The long-gestating Scrubs reboot is finally set to hit screens, and it’s bringing back a trio of familiar faces in the process. In addition to Zach Braff‘s Dr. John “J.D.” Dorian, the new Scrubs will also feature the return of Donald Faison and Sarah Chalke as Dr. Christopher Turk and Dr. Elliot Reed, respectively. Add in original series creator Bill Lawrence, and that’s a recipe for success. However, the most exciting part of this upcoming reboot is that it’ll reunite J.D. and Turk, and explore their lifelong friendship. In this day and age, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
J.D. and Turk’s Friendship Was a Huge Part of What Made the Original ‘Scrubs’ Work
Scrubs is best defined by the surreal flights of fancy throughout its episodes, which mostly take place in J.D.’s head, and its strong ensemble cast. It was J.D.’s friendship with Turk that came to be a large part of the show, especially with its comedic elements. Whether it’s their signature nicknames of “Chocolate Bear” and “Vanilla Bear”, the “eagle” moments where Turk literally carried J.D. on his back, and their tradition of “steak night” which involves them eating as much steak as possible before attempting to dance. But most importantly, Scrubs showed them being affectionate with each other. They’d hug, they’d talk things out, and they could always rely on each other.
One of the best moments of JD and Turk’s friendship comes in the Season 5 episode “My Lunch”. While that episode is best known for showing the softer side of the always acerbic Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley), it features a moment where J.D., after failing to save a patient, staggers out of the operating room while Turk comforts him. It was only matched by a moment in “My Way Home” where Turk seeks JD’s advice on how to tell a couple that he needs to take their son off of life support.
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“It’s very, very hard to be a doctor today.”
This moment is Scrubs at its best: surprisingly heartfelt, perfectly timed in terms of comedy, and manages to layer in pop culture references as “My Way Home” references The Wizard of Oz. If the Scrubs reboot wants to live up to its predecessor, it needs to keep these moments in mind.
The ‘Scrubs’ Reboot Has the Chance To Showcase a Healthy Male Friendship
When he previously discussed the Scrubs reboot (and defended the show’s much-loathed ninth season), Bill Lawrence made it clear that the show would continue to focus on J.D. and Turk’s friendship. But he was also quick to point out that due to Zach Braff and Donald Faison aging, the Scrubs reboot will take a look at how their characters might have changed. “To see what that [friendship] looks like at their age, and [take] a comedic look at what medicine has become since those kids started as interns, and see how our people would look at it, deal with it, and try to remain optimistic,” Lawrence said.
J.D. and Turk might be older, but by having the Scrubs reboot explore their long-lasting friendship, there’s a chance to highlight a positive male friendship. Most of the dynamic between male characters in TV or films usually falls into one of two tropes: the slightly antagonistic dynamic that’s fueled multiple “buddy cop” movies (particularly Lethal Weapon) or an intense rivalry (Superman makes no bones of how Nicholas Hoult‘s Lex Luthor loathes David Corenswet‘s Clark Kent). Scrubs is the “third option”, so to speak: it wasn’t afraid to show that J.D. and Turk could lean on each other when needed, and Lawrence should continue that approach for the reboot.
Scrubs already has a leg up on other TV revivals and reboots, since it’s reunited three members of its core cast and has the series’ creator on board. But if it truly wants to succeed, it needs to give us more of JD and Turk doing what they do best, which is being the best of friends.
Scrubs is available to stream on Peacock.
