Scrubstried to end a total of three times, but the medical sitcom’s trio of finales all happened for different reasons. The attempts at ending the show came at various points acrossall nine seasons ofScrubs, but only one of them hit the mark. Weirdly, the only episode that allowed the show to end fittingly wasn’t even the final installment overall.Scrubsarguably continued past the point that would have served best as the story’s ending. Unfortunately, it didn’t, and the sitcom finished with three episodes that could reasonably be believed to act as at least a soft conclusion.
Notevery doctor inScrubsreturned for season 9. As such, some characters didn’t experience as many finales as others. That being said, it doesn’t make it any more unusual that the show failed to arrive at a natural stopping point that was deemed sufficient for a line to be drawn under it. On the other hand,there were times whenScrubs' future was out of the hands of the cast and crew. As such, not every attempt to end the show was an entirely conscious decision.
“My Princess” Was Never Intended To Be Scrubs' Final Episode, But Almost Was
Scrubs' season 7 finale wasn’t supposed to be aired last
Scrubsseason 7, episode 11, “My Princess,” wasn’t originally intended to fall at the end of the sitcom’s seventh run. Instead, it was placed there to serve as an ad-hoc finale due to the high production value and cinematic feel.Scrubswas one of manyshows impacted by the writers strike of 2007-2008. As such, season 7 had a drastically reduced episode count. Of the 11 episodes that were produced, “My Princess” was deemed to be the most appropriate to install as the finale. JD actorZach Braff explained the scenario on theScrubsrewatch podcast,Fake Doctors, Real Friends.
“So welcome everybody to the 150th episode of Scrubs. It is also the Princess Bride homage episode and is also the season seven finale. And we’ve told you that audiences thought it was a series finale because we didn’t know if we were coming back. It was never intended to be that.” - Zach Braff on Fake Doctors, Real Friends, “711: My Princess with Sarah Chalke.”
“My Princess” was one of thesevenScrubsepisodes directed by Braff, and it was originally intended to air earlier in season 7. From a narrative perspective, it didn’t have a particularly finale-esque feel. It came across as a special episode, but not one that came with a message of farewell. However, withScrubson the brink of cancelation at the time,“My Princess” gave the sitcom its best chance of going out on a highat the time. Thankfully,Scrubswas renewed and “My Princess” didn’t remain as the show’s last effort.
Placing “My Princess” out of order created a few continuity errors withScrubsseason 7.
Placing “My Princess” out of order created a few continuity errors withScrubsseason 7. Perhaps the biggest one was the fact that Ken Jenkins' Dr. Robert “Bob” Kelso is still the Chief of Medicine in “My Princess.” When Kelso retires from Sacred Heart inScrubsseason 7, episode 9, “My Dumb Luck,” his unexplained return to being the hospital’s leader four episodes later is very confusing without knowledge of the sitcom’s behind-the-scenes issues.
“My Finale” Is Viewed By Many As Scrubs' True Ending
Fans generally accept this story as the most fitting stopping point for Scrubs
Scrubsseason 8 concluded with the “My Finale” two-parter. Season 8 was the first to be produced by ABC, after the previous seven had been made by NBC. ABC gaveScrubsseason 8 a much healthier total of 19 episodes to end the show.“My Finale” is split across the last two episodes ofScrubsseason 8, and it comes across as an incredibly organic conclusion for the sitcom. The ending is built towards throughout season 8, and it hits all the right comedic and emotional notes that had come to be expected of the show.
This Scrubs Scene Was Copied By A Totally Different Medical Show 18 Years Later
Despite primarily being a sitcom, Scrubs went on to influence countless other medical shows, and one in particular lifted a scene directly.
Despite the final two episodes ofScrubsseason 8 approaching sitcom finale perfection, the show didn’t actually end there. Instead,Scrubswas softly rebooted ahead of season 9, with only certain cast members returning for the sort-of spinoff.Scrubsseason 9 immediately undid season 8’s finalein a number of different ways, which many fans disagreed with. As such,there are large portions of theScrubsviewership who refuse to acknowledge anything beyond “My Finale.”
Scrubs Was Canceled After Season 9’s “Our Thanks”
ABC felt that Scrubs season 9 wasn’t good enough to let the show continue
Like “My Princess,” “Our Thanks” also lacks the aura of a final episode. However, their respective reasons for this are not the same. While theScrubsseason 7 finale was aired last as an improvised attempt at finality, the ending of season 9 intentionally left theMed Schoolepisodes open-ended, so the show could return in its new form. Somewhat predictably,the dip in ratings caused byScrubsseason 9’s overhaul of the show resulted in its cancelation. Therefore, the risk that “Our Thanks” took to try and force another season out of ABC didn’t pay off.
IfMed Schoolhad been allowed to continue, it’s possible Braff could have eventually returned to attempt a send-off that came close to the quality of “My Finale.”
Scrubsseason 9 had 13 episodes, making it the second-shortest of the sitcom’s run after season 7. AlthoughBraff was present in six of theMed Schoolinstallments, he stepped away after episode 9, “Our Stuff Gets Real.” His presence was only ever supposed to be temporary in the show’s new format, but his absence from the season 9’s finale becomes even more pronounced when it’s retroactively viewed asScrubs' last episode. IfMed Schoolhad been allowed to continue, it’s possible Braff could have eventually returned to attempt a send-off that came close to the quality of “My Finale.”
Scrubs Season 10 Will Need To Acknowledge “My Finale” & “Our Thanks”
The Scrubs writers have a responsibility to include the events of the finales of seasons 8 & 9
With aScrubsrevival lurking on the horizon, the sitcom will inevitably add a fourth finale to its collection - whether by design or due to another cancelation. Regardless,Scrubsseason 10’s opening episode will need to fold in the events of the second and third attempts to end the show. JD’s fantasy at the end of “My Finale” regarding his potential future will need to either be established as fact or proven as fiction - although it would preferably confirm his dreams have come true. Therefore,Scrubsseason 10 can’t avoid referencing “My Finale.”
Michael J. Fox’s Scrubs Season 3 Episodes Created A Hilarious Problem For The Show
Michael J. Fox was a huge casting for the medical sitcom, but the show’s writers had to accommodate for a funny issue created by the actor’s presence.
Similarly, as poorly asScrubsseason 9 was received, it’s incredibly unlikely the revival would wipe the events of the 13 episodes from existence. Main characters like Turk, JD, Elliot, and Dr. Cox all had their arcs extended inMed School, so this needs to be accounted for when the sitcom returns. On top of all this responsibility,Scrubsseason 10 is landed with the gargantuan task of writing a final episode that lives up to “My Finale,” as well as making sure it corrects season 9’s abrupt ending back in in 2010.
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.
