The SmarK DVD Rant for Scrubs – The Complete Sixth Season

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The SmarK DVD Rant for Scrubs – The Sixth Season

So with the final season of what used to be NBC’s funniest sitcom now airing (in the days before The Office), the fine people at Buena Vista have managed to rush out all six seasons of the show in a fairly impressive span of time, which is good. However, while the fifth season was one of the funniest, the sixth one is sadly one of the weakest for much of the year (excluding perhaps the greatest episode in the history of the show) until they finally found their comedy footing again. Most had assumed that the show would be cancelled by NBC at the end of last year’s season, and so much of the year focuses on people saying goodbye and running gags returning for their last gasp, but to the surprise of everyone Scrubs was renewed for one more year with Zach Braff on board again. I don’t think it was needed, but I’m not the one running the network.

Scrubs – The Sixth Season presents all 22 episodes in broadcast order, as follows.

Disc One

– “My Mirror Image”. JD is freaking out over Kim’s pregnancy from the end of season 5, and ends up in jail after crashing the Blue Man Group in one of those sequences that you’d think would be a fantasy, but isn’t. The conceit here is that patients in the hospital look a lot like older versions of JD, Cox and the Janitor. Keith and Ted trying to bring back pop rocks is the weird subplot of the week. First mention of the “Carla isn’t Puerto Rican” gag of the season, which actually sets up something in the musical episode. Dr. Kelso, as usual, hits it out of the park over and over, culminating in his talk with JD about Kim (“Was she naughty?”). A good, but not spectacular, start to the season.

– “My Best Friend’s Baby’s Baby and My Baby’s Baby.” Carla’s in labor and JD & Turk are still gay for each other. JD argues with Laverne’s Jesus statue over abortions, and we meet his magical unicorn Justin, who’s never been in love. Not real love, anyway. The two main plots see JD & Kim trying to decide whether to abort while Turk gets stuck in an ice machine. Isabella Turk inspires JD to keep the baby, however. Little Jacky Cox steals this one, as usual.

– “My Coffee”. Kelso puts a thinly-disguised version of Starbucks into the hospital, and it’s run by Cabbage! And it has Dr. Cox very, very angry. JD & Turk start taking “back alley money” to pay for JD’s cotton candy jones, while Elliot meets Dr. Turner, who is in private practice and thus is the enemy. Janitor takes over the coffee shop and plays mindgames with Kelso via a talking muffin, which is such a great bit that the DVD menu is actually based around it. Elliot joins Turner’s practice and Kim takes a job in Tacoma, Washington, as everyone’s changing except for JD, who always stays exactly the same.

– “My House”. Cox rages against the interns’ fascination with House. And Dane Cook. I agree, who DOES think that he’s funny? Kelso decides to never speak to Elliot again, which actually lasts a few episodes. The main plot sees House-like mysteries running through Sacred Heart. Case #1 has a man who is oranger than Hulk Hogan and Tazz put together, case #2 is a woman who apparently is dying of a broken heart. Dave Foley returns as Dr. Headtrip and Cox slowly turns into Dr. House in their loving homage to that show, complete with a House Moment and cane. JD’s box of kittens (“Side effects may include tiny scratches”) is great stuff.

– “My Friend With Money” Carla is in denial about post-partum depression, while Cox & Janitor are squatting in a luxury hospital suite to avoid life. Both plots go badly, but not as badly as JD & Elliot’s living arrangements, as it turns into a war when JD is jealous of her new money. Getting wrestled by Keith (“Nice singlet, does it come in hetero?”, a line that would be echoed later in the season) and crazy pregnant Jordan save the day. Pretty blah stuff.

– “My Musical”. Finally back into form six episodes into the season, as a woman collapses in the park and perceives the world in song. So we get showstopping numbers like “Poo” and “Guy Love” and everyone gets to sing their hearts out with the help of the guys behind “Avenue Q”. The episode itself is also a brilliant deconstruction of musicals in general, featuring a variety of styles and even a symbolic curtain closing in mid-show. Guarantee you’ll be humming at least one song. Like “Friends Forever”! The episode is so purely joyous that it’s kind of sad at the end when the patient is cured. It’s not only hilarious, but it sticks with you long after the show is over. And not to mention the incredibly talented Stephanie D’Abruzzo stealing the episode as the melodic patient. This one was nominated for several Emmys, and deservedly so, as it’s probably my favourite episode of the series, along with the Wizard of Oz and Brendan Fraser ones.

– “His Story IV” Back down to earth again, as JD transfers his narration powers to Bob Kelso and his two thumbs, and we meet Private Dancer as this season’s recurring patient. This sets of an incredibly boring and pretentious preachy episode about the Iraq War. The only real highlights here are Janitor’s salt-and-pepper dispensing rabbit and JD reading “The Iraq War For Dummies” and noting that he’s already at Bush giving the mission accomplished speech and there’s still 400 pages to go. First “bajingo” of the season from Elliot. Really, really hated this one.

