Scrubbed of all comedy

To understand my connection with SCRUBS you need to know that at one point I was a devoted follower, but eventually lost the faith and return now doubtful that this version of the show will capture any of its old magic.
I had wanted to blow up SCRUBS years ago and make it a show that revolved around Turk. I always though Donald Faison could carry his own show, especially in an ensemble format like Scrubs that doesn’t necessary require too much heavy lifting. Alas, the transformation only came as a last ditch effort to save cancelation. I hope it’s the result of renewed creative juices, but I’m inclined to think it’s the result of greed. We’ll see.
The ninth season, actually let’s stop right there. If I acknowledge that this is the ninth season then I’m saying that this is the same show I used to love. Instead I think I’m going to treat it as a spinoff. I’ll have to think of a new name for it later.
Anyway, this freak show begins Sacred Heart being torn down and the familiar cast of characters moving to a hospital at a medical school. For some reason J.D. is still around and will be teaching some classes, although I thought his leaving was what the series finale was all about (yeah I said series).
Well he’s back because the show needs his star power to hopefully make its star bright enough that people might see it and be inclined to watch. Going to put this move on the greed development sign.
So J.D. openly acknowledges that this routine needs some freshening up, which is when the story is handed off to our potential new lead, Lucy. Lucy is basically the female version of J.D., which is the complete wrong way to go with this show. Essentially they’re trying to throw the show into a time machine and go back to season one, except that it will be better since it will have J.D., Turk, and Elliot in early and later formats. That’s another point for greed.
Another knock against the show is that Lucy is not a well written character. Played by Kerry Bishe, this character struggles to be anything more than a recycled character. The character is timid, but the portrayal is too, as Bishe refrains from being a real person. She seems like someone who has watched Scrubs, but doesn’t get that in the original season of Scrubs the young stars played their roles with a lot of heart and as real people. Their quirks were secondary to the real challenges in their lives.
Sidenote: They completely recreated the scene in which J.D. envisions Elliot mounting him and licking his neck. If this becomes an homage to the early seasons I will throw up. My Old Man better not be coming in episode four.
The only bright standout is Eliza Coupe, who also stole the show last year on Scrubs. She is constantly knocking her lines out of the ballpark. She even kills with a glare. The only thing that sabotages her is the writing on the show. They’ve begun writing her character so unevenly. I can appreciate that Elliot changed over the years, but Coupe’s character Denise Mahoney is going all over the place. It kills me that she’s wasted like this. Run Eliza. Run! You should be playing best friends in chick flicks and stealing scenes in Judd Apatow movies. Now Go!
Oh yeah, the new cast also includes James Franco’s younger brother and the relatively unknown Michael Mosley. Mosley is familiar from GENERATION KILL, THE WIRE and KINGS. Returning is Dr. Perry Cox, who once was a favorite character but has devolved with the show. As played by John C. McGinley the character is too broad and can be boiled down to some recipe of rant and culture reference. Makes me sick.
It’s amusing to me that Cox’s assistant is Denise, since she basically is a female version of him. I think the show would benefit from getting rid of the dead wood and letting the young wood flourish. Denise has a lot of similar traits, but can have her stories go in a way Cox’s never could or should. Too bad we’re going to have to suffer with too many cooks in the kitchen. Although Denis did get to say, “If you’re going to kill yourself, I’m looking at you sad eyes, do it off campus because it is a butt load of paperwork.” Glorious!
I’m conflicted about Turk on the show. His opening remarks were hilarious. He followed that up with his subservient role as J.D.’s best friend, which wasn’t funny. I’m hoping that when Zach Braff’s run on the show ends that Faison can really flourish as an actor and his character can really grow and meet his funny potential.
Ok, I can’t keep thinking about this show. It might be melodramatic to say that watching it now, like this, breaks my heart, but it does. The original version of this show meant a lot to me in terms of laughs and growing up. It was an infantile comedy at a time where I had infantile sensibilities.
It would be easy just to continue to compare this show to what came in the past, but I’m going to try not to do that. It’s hard to do this though, when the show won’t divorce itself from the past. Even the credits use the same old song and are of a similar style. It’s like the writers want to keep the good stuff, cut the dead wood and bring in some new blood. But it can’t work like that.
They need to divorce themselves from the past, otherwise I’ll keep comparing it to the past regardless of how hard I try not to. There are laughs here and there is promise, but not if “Med School” is hamstrung by the past.
I said it before and I’ll say it again, this works as a vehicle for Faison only. He and Carla become teachers of their former professions. I would watch that.
The fact that Cox has become even more grizzled and combative embodies the way I feel about this show. It’s just a chore, and it shouldn’t be. There are laughs here, but you need to want to laugh. I'm trying.
What do you think?