Like any series, Scrubs has its detractors but there’s no denying the staying power of the show, having ended its 8th season with the final episode premiering on May 6. Hot on the heels of the potentially finished show (discussions are undergoing regarding Season 9, with Zach Braff and Sarah Chalke supposedly signed on for six episodes), this DVD set presents all 18 episodes spread across three discs.
So how does Scrubs hold up this far in the game? As it turns out, the series is showing signs of wear but still managing to pull its weight, remaining consistently smile-inducing without managing to rile up the chuckles and guffaws. To be fair, I have not been the most ardent follower of the show, but I thoroughly enjoyed this season. In terms of acting quality, nothing seems to have fallen off since the last season, the cast still game, delivering fast paced, partly improvised dialogue with considerable skill. Unfortunately, this season continues the practice of draining J.D. (Zach Braff) of any personable qualities, rendering him a constant target of inventive daytime fantasies. It adds a playful tone to the show that does help it persevere through the drier and more clichéd moments but robs both the character and Braff’s performance of having a lasting effect (though the top-notch finale reminds you of how good the show can be).
For those unfamiliar with the show, the concept is rather simple: J.D., Elliot (Sarah Chalke), Turk (Donald Faison) and Carla (Judy Reyes) are all employees of Sacred Heart Hospital. Under the watchful and aggravated eyes of Doctors Cox (John C. McGinley) and Kelso (Ken Jenkins), these four navigate the hallowed halls of medicine as they try to sort out their own lives. The concept is simple and most episodes play out with a mixture of fantasy sequences and real life drama that often ends with wrap-up narration by one of the characters, most often J.D.
Season eight takes some new storyline routes, most of which spout from the retirement of Dr. Kelso and the short run of guest star Courtney Cox as the falsely friendly, money-grubbing Chief of Medicine. It’s ultimately a glorified cameo that ends abruptly and feels a bit like the writers straining to punch some momentum into the show. Kelso’s retirement leads to him continuing to hang around, seemingly existing on a lifetime’s worth of free muffins, while Dr. Cox toys with becoming the new Chief of Medicine. J.D. and Elliot deal with being full-fledged doctors while Turk revels in becoming the head surgeon and Carla heads a cavalcade of nurses. Also in the mix is a group of interns including Aziz Ansari of recent “Funny People” fame.
The episodes never veer too far off course in terms of quality, with “My Last Words,” “My Full Moon” and of course “My Finale” making the most lasting impact. Without saying too much about the goings-on of this season, I will say that it is easy to get into and easier to lay back and enjoy. This is not life-changing television but it's clever, well written and obviously much loved by both the performers and the crew. In the end, isn’t that what makes good television?
Before I move on to special features, one complaint about the video quality on the discs. As I was made aware after doing a bit of research, Season 8 ran in HD widescreen in its entirety, while the discs are presented in full-screen. I did not personally have a problem with this but fans and collectors of the show should be made aware. The audio is crisp and clear, with sound effects and dialogue coming just fine.
DVD Bonus Features
Rounding out the show is a healthy mix of features, beginning with "My Bahamas Vacation", a 20-minute featurette providing requisite behind-the-scenes footage on a two part episode that takes the crew out of Sacred Heart. Following that are somw deleted scenes, handily providing both the version shown and the deleted scene as shot. "Alternate Lines" and a blooper reel are next, providing a look at improvised lines and a few flubs here and there. Rounding out the extras are twelve web episodes titled “Scrubs Interns”, working as introductions and easing viewers into the eighth season. Also included are audio commentaries for most episodes, which are certainly far from boring but not for those that don’t want to hear the cast shoot the breeze episode after episode.
"Scrubs: The Complete Eighth Season" is on sale August 25, 2009 and is rated PG. Comedy, Drama, Television. Directed by Various. Written by Various, Created by Bill Lawrence. Starring Donald Faison, John C McGinley, Sarah Chalke, Zach Braff.