– “My Road To Nowhere”. Road trip! JD and friends hijack Kelso’s RV and head for Tacoma to see Kim’s ultrasound, and it turns into a fiasco. Even more so when JD discovers that Kim changed her mind about keeping the baby. Turk & Cox share a bonding moment via trouble with Jordan’s unborn baby. They’re shared enough of those that you’d think Cox would lay off on the guy, but you’d be wrong because it’s still funny. Melancholy feelings abound, because Kim is a big fat pregnant liar.

Disc Two

– “My Perspective” JD hits a new low by passing out while pooping, leaving him at the mercy of Cox’s mockery. Ted is the king with “Girlfriend’s gonna get PAAAAAAID” in the most pathetic voice possible. Elliot loses a bedpan race to Turk and has to babysit JD. Todd gives us a Cyber Five (first high five of the season) while Janitor manages to screw with JD even while on “vacation”. The Frankenstein fantasy was another love or hate one for a lot of people, I think. Todd gets a rare second Five with Duct Tape Five.

– “My Theraputic Month” Elliot and Keith move in together, while JD needs someone to co-sign a lease just because he had a DUI and passes out when he poops. What’s up with that? Turk gets stuck doing a medical rotation, leaving him at the mercy of Dr. Cox, and all that previous bonding is once again forgotten. A running gag with Laverne as an angel is obviously foreshadowing in hindsight. More backstory on Lloyd, as we learn that he loves speed metal, in addition to his drug addiction and the fact that Colonel Doctor is his father. That’s some impressive depth. The bizarre mutton-chop gag with Janitor falls a bit flat, but the rest is great. Todd gives us Weenie Roast Five. Finally they’re back on track again.

– “My Night to Remember” And I spoke too soon, as it’s the dreaded clip show. Turk as the Big Breakfast Machine is a good start, and then it’s CLIPS FOR EVERYONE. Being self-referential and witty is still being lazy, guys. Made me want to go back and watch the Brendan Fraser eps again, though, so there’s that.

– “My Fishbowl”. Dr. Cox deconstructing the whole staff is meta to the extreme and exactly the kind of thing that newer fans should watch if they want to catch up on 6 years of stuff in five minutes. The water balloon fight from JD’s college years comes up again, complete with flashbacks to Afro Turk and Mullet JD. The Janitor overanalyzes a request from JD to hold a fishbowl, giving us our theme. Private Dancer attempts suicide and everyone tells truths while trapped in a room with him. Kind of a downer.

– “My Scrubs”. Todd hits us with Something Might Be Wrong Five while Kelso actually brings in a patient without insurance. Sam the Addict returns to con Elliot yet again as we reference all the past seasons in what was clearly intended to be the final one. More self-reference sees JD doing a caveman fantasy and then doing a voiceover within that in caveman language.

– “My No Good Reason”. First appearance of Elliot’s boobs this season, not counting the clip show. Todd presents the Skeptical Air Five. First Hugh Jackman reference of the season comes here as well. Turk’s hot nanny captivates the hospital (“Gotta go, booby horn”), and the ongoing theme is a running argument between Laverne and Cox about faith. Hilarious stuff, to be sure. Especially when it leads to her death in a senseless car accident. JD’s story about meeting up with the gay football players is a winner, the rest is depressing as hell.

– “My Long Goodbye”. Everyone is saying goodbye to Laverne, except for Carla, who is in denial and being haunted by Laverne’s spirit. Cox shaves his head to match up the continuity from the clip show. We meet the Bad News Robot here, but sadly he wasn’t reoccurring. I should point out that Cox was lying when he says that a ghost never followed him around, because they built a whole episode around just that in season 3. Jordan has the baby and JD is the only one who’s allowed to know, which gives him a chance to not only be godfather, but name the little girl Jennifer Dylan…or JD for short. Obviously another melancholy episode, but shadow puppet theatre is great.

– “My Words of Wisdom”. JD’s funeral fantasy, complete with choir singing “Party All the Time”, is a legendary opener. Turk & JD deal with a deaf patient while Keith & Elliot have role-reversed relationship issues. Kelso manages to steal the scene from them without even trying. Elliot tries out “caboodle” to replace “ass”, giving us “caboodle-hole” as the catchphrase of the century. OK, maybe not.

– “Their Story”. We’re inside the heads of Ted, Todd and Jordan this time, truly an odd combination. Todd gives us Unfair Five while Colonel Doctor and Dr. Beardface have lunch together in a historic moment. Todd’s parenting daydream about banana hammocks sets up Internal Uh-Oh Five. He doesn’t stuff! Ted’s portions are the best and prove he should be the star of the show.

