Scrubs: My Absence
By fred | February 11, 2009
(S08E09) There’s been talk about a ninth season for Scrubs, even though it would have to be with creator Bill Lawrence or without Zach Braff, and this episode might have been a little indication of what that would be like. To reduce costs not every cast members appear on each episode, and if so far JD was always featured, this week he was nowhere to be seen.
And while the episode wasn’t any kind of bad, I think it would be fair to say it lacked a certain something, that something you also expects from Scrubs. Sure, the absence of JD allowed for a few jokes, some of which really worked, but there were also a few times where it would have been better if JD could have been seen, even for just a moment.
And while not seen, if was heard. You still can’t do an episode with him, one way or another. I didn’t find this episode particularly hilarious, but it was funny and it had two things going on for it that I hope we’ll get to see more and more in future episodes.
For starter, Denise. She remains my favorite interns and whether it was reacting to Cox’ joke (that would be her), threatening Kelso (”Watch the lip, Grandpa, because you wouldn’t be the first old man I beat up!“) who, too, couldn’t help but like her, or being turned on by fat men and using hamburgers as bate, she’s always great and brings the laughs in, one way or another.
The other thing was of course “the Gooch” as Ted referred to her. Yes, as he made sure everybody who ever doubted him knew, Ted now has a girlfriend (his first!), and she’s all kinds of adorable, just like her songs — I love them all. Of course, she might not be perfect, and when lied to she turns into some kind of a psycho (”So help me if you ever make me look like a fool again I will bash your face in with this things until it is a million pieces! Are we clear?“) doesn’t she? Should be a problem for Ted though, as I doubt he could ever lied to her, or anyone really.
So while Carla found out she didn’t care for patients turned potato anymore, only to refuse to let that part of her go yet, Perry Ulysses Cox did something you don’t see every day, and apologized. Impressive. Meanwhile JD and Eliot are very much in love, unable to send even a few hours without at least talking to each other, and so JD was still there, whether it was in Eliot’s hand or in Cox’s pocket — or somewhere else hidden in his office.
Did we ever found out why, though? Why would JD not be there. Except for the costs issues of the show, I don’t think we got any reason, and given their fresh relationship I would have imagined that, even if forced to take a couple of days off somehow, JD would have still showed up to the hospital at some point, like to eat with Eliot and high five Truck on his second baby or something. And it’s not even like he had something to do/somewhere to be…
What did everybody else think ?
