, I liked the cowboy and indian pajamas the patient wore. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-scrubs/290297/33 "2005-02-17T18:38:01Z")
> [@Odinoneeye](#): > > Guess I should have been looking at her face. She had a face? Ken Lerner played “James Charles.” Cheers was created by **James** Burrows and brothers Glen and Les **Charles**. > [@BigBadVoodooLou](#): > > I can see why fans of Scrubs usually like AD and vice versa Same number of cameras – uno. Counterintuitively, it allows more flexibility, because you can put the camera anywhere insted of having it fixed in three spots. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-scrubs/290297/34 "2005-02-17T19:10:54Z")
Pretty good episode. I was worried after the first four or five episodes of this season that the series was going downhill, but it’s definitely back at the quality of seasons 2-3. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-scrubs/290297/35 "2005-02-18T03:05:15Z")
And Ken Lerner is the brother of Michael Lerner. Presumably family dinners revolve around discussions of what kind of character roles they got recently. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-scrubs/290297/36 "2005-02-19T02:17:04Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > Ken Lerner played “James Charles.” Cheers was created by **James** Burrows and brothers Glen and Les **Charles**. > –Cliffy Wow, how did I miss THAT? I’m a huge Cheers fan too. I knew he wasn’t one of the real creators of Cheers, but I didn’t catch the combination of the two names. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-scrubs/290297.md?page=1)