Disc Three

– “My Turf War”. JD introduces us to the game of Macaroni and we meet Elliot’s wild college friend Melody, giving JD another girl to go after. The conversation about the threesome (“Was it with another girl or a devil’s threesome?”) and the reaction of the guys is hilarious and it’s finally where the season takes off again. Plus the bus driver dance stuff is great, too. Cox and Turk go to war over Lloyd’s hypochondria, with surprising results. The Janitor’s crazy background plot sees him haunting the pediatric ward as the Ghost Who Hates Spills. It’s all done as a backdrop for otherwise-normal conversations in the foreground and that makes it funnier. Classic JD moment as Melody and Elliot are REALLY mad at him in the bar and he does an epic awkward take while trying to pay for his Appletini, which was frankly a little light on the ‘tini, with a hundred dollar bill. Now THAT’S the Zach Braff we know and love, not the whiny little bitch. And Keith proposes to Elliot, kicking off the story arc that ends the season. Great episode!

– “My Cold Shower”. Elliot, who is crazy, plans her own proposal. Todd gives us “Tis Better To Have Loved And Lost Than to Have Never Loved At All” Five. The Janitor learns the power of that God guy in terms of messing with people. Running gag for the show is various people fantasizing about being married to Elliot, who learns of the dangers of old-person sex. Ew. But then all the hilarity is brought crashing down by SUPER-WHINY JD being all in love with Elliot again long after he’s already blown it with her multiple times. On the bright side, I love that Dashboard Confessional song, and the soundtrack for this season is pretty great all around. Does that make me emo?

– “My Conventional Wisdom”. Turk & JD take a trip to a medical convention in Phoenix, where Kelso and his rowdy group of Chiefs terrorize everyone. And we meet Dr. Toilet and Old MC, two of the best throwaway gags that the show has done in recent years. The Janitor subs for Kelso while he’s gone, and actually does a good job with it. Kim returns to JD’s life, having not actually miscarried after all, and that’s always an awkward conversation. Mean tease as Janitor reveals his name to an intern off-screen, who remarks “You don’t look Asian.” I guess we’ll find out in the finale. Bust a move, indeed.

– “My Rabbit”. Great JD moment as he freaks out about Kim and wants to be alone, which means being with Turk. JD decides to name their son Sam, after his dad. Awww. Kim goes after JD again and as usual JD is the one who ends up looking like the jerk. I’d say Kim was enough of a jerk for everyone, but it’s TV so whatever. Here’s a shocker: Elliot is still a crazed control freak. JD forcing himself to be with Kim is bad news for everyone.

– “My Point of No Return”. JD finally gets to have sex with Kim, long after she was impregnated by him without the fun part. Awesome bit with JD & Turk finishing each others’ sentences. It just never gets old. Janitor tries out Lloyd as the third member of his braintrust along with Ted and Todd, and the displaced Doug is quite upset about it. That one writes itself. JD engages in hardball negotiations with Cox over the godfather job, giving us Hugh Jackman complaints and promises of hugs. Another callback to JD’s unicorn here. An incredibly dirty joke with Carla & Turk and a tennis bracelet somehow made it through the censors here, but I guess if Family Guy can get half the stuff they do on the air, so can Scrubs. The cold feet experienced by Elliot make much more sense here given that they actually went somewhere with it in the seventh season, but we end with yet another JD-Elliot tease. Bill Lawrence doesn’t want them together, but the writers do. I side with Bill and I hope he wins that battle. Besides, everyone knows the Turk & JD belong together in the end.

Extras

Finally, we get commentaries on every episode! Sure, they’re just the ones taken from the NBC podcasts over the season, but it’s good to actually have them. And there’s a huge assortment of people involved, generally two at a time, ranging from actors to producers to various members of the crew. Thank you, Scrubs!

Next, we get “My Making of My Musical”, a 12 minute piece on the musical episode. About what you’d expect here. This is followed by “The Debra and Stephanie Show,” which is a 10 minute interview with Stephanie D’Abruzzo and a producer. The best feature, which isn’t even listed on the box, is “The Third Tier,” which is a GREAT 10 minute bit on the background guys who went from running joke to actual characters, like Snoop Dog Attending, Lloyd, Doctor Mickhead, Leonard the Hook-Handed Guard and Dr. Beardface. As well, you get the standard deleted scenes and alternate takes, and a 10 minute interview with Judy Reyes. Really good stuff this time around.

The Pulse

Good start, really bad middle, good end pretty much sums up this season, as the writers didn’t know if they were staying or leaving for most of the way and the inconsistency shows. They also went to much darker places this season, with abortions and death and Broadway musicals dominating the proceedings. Plus everyone has babies. This one’s definitely treading into “for fans only” territory, but I love the show so much that it’s more fun to watch than lots of other shows on TV, so I’ll recommend it with an asterisk. I’d pick up the other five seasons first, but somewhere along the way definitely pick this one up too.