Scrubs is a sitcom in the setting of a hospital. The basic plot follows JD, or Dr John Dorian, and his friends Turk, Elliot, and Carla through their journey from medical interns to (somewhere, I’m not done yet, but I hope) doctors(and nurse, for carla). In my head, I group shows like Greys Anatomy, House MD, Scrubs, The Good doctor(, Doctor Who(just kidding)) as ” doctor” shows, even though they are all very different in the setting and portrayal. In that regard, I feel scrubs does the most faithful job portraying what the environment of a hospital really feels like.
Scrubs is a really feel-good show for several reasons for me.
- The friendship between JD and Turk is kinda amazing, and I love watching the two of them interact. It makes me feel a lot of things. I sometimes feel like friendships are purer than any other relationship in a certain sense, because they are the only ones where there is really no bound transactionality. With parents, there’s an implicit they raised you so there’s an infinite indefinable debt. With partners, there’s a sort of need, a desire for companionship, partnership that is satisfied by them. Mutually, sure, hopefully, but it’s there. Same for family, work friends, other people, you may not even like them, but something else keeps you spending time together. With friends, it’s just choice. Want, not need or should. Kinda heady. Shoutout to all my friends, love you guys.
- It’s not a serious show like House is, but still deals with serious topics, in a lighthearted manner. You can really tell they are trying to pass on a message here, and have thought about it in some detail.
- They are also comfortable dealing with topics that many other shows don’t touch, and not in as much detail.
- Laverne. laverne. laverne. Seriously, just watch the show. some of the “side” characters have really really great arcs, like laverne or the janitor.
While it is a feel good sitcom, it has its way of talking about complex shit too, in longer arcs, like it does with the constant tension between The Doctors and Carla, who is a Nurse dealing with the stereotypes and power imbalances between them, or in episodic formats, like the one I am watching right now which is talking about JD going the extra mile for his patients, above and beyond the call of duty.