20 Episodes Of "Scrubs" That Remind Us It's The Frickin' Best Show Of All Time (2024)

It’s when Elliot and J.D. meet and when J.D. and the Janitor have their first tiff. The pilot gives us a sense of the tone of the show, setting the stage with the character dynamics and J.D.’s ridiculous inner monologue. It's a must-watch, for sure.

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"My Old Lady" is an earlier episode that nails how the show touches on the topic of death. We learn that statistically, one out of three patients dies. J.D., Turk, and Elliot each go through their respective journeys with their own patients, and all of them, against the odds, die. The rapport that J.D. develops with Mrs. Tanner (Kathryn Joosten), a woman going off of dialysis, is especially bittersweet. We dare you not to cry when "Hallelujah" plays as all three patients flatline.

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In this episode, we see the cracks in J.D. and Elliot's new and fragile relationship. Besides the juicy drama in the middle of the first season, we also get insight into the characters as the hospital staff gets evaluated by a psychiatrist.

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Brendan Fraser fits perfectly into the Scrubs universe, we'll tell you that. Here, the show reveals Dr. Cox's tender and goofy side through his friendship with Ben. But as Scrubs will usually do to its viewers, there's an emotional punch: Ben has leukemia, and J.D. goes through hoops to make sure it's not wrong lab results or a misdiagnosis.

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We get another truly great Ben episode following "My Occurrence." Ben's silly demeanor — giving J.D. and Jordan "eagles" — contrasts sharply with the gravity of the leukemia news. This episode yet again gives us a thoughtful look at Dr. Cox's character, especially at how he handles bad news by completely avoiding it.

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Elliot is, as we all know, somewhat neurotic, which is part of her charm. But after an awkward encounter with her ex, she decides to go through a drastic makeover. Cue Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “American Girl” blaring to her getting a hot-as-frickin’-hell haircut — we’re here for it!

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"My Screw Up" is arguably the saddest Scrubs episode, and that's saying something, since the show can get pretty damn sad even if it's goofy as a whole. The episode starts out with a visit from Ben, Dr. Cox's best friend, who ends up having a relapse of his cancer. Joshua Radin's "Winter" strumming softly in the background at the end is an emotional sucker punch to top off the episode. Even though Dr. Cox thinks he's going to his son's birthday party with Ben, he's actually not...he's going to Ben's funeral.

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This episode basically touches on the butterfly effect, which is essentially when a minor event, like a butterfly flapping its wings, can affect everything. The episode runs through two sets of scenarios: a butterfly landing on a woman's, then a man’s, chest. It’s an interesting thought experiment, which is also very much in line with Scrubs' brand in addition to the goofy, heartwarming humor thing.

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Scrubs never shies away from the subject of mortality, touching not only on difficult patient deaths but also those of loved ones. In “My Cake,” J.D.’s brother Dan drops by to let him know that their father died. This episode really explores masculinity — in the end, it’s Dr. Cox coming with beers and popping on a football game that helps the two cope with their situation. Dr. Cox also tells J.D. that he’s proud of him, and I’m still not OK?

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It's a cozy Scrubs Christmas episode! The hospital staff revisit their favorite moments at Sacred Heart during the holidays, but J.D. only comes up with the fact that he hooked up with someone's grandma. But during the holidays this time around, J.D. meets Mr. Milligan and his son Tyler, who bring out the best in everyone at the hospital, even Dr. Kelso!

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Even in its fun episodes, Scrubs never drops the ball when it comes to delivering its emotional beats. Filmed like a multi-cam sitcom per J.D.'s fantasy, this episode especially pays tribute to Cheers. It transitions between a goofy, everything-goes-right sitcom feel to the hospital's more sober reality pretty seamlessly.

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As he turns 30, J.D. realizes that he hasn't done anything in his life, so he signs up for a triathlon, one of the things on his bucket list. It's a great episode about growing older that's carried by heart, humor, and Elliot's ridiculously strong legs.

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In this Wizard of Oz–inspired episode, Turk waits on a transplant heart, Elliot finds the brains for an important presentation, and Carla musters up the courage to become a parent — all while J.D. searches for his way back home to enjoy Elliot's mango body butter. The bright and saturated color grading adds to the whimsical feel of the episode, and the Blanks' rendition of "Over the Rainbow" is a sweet way to wrap it up!

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There's Elliot's booty call situation with Keith, and Ted's sand-in-office bit, but the crux of "My Five Stages" lies in J.D. and Dr. Cox's journey through the five stages of grief as their patient Mrs. Wilk (Michael Learned) declines. Scrubs does what it does best — that is, exploring death in a very humane and tender way.

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After J.D. and Dr. Cox go out for lunch, they encounter Jill (Nicole Sullivan), who, a few days later, dies apparently by suicide from an overdose. Dr. Cox makes the decision to use her organs for several patients, who end up dying from the transplants. It turns out that Jill had rabies, which sends Dr. Cox down a spiral. The episode underlines the fragile nature of their work at the hospital, as well as the shifting relationship between Dr. Cox and J.D. Also, let's spotlight the most gripping use of the Fray's "How to Save a Life" in this episode!

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After several patients die under his care, Dr. Cox takes a hard hit. His friends intervene and try to pull him out of his depression (including with some, um, unsavory jokes from Todd). Ultimately, it's J.D. who talks sense into Dr. Cox.

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The episode follows a patient named Patti (Stephanie D'Abruzzo) who starts hearing speech as singing after falling unconscious. The composing team consists of the Avenue Q writers, so it's a treat whether you're watching it for the first time or rewatching it for the umpteenth time! We'll never forget "Guy Love," a jab at insistently macho heterosexual male friendships.

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After being in a car accident, Laverne ends up in a coma. Everyone slowly accepts that she will likely not wake up, but Carla remains hopeful that her friend will pull through, even seeing Laverne's spirit. Laverne doesn't wake up, and Carla's last words are heartbreaking. (Though Aloma Wright *does* return as Nurse Shirley, who looks exactly the same as Laverne.)

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Instead of going to their "steak night," J.D. and Turk hang out with George (Glynn Turman), a dying patient without family. The show, as it does, stunningly ruminates upon death in general as well as how J.D. and Turk relate to it as doctors. The episode reveals what an incredibly kind series Scrubs can be — with awesome music choice as well, because it concludes with a poignant use of Death Cab for Cutie's "I Will Follow You Into the Dark."

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It’s rare that a series has a satisfying ending, but Scrubs’ two-part ending (for J.D., at least, since Season 9 exists) definitely hits the mark for fans. On J.D.’s last day at Sacred Heart, he seeks out closure with everyone. Plus, he gets an uncharacteristically nice speech from Dr. Cox in addition to a touching epilogue slideshow.

Watch it now on Hulu (episodes18 and 19).