Scrubs - "My Jerks" & "My Last Words"

First of all, sorry this is a little late. I just got back from vacation and I'm a little behind on my posts, but now I'm back and ready to go.

For its first two seasons, Scrubs was a show that was one part comedy and one part coming of age comedy. It was funny, often silly at times, but other times showed the hardships and trials of a group of young doctors trying to make it in the most important of professions. By the time it hit its third and fourth season, it leaned toward the silly side a little more before sliding there completely in its fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons. Though there were attempts to get the show back to a more serious tone (Nurse Robert's death, Carla's post-natal depression, J.D.'s unexpected fatherhood), the show was a shadow of its former self, entertaining, but not compelling.

With its move to ABC, the show has entered its final chapter and show creator Bill Lawrence made it very clear that it would again become a more serious show. The first two episodes of the season, "My Jerks" and "My Last Words" clearly showed this was going to happen. The regular cast of characters have issues that have been long glazed over and it was nice to see Elliott's resolution of her breakup with Keith, Dr. Cox's constant stubbornness, and J.D.'s constant impatience with his own interns. The jokes were still there, thanks largely impart to the addition of his new interns (yeah Aziz Ansari!), but there was the old degree of seriousness that was the underlying factor of the show's first two seasons.

The second episode, "My Last Words" was easily the most poignant episode the show has ever done. As J.D. and Turk forgo their coveted Steak Night to spend time with a dying patient, Scrubs did what it once did best: seamlessly going from laugh out loud funny to emotional and deep. As Scrubs heads into its last season with Lawrence and Zach Braff, it seems that it's resolution time for its characters. They're no longer young and brash, but experienced and accountable. It will be interesting to see how things unfold, and I can't wait to see it.

B/A