ScrubsandThe Good Doctordon’t have a great deal in common other than their medical setting, but that particular similarity results in certain scenarios occurring in both shows, and one shared sequence of events is suspiciously alike. Freddie Highmore leads the cast forall seven seasons ofThe Good Doctor, but the scene that closely copies aScrubsmoment doesn’t involve Highmore’s character of Dr. Shaun Murphy. Similarly,the scene’sScrubscounterpart doesn’t really feature Zach Braff- who played John “JD” Dorian throughoutall nine seasons ofScrubs.
The Good Doctorhad some wild storylinesover its seven-season run, so while the moment it shares withScrubsdoesn’t quite make the cut of bizarre plots, it isn’t that far away either. Both shows also handle the occurrence very differently. WithScrubsbeing a sitcom andThe Good Doctorbeing a drama, it would have been unusual for the latter to imitate the former’s approach perfectly. However, the underlying tonalities aren’t completely disparate.
Scrubs & The Good Doctor Both Have Episodes Where Doctors Flash Patients In The Name Of Medical Care
Doctors Reid & Reznick expose themselves to help those in their care
It may be an unorthodox way of treating a patient, but it’s creative enough that two shows in less than two decades have decided to have a doctor flash their patient. InScrubsseason 1, episode 5, “My Two Dads,“Sarah Chalke’s Dr. Elliot Reid fulfills a teenage patient’s requestto see a woman’s breasts by flashing him with her own. The intent is to boost his morale and help his condition improve. Ultimately, it works. Then, 18 years later,The Good Doctordid the same thing.
While it’s tricky to know if the moment inThe Good Doctorwas directly inspired by theScrubsscene, it’d be surprising if there wasn’t at least a measure of direct influence.
InThe Good Doctorseason 3, episode 7, “SFAD,” Fiona Gubelmann’sDr. Morgan Reznick also exposes herself to a patient of a similar age to that of Elliot’s. The reason for each instance of flashing isn’t exactly the same, but they do still both raise questions about what’s appropriate conduct from a medical professional. Either way, it’s an interesting parallel between the two medical shows. While it’s tricky to know if the moment inThe Good Doctorwas directly inspired by theScrubsscene, it’d be surprising if there wasn’t at least a measure of direct influence.
How The Good Doctor’s Flashing Scene Is Different To Elliot In Scrubs
Dr. Reznick limits her flashing to a single instance (whereas Dr. Reid tries it with other patients)
While neither instance is strictly necessary, both benefit their respective patients. Elliot’s flashing scene is a last resort to get her patient’s condition to improve - which it does. She also uses her “magic breasts” more than once.Morgan’s patient is about to be surgically blindedby the removal of his last remaining, cancerous eyeball, and he’s upset about never seeing a naked woman. WhileScrubsuses the moment almost entirely for laughs,The Good Doctorsomehow manages to give the scene a little poignancy - although there are laughs to be had in the moments that immediately follow it.
Scrubs & The Good Doctor Episodes In Which The Flashing Scenes Fall
1
5
8.1
“SFAD”
3
7
8.0
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.
