Bill Lawrence’sScrubsmay have run for a total of nine Seasons, but for purists,Season 8 marked the endof the hilarious medical procedural. In actuality,the show probably teased a season finale at least three times, but the actual thing came in the form of Season 9, Episode 13 “Our Thanks.” The ninth season had a completely new air to it, ditching the day-to-day dealings of J.D. (Zach Braff), Turk (Donald Faison), Carla (Judy Reyes), and Elliot (Sarah Chalke), residents turned doctors and one nurse at Sacred Heart Hospital. They were replaced by doe-eyed medical students at the fictional Winston University (formerly Sacred Heart Hospital).
While it most likely wasn’t the ending most expected from a show as iconic asScrubs, they made a valiant effort. With only J.D., Turk, and Cox (John C. McGinley), sporadically appearing as series regulars, the last season wrapped things up for green and equally overwhelmed medical students — the next generation, if you will.Taking over J.D.’s quirky voice-overs and wild daydreams was Lucy, played by (Kerry Bishé). Also central to the plot were Drew (Michael Mosley), Denise (Eliza Coupe), and Cole (Dave Franco). The finale may not have been a conventional ending, but they each got something out of it… no matter how small.
In the unreal world of Sacred Heart Hospital, intern John “J.D.” Dorian learns the ways of medicine, friendship and life.
Cole Finds a New Path in ‘Scrubs’ Season 9
Throughout Season 9,Cole’s main focus seemed to be, well, Cole. Right until a brush with skin cancer and a Dr. Cox lightbulb moment led him to a realization — surgery was his calling. As head of surgery, and someone actively searching for a mentee, hand-holding duties would naturally fall to Turk. However, he was not thrilled ashe had his eye on mentoring “cool guy” Clint. But Cole, buzzing with a new lease on life and maximum enthusiasm, stuck to Turk like glue. After some advice from Drew — he basically encouraged him to wear Cole down — a surgical tournament featuring everything fromEntouragereferences to ketchup-blood and drumlines began.
Through it all, Cole was a champ, so dedicated that he was willing to pee himself and decimate a hoard of Lucy’s stuffed unicorns to prove himself. It was not a pretty journey, but it led him to commit to something in a way viewers had never seen him do before. By the end of the finale episode, their arc was not left unresolved. It was safe to assume that under Turk’s tutelage, he’d thrive… and maybe one day open his punny practice “Cole Cutz.”
‘Scrubs’ Sees Denise and Drew Finally Accepting Their Fling Is an Actual Relationship
Denise and Drew’s relationship goes from casual to serious inScrubsSeason 9, which is a huge step for two commitment phobes. However, it’s Denise that gave them both a shove in the right direction. After a few awkward remarks about getting hitched and knocked up, she hits the nail on the head, telling Drew it’s time they took their relationship to the next level. The real kicker comes when Drew returns to find a gaping hole in the wall between their rooms, courtesy of a bathtub mishap from above. However, her enthusiasm to play house leaves Drew a bit blindsided, and he puts up a curtain between their rooms.
In trueScrubsfashion, Drew comes around at the end of the day. Besides the show’s surprisinglyrealistic take on life at a hospital, it really does dive deep into relationship dynamics. The hilarious thing is that it’s a stroke of madness (Denise’s madness, just so we’re clear) that put things into perspective for him. Shocker,Denise took a sledgehammer to the walland made the hole herself. Who doesn’t love a bold brand of crazy?
The Students Say Goodbye to ‘Scrub’s Season 9 Cadaver, Ben
At the start of Season 9, it’s clear thatLucy Bennett was set up to be a new J.D.of sorts, even though she had some huge shoes to fill. She comes complete with something reminiscent of his wild daydreams and overhead narration. With that in mind, it was safe to assume she’d get some sort of mega-ending to her story. Needless to say, she did not. In place of a climactic send-off,her story ended with the equivalent of a whisper as she took on the role of the group’s moral compass. Her task? To make sure her groupproperly honored their cadaver, Ben, at the ceremony of thanks.
It doesn’t take long for Lucy to get back on top form though. After a heart-to-heart with Denise, who was casually eating a sandwich in the morgue, she gained a fresh perspective. Denise reminds Lucy of the knowledge she’s gained thanks to Ben’s cadaver, which helps her shift her focus from Ben’s crummy life to his valuable contributions to medicine in his death. The whole ordeal wasnot exactly pivotal to Lucy’s story, but at least she learned a lesson… right?
‘Scrubs’: Best Celebrity Guest Stars, Ranked
Some familiar faces at Sacred Heart Hospital.
Cox Settles Into His Role As ‘Scrub’s Resident Wise Old Sage
With the eternal chip on his shoulder and knowledge for days, the Season 9 finale ofScrubssaw Dr. Cox begrudgingly becomes Winston University’s unofficial Yoda. Without even wanting to,he found himself guiding clueless residents, med students, and doctors alike with his gruff and sarcastic version of wisdom. Let’s take Cole, who he practically shoved into Turk’s arms when he was searching for an area of specialty and Turk was searching for a mentee. His initial actions came off as puppet mastery for the fun of it, but by the end of the episode, it was clear that it was meant to be.
Then there’s Dr. Turk, who could still benefit from a guiding hand despite being a department head. He did everything to ensure that Cole dropped surgery as an area of specialization. After all, it was Clint he was aiming for. Cox has to remind him that protégés, like empty vessels, are meant to be filled with knowledge, none of them come ready-made. He also lays the sarcasm on thick, reminding Turk thatmentors don’t always get to choose their mentees— exhibit A: J.D., the other half of theTurk-J.D. bromance. At the end of the day, Cox proves that being the wise old sage isn’t just about knowledge, but about knowing when to use it. Withhints that there may be a reunion in the works, it’d be mighty interesting to see how these characters have grown since this not-so-solemn goodbye.
