Scrubsseason 9, rebranded asScrubs: Med School, had several key differences compared to the sitcom’s original run, but it also started very deceptively.All nine seasons ofScrubsaired between 2001 and 2010, but the recentconfirmation of aScrubsrevivalmeans more episodes are coming, withZach Braff returning as Dr. John “JD” Dorian. The medical dramedy’s upcoming new era provides a chance for it to redeem itself from its abysmal transformation ahead ofMed School, as well as the opportunity to be more honest about what form it will take from the very first episode.
Scrubs: Med Schoolsaw the show introduce a new core cast, with the original stars pushed gradually to the fringes of the story. It retained almost every member of the original cast, with Judy Reyes' Carla andNeil Flynn’s Janitoramong the most prominent departures. However, the focus turned to a new group of interns, andthe long-term plan was forScrubs: Med Schoolto have a revolving door of cast members, similar toE.R.It ultimately didn’t work out, and came to an end after just 13 episodes - the first of which seems incredibly misleading in retrospect.
Scrubs: Med School Never Got Any Better Than Its First Episode
“Our First Day of School” almost fooled everyone into thinking Med School wouldn’t change much
All 13 episodes ofScrubsseason 9 are ranked right near the bottom ofIMDb’s rankings for the show. Of these 13 installments,Scrubs: Med Schoolepisode 1, “Our First Day of School,” has the highest score - 6.5/10. This obviously isn’t a very impressive rating, but it isn’t exactly abysmal either, especially for a show that’s finding its footing again. Sadly,“Our First Day of School” turned out to be the highest point forScrubs: Med School, and it rapidly went downhill from there.
It became especially clear thatScrubs: Med Schoolcould only ever be a pale imitation of seasons 1-8.
Episode 8, “Our Couples,” isScrubsseason 9’s next-lowest-ranked episode on IMDb, with a score of 5.9/10. By episode 9,Med Schoolhad well and truly settled into the groove of what it was trying to be. Most of the appeal that had started to be renewed by “Our First Day of School” had evaporated, and it became especially clear thatScrubs: Med Schoolcould only ever be a pale imitation of seasons 1-8.
Why Scrubs Season 9 Never Topped “Our First Day Of School”
Med School began by treading (kind of) closely in the footsteps of Scrubs seasons 1-8
Whatever way it’s viewed,Scrubsseason 9 was very different from the first eight seasons. It was set in a new Sacred Heart Hospital, there was an influx of new characters, and the overall look of the show had also changed quite significantly. That said, there was still quite a lot to recognize.“Our First Day of School” was still pretty JD-heavy, with narration duties not having yet fully transferred to Kerry Bishé’s Dr. Lucy Bennett. Plus, it revealed what had changed for Braff’s character since the season 8 finale, with the same being true for other original cast members.
“Our First Day of School” only went so far when convincing long-standing viewers that it was worth sticking around.
JD was gradually phased out ofScrubsseason 9, with Braff ready to move on to other endeavors. With JD essentially serving asScrubs' main character, his departure meant it was considered necessary for new faces to take center stage. So, althoughScrubsfans may have been tuning in to watchMed Schoolout of intrigue or reliefthat the show was back, “Our First Day of School” only went so far when convincing long-standing viewers that it was worth sticking around.
3
14
9.7/10
8
19
5
20
9.6/10
2
9.3/10
21
9.2/10
1
4
9.1/10
18
7
22
9.0/10
6
15
From episode 2 onwards,it became ever more evident that the intention was to reworkScrubs, not truly continue it. The new characters started to come to the forefront as the original ones faded away. The incoming stars were not bad, but they failed to live up to the beloved figures who had been the show’s focus since 2001. “Our First Day of School” was the beginning of this transition, so it was better received than later efforts. On the other hand, only scoring 6.5/10 proves it still failed in multiple areas.
There’s Only 1 Scrubs Episode Ranked Lower Than All Of Season 9
“My Night to Remember” offered very little to Scrubs
Despite the failure ofMed School,there is one episode ofScrubswith a lower score on IMDbthan any season 9 installment - and it’s for a very good reason.Scrubsseason 6, episode 11,“My Night to Remember,” is the sitcom’s only clip show episode, consisting primarily of flashbacks to memorable moments. Original material is included as a framing device, but it’s not all that compelling. As a result, it currently has a score of just 5.3/10.
Season 9’s “Our Couples” ranking as the second-worstScrubsepisode only puts it 0.6 points ahead of “My Night to Remember,” proving how poorMed Schoolwas capable of being.
Clip show episodes rarely do anything to drive the show’s larger story forward, which is why they’re often forgettable and rated very poorly. Regardless, season 9’s “Our Couples” ranking as the second-worstScrubsepisode only puts it 0.6 points ahead of “My Night to Remember,” proving how poorMed Schoolwas capable of being. The next-worst pre-Med Schoolepisode after “My Night to Remember” isScrubsseason 8, episode 11, “My Nah Nah Nah,” which still has a good rating of 7.5/10.
