Warning: Spoilers ahead for the Scrubs revival’s double-episode premiere!The Scrubs revival is such an uncanny replication of the sitcom’s original run that it’s almost disorienting, and I mean that in the best possible way. The show’s return has restored Scrubs to how it was known and loved throughout the first eight seasons, while also retconning Season 9. Still, even though the new episodes have managed to pull off what felt impossible at one point, Scrubs was still missing one particular element. When it then appeared in the first episode, I felt especially sure that the writers knew exactly what they were doing.
The Scrubs fantasy sequences, most of which were dreamed up by Zach Braff’s JD, were a huge part of the show’s appeal back in the 2000s. While the more grounded moments could still find time to be pretty bizarre, the fantasies took things to a whole new level. Most were only brief flashes of chaos brought about by something someone said to JD, but others were far longer and could be hilariously intricate. Sure, “My Return” opens up with what is ultimately revealed as a JD fantasy, but its intentionally gritty and mature feel meant it was nothing like its original-era counterparts. The next fantasy, however, felt like it could have been taken from a much older episode.
“Feelings Police” Was the Perfect Choice for the Revival’s First Proper ‘Scrubs’ Fantasy
The Scrubs revival tries to immediately fool the audience into thinking all the recent promotional material was an elaborate ruse. Seeing JD in what appears to be a modern, The Pitt-style reboot of the beloved medical sitcom is pretty jarring, but it doesn’t last long. The moment is intentionally disparate from the creative direction Scrubs took for its comeback. So, although it does count as the first fantasy sequence since Season 9 ended in 2010, it’s more of a stunt than anything else. Instead, the honor of the first authentically Scrubs fantasy comes in the form of “Feelings Police.”
When a frustrated Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley) labels Sibby (Vanessa Bayer) the “Feelings Police” as she walks away, JD does what he has done for so many years by building an entire world around what was intended as a throwaway phrase. Everything from the jolly little Feelings Police jingle to the fluffy “Feelings Cop” uniform was just prime fantasy material, especially for JD. Braff’s character gets to ride in to the rescue, make someone feel better about themselves, and then, paradoxically, steal their girl. If there’s a checklist for what Scrubs fantasy sequence should have, “Feelings Police” makes sure to tick them all off. I’m so happy the show hasn’t lost its touch with these moments. I was even okay with being forced to wait until eight minutes into the episode.
The “Feelings Police” Fantasy Quietly Teases the Revival’s Big Dr. Cox Twist
Although JD’s daydreaming manages to put an overly positive spin on what Dr. Cox says about Sibby, McGinley’s character isn’t trying to be funny. The presence of Sibby has made Sacred Heart a difficult place for Dr. Cox to navigate in 2026. His brash style of teaching and lack of consideration for how his furious rants can impact the younger doctors’ mental health are both things he’s either unwilling or unable to change. As he tells JD: “I am not sure how to teach these kids.” Sibby’s presence means Dr. Cox must basically overhaul how he does his job, which turns out to be too extreme a challenge for him to accept.
So, when Dr. Cox uses “Feelings Police” as an insult, JD’s instinct to see the phrase as a positive one is proof that Braff’s character is the perfect person to replace his former mentor as Sacred Heart’s Chief of Medicine. Because it feels like such a natural Scrubs moment, it’s very easy to miss as a sign of what’s to come. As it turns out, Dr. Cox has been considering retirement and seeking a replacement. It only took JD’s incidental trip to Sacred Heart for everything to come together as it did.
Expect a Soft Reset of How ‘Scrubs’ Approaches Fantasies in the Revival
When Scrubs began in 2001, there was a much more solid divide between the fantasy sequences and the rest of the show. The fantasies were clearly identifiable as things that couldn’t or wouldn’t happen in reality, and the rest of the scenes were generally more grounded. As the show progressed, that line became far more blurred, and things that would have once only been part of a fantasy sequence were happening in other scenes. These moments were still hilarious, but they did make things feel a little untethered at times. After all, how can the heartbreaking loss of a patient have the same level of emotional impact when it takes place in the same reality that allows an organized army of ostriches to keep Turk (Donald Faison) and JD hostage?
Speaking on a recent comeback episode of the Fake Doctors, Real Friends podcast, Braff stated his affinity for the more unhinged non-fantasy moments in Scrubs, but also said he thought it was important to “reground the real world and play it straight.” In other words, fantasies will still be a big part of the revival, and they can get just as wild as they always have. However, the real-world sequences will be more carefully written and performed so that they can go back to being more distinct from the fantasies. There will still be plenty of zany moments in the real world, but there’ll also be a ceiling on how unrealistic they can get. While I didn’t have a huge problem with the gradual bleed between the two worlds, I can still understand the need for Braff and company to steady the ship a little in this respect during Scrubs‘ return.
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Scrubs
- Release Date
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2001 – 2010-00-00
- Network
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ABC, NBC
- Directors
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Michael Spiller, Chris Koch, Ken Whittingham, Adam Bernstein, Gail Mancuso, Marc Buckland, John Inwood, John Putch, Will Mackenzie, Victor Nelli Jr., Craig Zisk, Lawrence Trilling, Linda Mendoza, Michael McDonald, John Michel, Rick Blue, Richard Alexander Wells, Henry Chan, Joanna Kerns, Mark Stegemann, Matthew Diamond, Peter Lauer, Elodie Keene, Jason Ensler
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This story originally appeared on Movieweb
