Scrubs – The Complete Sixth Season

Scrubs is a show that resists being defined. Certainly there have been a ton of medical shows over the years. Recently shows like Grey’s Anatomy have found a way to balance a bit of drama with a light mood that often approaches comedy. MASH was the opposite. It was a comedy that often allowed quite serious moments to intrude upon the laughter. Any way you slice it, it turns out that pain and disease can be funny. Nowhere is that more true than on Scrubs. On Scrubs you are never left in an awkward position of knowing if it’s appropriate to laugh. Everything about the show is geared toward the absurd, and hopefully the funny.

The show exists almost exclusively in the mind of Dr. J.D. Dorian (Braff). He exists in a world where he can say and do exactly what he feels like, even if he might not actually say or do any of it. We see what he sees inside of his head. If he sees a good looking woman, he has a vision of his friend giving a sportscaster breakdown of her attributes. In this place he has none of the inhibitions his real life demands. He can ridicule a patient or fantasize a torrid affair with a nurse. Dorian is surrounded by a solid cast of crazy characters. His best friend is Dr. Christopher Turk (Faison). Turk is recently married to Nurse Carla (Reyes) and they are having a baby. She’s pretty much the straight man here and sets up a lot of the material. Dorian has an awkward relationship with his ex Elliott Reid (Chalke), now with another guy. He’s a bit jealous of her time these days, and more than a few of his fantasy moments involve her. Dr. Bob Kelso (Jenkins) is one of the better characters and actors in the show. Often underused, his tight ship exterior would make a better foil for the gang if used more generously. Finally, arrogant Dr. Cox (McGinley) does get to be the butt of a lot of the jokes, but he’s established himself as a strong lead at times instead of the typical fall guy. All in all, the cast is sharp and witty. Where I find fault with Scrubs is likely what the fans enjoy the most. It is way over the top. The moments are often ridiculous, and the writers are not afraid to make a huge stretch for a joke. Fans of the show probably went head over heels for the My Musical episode as Scrubs goes where Buffy The Vampire Slayer has gone before and the cast breaks out in song.

I have never seen Scrubs on broadcast television, and this is my first DVD experience with these characters. I avoid medical shows because of a severe needle phobia. Fortunately for me needles are pretty rare, as is almost any real medical stuff on Scrubs. I can’t speak about the show’s evolution, but I suspect there has been little change over the years. If you’ve read enough of my reviews, you know that I preach character chemistry like a revivalist minister with a tent full of followers. While Scrubs is a bit too much for my tastes, it is this cast of characters that made this an enjoyable experience just the same. Zach Braff has a Ray Romano / Kevin James thing going where you almost can’t imagine he’s a doctor. He comes off as the guy you’d take to a couple of Ray’s games or just hang out with. That was likely a brilliant piece of casting. His awkward, almost adolescent behavior might seem out of place in a hospital, but we except it because we accept Braff. There couldn’t be a Scrubs without him.

Video

Each episode of Scrubs is presented in its original full frame broadcast format. I’m not sure why, but I get the feeling that this is one of those rare comedies that would benefit greatly from a wide presentation. The show is solid. Colors are pretty much right on target. Flesh tones are a little soft, but that is more likely the lighting. Black levels are pretty good, as are sharpness and detail. These presentations are likely very comparable if not a little better than their broadcast versions.

Audio

The Dolby Digital 5.1 track might be a little bit of a waste. The musical episode did, however, benefit from a nice broad mix that gave the show a much larger feeling than most sit-coms. Dialog is always quite clear. A solid, if not dynamic, audio presentation is above average for this type of show.

Special Features

Audio Commentaries: Scrubs earns a huge plus for providing audio commentaries on every episode. This is unheard of for a sit-com, showing that Buena Vista has some solid respect for the show’s fans.

My Making of “My Musical”: Certainly an extra special episode like the musical one deserves some extra attention, and it gets it here. We get a look at the actors recording their vocals and some candid remarks about how it all came together. Who knew there were so many musical theater nuts on this show?

Judy Reyes Keeps Talking: Reyes plays Carla, the new Mrs. Turk. She talks about how she got the job and her approach to Carla. We get some insight into Carla’s evolution over the last 6 years, which was a welcome bit for a newcomer.

Deleted Scenes: For about 15 minutes you get to look at some cut footage. For the most part these are really alternate or extended scenes. That means you don’t really get 15 minutes of new stuff, as you are first shown the aired version of the scene. There is a play all option, but I would have liked an option to skip the aired version.

Alternate Lines: This falls under a similar pattern to the Deleted Scenes. At almost the same 15 minutes you again see aired scenes and then some flubs, bloopers, and ad libs on the lines.

The Third Tier: Scrubs is populated by an entire world of strange characters. It reminds me of the Barney Miller years where we had these recurring folks there simply for the laughs. These “Third Tier” characters are usually folks who were intended as a one off but were funny enough to end up coming back for more. They include Dr. Beard Face, Gloria, Leonard, and Lloyd, the delivery guy. Nice to see some attention paid to these small but funny parts.

The Debra and Stephanie Show: This is another look at the My Musical episode. Debra Fordham was one of the episode’s writers, and Stephanie D’Abruzzo is the Tony Award winning actress who guests as the patient who hears everything in song. They talk together about what went into the show and share some nice anecdotes.

Final Thoughts

Scrubs is obviously an acquired taste. Fans will undoubtedly feel like I shortchanged the series and that it deserved higher ratings than the near average ones I’ve given it. I understand, but that’s the problem when you create something that’s this quirky and off the wall. People don’t always get it right away. I recognize the extreme talent in the cast and applaud the writers for taking some big chances. Scrubs is certainly a fresh show. Still, it is a bit excessive at times, and I found myself feeling like I was hanging with a group of friends that had their own vocabulary and sense of timing. As sit-coms go, this one is definitely original. Anyway, it doesn’t really matter what I say if you’re a fan. You know what this is all about and will likely be there to pick this up right away. For the rest of you, I think Scrubs is worth a look. If you’re a little down and need a goofy pick me up, Scrubs might be just the right prescription for you. “Let’s get you cheered up.”