Scrubs' Revival Already Has Dr. Cox’s Perfect Replacement Ready For When JD Gets His Dream Ending (2024)

The Scrubs revival's ending can only really happen one way if the arc of Zach Braff's Dr. John "JD" Dorian is going to be truly satisfying, but it would also require a reshuffle in the hierarchy of Sacred Heart Hospital. Although John C. McGinley's Dr. Percival "Perry" Cox served as the second-most senior of all the Doctors in Scrubs for the first eight seasons, he became Chief of Medicine in the sitcom's penultimate run. Doing so would have implied a perfect ending if JD had stuck around as his second-in-command, but the imminent Scrubs revival can fix the misstep.

Just like Dr. Cox served as JD's mentor throughout all nine seasons of Scrubs - even after the pair had parted ways - Braff's character took a few different characters under his wing as well. However, most of JD's mentees didn't stick around all that long. As such, the sitcom almost failed to find a successor to follow in JD's footsteps when he eventually ascended further through the ranks of the hospital. Thankfully, Scrubs season 8 gave JD the understudy he'd been unknowingly searching for, just in time for the ending of the sitcom's main run.

Eliza Coupe's Denise Mahoney Was JD's Only Real Protégé

Braff's character rarely made an effort to train one particular intern

Although Shaughn Buchholz's Jason "Cabbage" Cabbagio was unconsciously selected by JD to be molded into his eventual replacement, any big Scrubs fan will know how badly that turned out. After Cabbage's run of episodes and early retirement from medicine in Scrubs season 5, JD didn't really try to find another intern to train for a while. Eventually, he found himself a student who was a mix of potential and roughness around the edges - Eliza Coupe's Denise "Jo" Mahoney. It took until Scrubs season 8, but JD had finally found a Doctor who he believed could eventually replace him.

Coupe was one of the cast members who carried over into Scrubs season 9 - AKA Scrubs: Med School - after the "My Finale" two-parter.

Coupe was one of the cast members who carried over into Scrubs season 9 - AKA Scrubs: Med School - after the "My Finale" two-parter. Braff's gradual exit from the softly rebooted sitcom was a shame, but his time on the show had already reached an organic endpoint at the end of Scrubs season 8. By carrying Denise over to the Med School episodes, JD's legacy at the new Sacred Heart was strengthened. Denise had, in part, become the doctor she was thanks to JD's input, and she continued to spread his knowledge to the benefit of patients and medical staff alike.

Denise Can Step Into The Dr. Cox-Esque Role When JD Is Inevitably Made Chief Of Medicine

Denise would be the perfect number two for JD

Before JD departed Sacred Heart in Scrubs season 8, he had taken on Dr. Cox's former role as the unofficial second-in-command to the Chief of Medicine - the latter title then being held by Dr. Cox himself. When Braff's character left, there didn't seem to be anyone who could replace JD. Presumably, Elliot tried to fill the role, but her dynamic with Dr. Cox was always incredibly fractious - and not endearingly so. Scrubs season 10 can reinstall JD in this position, and the revival can end with him being handed the baton again by Dr. Cox and taking over the hospital.

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Scrubs' seemingly imminent revival could bring back any number of guest stars, but one in particular would result in a very different experience.

JD becoming Chief of Medicine and running the hospital alongside Turk - who ended Scrubs season 9 as Chief of Surgery - is the only perfect way that the Scrubs revival can end. It could happen sooner rather than later, as Dr. Cox will be older in the Scrubs revival than former chief Dr. Kelso was in the pilot. Cox will presumably be approaching retirement. So, JD's return can have him reclaim his right to take over as the Chief of Medicine, which means Denise can inherit the role made famous by Cox, as she is JD's only real protégé.

Scrubs Season 9 Would Have Been Better With Denise's Inner Monologue Instead

Lucy's narration was far too similar to JD's

Scrubs' Revival Already Has Dr. Cox’s Perfect Replacement Ready For When JD Gets His Dream Ending (2)

One of the biggest hallmarks of Scrubs is JD's inner monologue narrating events - although other Scrubs characters did briefly step into narrating duties. Braff's character began Scrubs season 9 as the sitcom's main storyteller, but the responsibility slowly transitioned to Kerry Bishé's Lucy Bennett. Bishé's character had never appeared in Scrubs seasons 1-8, but she was thrust into the limelight as the show's new lead actor. It perhaps could have worked if certain other characters didn't make the jump from season 8, but it would have made much more sense for Denise's inner monologue to take over.

Scrubs Season 9 Top 5 Episodes On IMDb

Episode

Number

IMDb Score

Our First Day of School

1

6.5/10

Our Drunk Friend

2

6.5/10

Our Histories

4

6.5/10

Our Stuff Gets Real

9

6.5/10

Our Role Models

3

6.4/10

Our White Coats

7

6.3/10

There was nothing really wrong with Bishé's Scrubs character, but it felt like the show was trying to introduce a character who was essentially a female JD. With all the other changes ahead of the Med School run, as well as Braff's brief tenure as part of the new formula, it all felt a little forced. The sitcom also inorganically gave Lucy and JD a brief teacher-student arc to justify the hand-off, but it was a little bit of a headscratcher. Scrubs season 8 had already done this story with JD and Denise, and it had felt much more natural.

Lucy could still have been a great character, but she didn't need to be so prominent.

Respect for each other aside, Denise and JD are almost nothing alike. JD is almost comically in touch with his emotions, whereas a big part of Denise's journey is learning how to improve her abysmal bedside manner. So, hearing her witty, snarky, almost dark inner monologue evolve into something much more befitting a doctor would have been incredibly rewarding. With Lucy narrating the show, Med School wasn't really offering the viewers anything that different from JD's mental voice. Lucy could still have been a great character, but she didn't need to be so prominent.

How Scrubs's Revival Can Keep The Sacred Heart Line Of Succession Going

Denise needs to choose a successor in the Scrubs revival

Part of the beauty of Scrubs is that the hospital's leadership structure is almost generational. It would be reasonable to assume that Kelso and Cox once shared a mentor-mentee dynamic before the former became the Chief of Medicine, so the line of succession's framework has probably been in place for long before them. If and when JD becomes the new chief at the end of the Scrubs revival, and Denise becomes his number two, it would seem that there is no one left to succeed Denise. Scrubs' comeback can easily fix this by giving Denise a protégé too.

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8 Challenges Scrubs Season 10 Faces After The Sitcom's Disappointing Ending

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1

Arguably, Denise's new student could be one of the newer interns from Scrubs season 9, but the Kelso/Cox, and Cox/JD dynamics strongly imply a bigger age gap is necessary. So, one of the revival's newcomers could be more than suitable for Denise to train and replace her. JD's promotion to Chief of Medicine would likely come in the final episode, so Denise's time as his number two would only be brief. Therefore, her onscreen student may never be officially confirmed as Denise's successor, but as long as it's very strongly implied, Scrubs can keep this brilliant tradition going.

Scrubs' Revival Already Has Dr. Cox’s Perfect Replacement Ready For When JD Gets His Dream Ending (4)

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Scrubs

Comedy

Drama

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.

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Cast
John C. McGinley , Robert Maschio , Donald Faison , Christa Miller , Neil Flynn , Judy Reyes , Aloma Wright , Zach Braff , Sarah Chalke , Sam Lloyd , Ken Jenkins

Release Date
October 1, 2001

Seasons
9
Streaming Service(s)
Hulu , Prime Video

Showrunner
Bill Lawrence
Scrubs' Revival Already Has Dr. Cox’s Perfect Replacement Ready For When JD Gets His Dream Ending (2024)

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