"I'm gonna have a good year, aren't I?" J.D. (Zach Braff), now an attending physician at Sacred Heart Hospital, asks in the fifth season's opening episode. All vital signs are good (the series did receive an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy), but longtime Scrubs fans may be forgiven a sense of déjà vu, from J.D.'s whimsical reveries to Dr. Cox's (John C. McGinley) increasingly tiresome rants. The series itself acknowledges the palpable sense of been there, seen that with the clever episode "Déjà vu, Déjà vu." But don't pronounce Scrubs dead just yet. Directed by Braff, "My Way Home," the series' 100th episode, is a brilliantly conceived homage to The Wizard of Oz with J.D. and company finding their hearts, brains, and courage. Another powerful episode that shows a welcome maturity is "My Lunch," in which J.D. at last has lunch with his reluctant mentor, Dr. Cox, in the wake of a patient's death (happily, the music rights were secured for the DVD release so that the Fray's "How to Save a Life" is playing on the soundtrack when Dr. Cox has his own tragic setback), and the follow-up episode, "My Fallen Idol." While Scrubs has a tendency this season to get "more ridiculous" (in one episode, Neil Flynn's Janitor defies Ken Jenkins' Dr. Kelso to secretly keep a crow in the hospital), the scalpel-sharp writing affords Braff moments that are, in his character's own words, "classic Dorian." In the episode "My Half Acre," he mixes his sports analogies to tell Elliot (Sarah Chalke), "What's waiting for me in my room is what's known, in football terms, as a slam dunk," as he mimes hitting a tennis ball. Mandy Moore, displaying a surprising knack for physical comedy, follows Tara Reid and Heather Graham as a fleeting love interest for J.D. Other character milestones include pregnancies for Carla (Judy Reyes) and two other characters best left a surprise. Good for whatever ails season 5 are this set's extras, including an entertaining series retrospective, featuring interviews with the cast and creators, as well as commentary by Braff for an extended cut of "My Way Home." --Donald LiebensonRead full review
A key character doesn't need to be likeable to be interesting. Plenty of people keep watching reality shows just to see what the character they can't stand will do next. The same holds true for comedy: M*A*S*H needed Frank Burns or Charles Emerson Winchester to provide counterpoint to Trapper and Hawkeye. I'm an owner of Scrubs' Seasons 1-4, and a long-time fan of the show. But, with Season 5, I find myself far more willing to watch something else. Why? I have lost my empathy for J.D., and I'm betting lots of others have as well. J.D.'s slide into unlikeability began in earnest when he announced, at Turk and Carla's wedding rehearsal dinner, that he didn't love Elliot. This wasn't the same as the comedy of talking to Amy Smart ("TCW") about their physical relationship in front of her dead husband's parents; it was just cruel. In the first, there's the conscious choice to hurt someone. In the second, the comedy is the lack of knowledge of the setting. This continues in Season 5. J.D. gets sillier, but not funnier. He goes from being oblivious to the world around him (in the mildly funny, "head in the clouds," sense) to being oblivious of anyone other than himself. His fun with Turk becomes increasingly self-centered, and what the writers would still like us to see as childish hijinks comes off as narcissistic amusement. Sure, we see that J.D. cares about his patients, but it seems more our of a desire to be popular than anything else. Eliot diagnoses this in the first season. Sadly, Scrubs, a show I've really enjoyed, has "jumped the shark." When? The multiple babies, the second time J.D. and Elliot sleep together, when Turk and Carla get married. Take your pick. They all changed the dynamic. But J.D.'s increasing unlikeability means the next season will almost certainly be the last. At least, I hope it is.Read full review
Definitely one of the most under-rated comedies on tv today - and like wine, this show just keeps getting better each season! No matter who you are, you can't help but identify yourself with one of the starring characters on the show. While you may not be roaring with laughter, you can't help but get a quick laugh from most scenes: wether it's from JD being goofy with his inner monologue/fantasies, Elliott self-destructing as a result of any of her neuroses, or Dr. Cox being the only person to actually say what those of us would really like to. Exec Producer Bill Lawrence (Spin City) does a masterful job at creating a light-hearted comedy, that always has a message to send home, that all of us can relate to in one way or another. And the soundtrack ain't too bad either!
Season 5 of Scrubs may be the pinnacle of the series run. It kept getting better up to #5, and it started to go down hill a little bit afterwards. Not that the other seasons aren't good. Season #5 is just great. The plot lines are solid, and the episodes bring in a wonderful mix of comedy and drama. This season contains what I consider to be the two best Scrubs episodes overall - the one with the Wizard of Oz theme and the one where Turk, the Janitor, and Ted air-band some classic Journey. What's not to love here?
By the fifth season, Scrubs can still make you laugh out loud. Braff's character is weirder than ever, and the rest of the group, Dr Cox especially, develop into fullfledged major players, not just little side humor to JD. While JD is a funny character, he displays far less character development and maturity than Turk, Carla, Dr. Cox, and even the Evil Wife. And according to all the Docs I know, the absurdity of Scrubs is by far the most realistic, compared to ER, Gray's, and House.
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