JD’s new outlook in theScrubspaves the way for another original character to return. Thus far, Little information has been released about this new version of the show. However, the biggest news is the confirmed return of Zach Braff, who played the show’s main character and anchor Dr. John “JD” Dorian for the first 8 seasons, as well as a brief six-episode run in its ill-fated season 9.
In a recent conversation at ATX TV Festival in Houston,Braff stated that JD’s role will be less like the baby facewe remember from the show’s original run, and something resembling more of a grizzled veteran who’s been broken by the hospital system, much like his unwilling mentor, Dr. Perry Cox (John C. McGinley). With news still pending on who else will be returning, Zach Braff’s comments on the new JD story arc pave the way for a Dr. Cox return, setting the stage for a new dynamic between the two.
JD’s Cynicism In The Scrubs Reboot Creates An Opportunity For Dr. Cox To Return
Could Dr. Cox Bring JD Back From The Abyss?
Characters shouldn’t be in the same place we left them the last time we saw them, andZach Braff’s approach to JD 15 years after he left Sacred Heart is the perfect way to reintroduce him to theScrubsuniverse. JD, beaten and exhausted by an ever-increasing bureaucratic medical system, and in the looming shadow of a devastating pandemic, returns to Sacred Heart still with the same heart and love as he once had, but more cynical and less idealistic.
A cynical JD provides the perfect window for Dr. Cox to return to the reboot, either in his Chief of Medicine role at the new Sacred Heart Hospital or as a professor at Winston University, where he was last seen in season 9. Dr. Cox, the same gruff but deeply caring doctor who unwillingly became JD’s mentor, now must bring him back from the darkness, reminding him why he got into medicine in the first place. It’s the right story to tell, and the best possible outcome for theScrubsreboot.
Dr. Cox Was In The Original Scrubs Where JD Sounds Like He’ll Be In The Reboot
History Repeats Itself, But Dr. Cox Can Save JD From Himself, Just Like JD Once Did For Him
One of the central themes ofScrubswas cynicism, turning people who care deeply and profoundly, consistently discouraged and jaded by people by Dr. Bob Kelso (Ken Jenkins) and the bureaucratic forces that turned Sacred Heart into a place that puts profit over people, into discouraged doctors.Dr. Coxfinds himself as the self-appointed protector of the institution of medicine, the last safety net between his Hippocratic oath and the ever-expanding profit margins of corporate America.
If Braff’s proposed story arc for JD is the central theme to the reboot, Dr. Cox would find himself in a rare position to pay it forward, saving JD from himself the way JD once saved him.
JD, once the doe-eyed new doctor on the floors of the hospital, spent most of the originalScrubsrun reminding Dr. Cox that they can still do their jobs and make a difference, even as the forces of profit pull against them. If Braff’s proposed story arc for JD is the central theme to the reboot, Dr. Cox would find himself in a rare position to pay it forward, saving JD from himself the way JD once saved him.
Even If John C. McGinley Doesn’t Appear, His Relationship With JD Needs To Be Honored In The Reboot
It’s Hard To Imagine The Show Without Him, But His Presence Would Look Large
Zach Braff has been the only officially announcedreturning cast member for theScrubsreboot, and it’s unclear if they will appear in supporting guest star roles or as principal members.John C. McGinley was one of two principal cast members who stayed on for season 9, and it seems entirely likely that he will return for the reboot.
However, should McGinley pass on the opportunity to return as Dr. Cox, the show would need to find a way to honor him and his legacy to JD in a meaningful way.The heart and soul of the show belonged to Dr. Cox’s unorthodox, and mostly demeaning, support of JD, and the lessons he passed him along the way would be best served as constant reminders to JD, in whatever capacity that can be.
