Scrubsseason 10’s main responsibility will be to drive the story onward while honoring the past, butthere’s a weird discrepancy regarding Elliot and JDin the sitcom’s penultimate run that the coming revival might have to address. After anotherScrubsrevival update, the show appears to be close to a return - despite the fact it’s yet to be officially greenlit. The cast and crew have been very vocal about the friendships they’ve maintained since the sitcom ended in 2010, so it’s likely just a matter of time before new episodes are produced.
Zach Braff’s Dr. John “JD” Dorian and Sarah Chalke’s Dr. Elliot Reid appeared inall nine seasons ofScrubs, although they were only the sitcom’s will they/won’t they couple for the first eight. When the show came back for a ninth run under theMed Schoolbanner, the two were happily married with a child on the way. So, while theScrubsrevivalwill need to find new romantic prospects,Braff and Chalke’s characters will almost definitely remain a huge part of the equation. However, there’s no denying a gaping plot hole from their final days ofScrubsseason 8.
Elliot Staying At Sacred Heart After JD’s Departure In Scrubs Season 8 Makes No Sense
Elliot moving in with JD should have put her out of range of the hospital
The entirety ofScrubsseason 8 was slowly building to thedeparture of JD from Sacred Heart Hospital, with his storyline coming to its conclusion in the “My Finale” two-parter. The exit of Braff’s character was highly emotional, but there was logic behind his decision. With a young son living just too far away for JD to be a notable part of his life, he decided to move closer to Elizabeth Banks' Kim Briggs - his son’s mother. To do this,JD had to leave Sacred Heart because of the length of his commute. Weirdly, Elliot remained on the hospital’s payroll.
Confusingly, Elliot is still making the trip to the hospital every day for work. If Elliot can do it, there’s no reason why JD shouldn’t also have continued to do so.
Chalke’sScrubscharacter didn’t leave Sacred Heart with JD, which doesn’t make any sense. The two are confirmed to have moved in together by the time of the subsequentMed Schoolepisodes, presumably closer to Kim. Confusingly, Elliot is still making the trip to the hospital every day for work. If Elliot can do it, there’s no reason why JD shouldn’t also have continued to do so - especially if they traveled together. The alternative is that JD didn’t move far, and they both still live close to Sacred Heart. Neither explanation is particularly satisfactory. Really, Elliot should have left too.
Elliot Leaving With JD Would Have Detracted From Zach Braff’s Exit
Singling out Elliot as the other character leaving wouldn’t have been far on the rest of the Scrubs cast
Although a big part of the magic ofScrubsis the brilliant chemistry between its ensemble cast, there’s no denying that Zach Braff is the show’s main star.Scrubs' narrating duties were occasionally shared around, butJD was the sitcom’s primary storytellerand the audience’s eyes. So, it stands to reason that, despite being part of a larger group of characters, JD was the onlyScrubscharacter to have a dedicated send-off. That, plus the fact he was the only one leaving the sitcom’s main setting.
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Elliot departing with JD onscreen would have been a little weird. Singling out Chalke’s character to also receive the finale treatment would have been unfair - even if it had aligned perfectly with the plot. Plus, JD’s montage fantasy of the future wouldn’t have been the same with Elliot standing next to him watching him stare into space. To avoid having to decide to let JD and Elliot leave as a pair,the writers allowed JD to have his moment in the limelight. The alternative was the entire cast saying goodbye to the audience, which wouldn’t have been quite as impactful.
Why The Scrubs Revival Will Probably Ignore This Plot Hole
There may not be a good enough reason for why Elliot stayed at Sacred Heart
AlthoughScrubsseason 10 could try and explain why Elliot was able to stayat Sacred Heart while JD felt like he had to leave, what’s more likely is that the sitcom just doesn’t address the issue at all. It feels like a genuine oversight that can’t really be fixed because of the lack of convincing logic that could help it make sense. A re-write at the source would have been the easiest solution, but it’s about 15 years too late for that.
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Instead, fans will be left to wonder about an in-universe explanation for why Elliot remained at the hospital, but JD didn’t.TheMed Schoolepisodes show JD and Elliot’s new place, so that would have been the perfect chance to address the issue. With no mention of the writing error, it feels even more like a behind-the-scenes production quirk to cover for the fact that Zach Braff was leavingScrubs, and that it had to happen in a fitting way.
Scrubs
Cast
Scrubs is a Sitcom and Medical Comedy/Drama created by Bill Lawrence that follows a group of medical students throughout their daily lives at the Sacred Heart Teaching Hospital. The series stars Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, and Donald Faison, as they work their way up from Medical Interns while juggling all sorts of hospital shenanigans.
