When Scrubs came to an end in 2010, I truly thought that was the end of our time at Sacred Heart. After an amazing run, it was hard to say goodbye to J.D., Turk, Elliot, and the rest of the doctors we’d come to know over the years, but it never really felt like a goodbye, more of a see you again. Who’d have thought that 16 years later, that see you soon would turn into a proper revival.
I’m not going to lie, when ABC announced it was bringing Scrubs back after all these years. I was a bit unsure of whether it was the right decision. There have been so many instances in which a beloved classic has returned in some new form that never really manages to recapture the spark of the original series. Thankfully, ABC’s Scrubs revival is not one of those instances.
What distinguishes the Scrubs revival from many of its peers is the way it perfectly honors the show’s legacy and the components that helped fans first fall in love with the series, while smartly evolving its storytelling, humor, and character dynamics to help the show enter the modern TV era. The best example of this lies in the show’s returning legacy characters of J.D., Turk, and Elliot.
The characters fans fell in love with in the show’s original run are still intact; however, they weren’t lost in time. The versions we meet in the Scrubs revival have lived and learned a lot since we last left Sacred Heart. They’re wiser, weathered, and have been shaped by time, which introduces exciting new dynamics and storylines for the revival to explore.
It’s of no surprise that the chemistry among the returning cast, as well as the new additions to the ensemble, remains the revival’s secret weapon. The comedic timing between J.D. and Turk still lands with the ease and remains the heart of the show, but their brotherly bond has aged into something more layered as all long-time friendships often do. The same applies to the relationship of J.D. and Elliot which remains a central aspect of the show, but brings about unexpected new developments that keep things feeling fresh.
It helps that the writing also remains whip-smart and true to the formula that always worked best for the show in striking a delicate balance between comedy and the emotional hardships that come with jobs in the medical field. One moment we’re watching an elaborate fantasy sequence; the next, we’re confronted with a quietly devastating conversation about patient loss. That delicate balance between whimsy and heartbreak remains intact and the show’s greatest strength.
There are also fun callbacks and the returns of many legacy characters including Carla and Dr. Cox, but the show does not use them as a creative crutch. These callbacks are woven into the show in a natural way that helps them feel like winks to longtime viewers, not desperate attempts to relive the glory days of the show’s original run. This is something that makes the show accessible to both new and returning fans, and is sure to help the show’s run on ABC. While the longtime viewers will enjoy the Easter eggs the writers hide in the episodes, the revival makes it easy for new viewers to walk through the doors of Sacred Heart for the first time and enjoy all Scrubs has to offer.
Ultimately, ABC’s Scrubs revival succeeds because it remembers what made the original resonate with the fans who both watched the show during its original run and those who have discovered it via streaming. Beneath the slapstick and surrealism was always a beating heart: a belief in friendship, mentorship, and the fragile humanity of medicine. By honoring that spirit while allowing its characters to grow and evolve with the times, ABC’s Scrubs revival proves that some reunions are most certainly worth the wait. This is one revival fans will not want to miss!
Scrubs returns Wednesday, Feb. 25, with a special 2-episode premiere beginning at 8/7c on ABC!