When most people think of sitcom rivalries, Jim and Dwight inThe Officeimmediately come to mind. The elaborate pranks, deadpan reactions, and ongoing battles of wit between Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) gave the series some of its most iconic moments. From putting Dwight’s stapler in Jell-O to creating a fake CIA recruitment scenario, Jim’s creative war on his deskmate was a consistently hilarious thread running through the show. For many fans, the duo’s prank battles were the comedic highlight ofThe Office, and even today, those scenes remain some of the most shared and quoted on social media.
However, as great asJim and Dwight inThe Officewere, there’s another workplace rivalry from a 2000s sitcom that deserves just as much (if not more) recognition. It wasn’t just about who could pull the better prank or win the day, but about absurdity, unpredictability, and an almost mythic level of commitment to the bit. What’s more, while it played out in a hospital instead of a paper company, it was just as much a staple of the series it belonged to. That rivalry? JD (Zach Braff) vs. the Janitor (Neil Flynn) inScrubs.
JD And The Janitor In Scrubs Mastered The Workplace Enemies Trope Years Before The Office
Scrubs Perfected The “Ongoing Prank War” Formula Long Before The Office Made It Iconic
AlthoughScrubsandThe Officeaired during a similar era -Scrubspremiered in 2001, whileThe Officefollowed in 2005 -Scrubswas already deep into its absurdly funny rivalry between JD and the Janitor by the time Jim and Dwight inThe Officebegan their prank-filled feud.
From the very first episode ofScrubs, the tension between JD and the Janitor was set in motion with a petty misunderstanding: JD stuck a door open with a penny, and the Janitor blamed him for the broken door, refusing to believe otherwise. What started as a minor annoyancequickly escalated into one of TV’s funniest, most surreal workplace rivalries.
While Jim’s pranks on Dwight are often calculated and require planning, theJanitor’s attacks on JD are impulsive, chaotic, andoften completely disproportionate to the situation.That unpredictability is what makes the rivalry so compelling.
The result was a uniquely unhinged cat-and-mouse game that never wore out its welcome across all 9 seasons ofScrubs.
One episode he’s gaslighting JD into believing he’s adopted, the next he’s pretending to be the hospital’s legal counsel just to mess with him. The Janitor’s ability to shift from mild annoyance to full-blown chaos gave the show’s comedic tone anextra layer of wild-card energy.
What’s more, it wasn’t just the nature of the pranks inScrubsthat made them so funny - it was the dynamic.JD never quite knew when the Janitor would strike or why, which made their interactions feel fresher and more spontaneousthan Jim and DwightinThe Office.
While Jim often had the upper hand and usually got a laugh out of the audienceandthe characters around him, JD was perpetually confused, terrified, or beaten down by his prankster nemesis. The result was a uniquely unhinged cat-and-mouse game that never wore out its welcome across all 9 seasons ofScrubs.
The “Enemies To Frenemies To Friends” Arc In Scrubs Was More Rewarding
JD And The Janitor’s Chaotic Evolution Felt Less Predictable Than Jim And Dwight’s
Jim and Dwight inThe Officewere always destined to become unlikely allies. As two top-performing salespeople forced to share a workspace and common goals, their rivalry had obvious limits. Despite Jim’s constant pranking and Dwight’s authoritarian attitude, they showed mutual respect when it counted, especially in later seasons.
Jim and Dwight’s friendship arc,though satisfying, felt inevitable. It’s hard not to see it coming when they’re stuck together at work, have overlapping social circles, and even share bonding moments through Pam (Jenna Fischer).
In contrast,JD and the Janitor inScrubshad no reason to ever get along. The Janitor wasn’t part of the main medical team. He wasn’tfriends with JD’s colleagues, didn’t report to the same boss, and had no professional obligation to be civil. In fact, he often seemed to exist purely to torment JD.
That lack of structure made the evolution of JD and the Janitor’s relationshipfar more surprising and far more rewarding.There was genuine suspense in wondering whether they’d ever move past their grudge. When those rare, sincere interactionsdidhappen - like the Janitor helping JD out during a vulnerable moment - it felt like a payoff.
Not just because the rivalry had been so long-standing, but becauseScrubsearned those moments without sacrificing the absurdity of their dynamic.The Janitor didn’t suddenly become warmor sentimental; his soft spots came out in strange, brief flashes, making the emotional beats land even harder. It’s a much riskier way to write a comedic relationship, but one that paid off with big laughsandbig feelings.
The Janitor’s Motivations Make His Pranks Funnier Than Jim’s
The Janitor Doesn’t Prank Because He’s Bored - He Does It Because He’s And Agent Of Chaos
Jim and Dwight inThe Officehad a clear prank hierarchy: Jim was the instigator, Dwight the victim.Jim’s pranks often relied on clever setups or absurd visuals, like encasing Dwight’s desk supplies in Jell-O or impersonating him down to the watch and parted hair. These gags were endlessly creative and undeniably iconic.
However, the Janitor’s pranks on JD inScrubshit differently becausethey weren’t just clever, they were deranged.The Janitor didn’t need a reason to torment JD. He once hit JD’s hand with a wrenchjust because. His pranks weren’t always setups with a punchline - they were sometimes physical, nonsensical, or borderline surreal.
DuringScrubs,the Janitor’s pranks included convincing JD he has rabies, installing a camera in a toilet, or getting JD to believe theJanitor was just a figment of his imagination. The fact that this unhinged campaign of psychological warfare began because of a door and a penny? That’s thekind of comedy gold onlyScrubscould pull off.
Unlike Jim, who had to exist within a slightly more grounded office reality, the Janitor lived in a world where logic barely applied - and the writers ofScrubstook full advantage. While Jim needed his pranks to feel (somewhat) plausible in a real-world setting, the Janitor could throw plausibility out the window. That freedom made the rivalry between JD and the Janitor consistently more unpredictable than Dwight and Jim inThe Office- and arguably, a lot funnier.
The Office
Cast
This mockumentary comedy series observes the mundane and humorous daily lives of employees at the Scranton branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. It offers insights into office dynamics, personalities, and the eccentric behavior of both management and staff, depicting an ordinary workplace with extraordinary characters.
Scrubs
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.
