How to Watch

Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime

Reasons to Watch

It’s hilarious. It feels a little dated now, especially since sitcoms have drastically changed since shows like 30 Rock, Parks & Recreation and The Office gained popularity. But there’s a lot of funny, and a little bit of serious, and it’s one of the only medical comedies out there. And according to many medical professionals, it’s actually more accurate in terms of medical terminology (and the way things are actually handled in a hospital setting) than almost all medical dramas. If you like Grey’s Anatomy but sometimes wish you could go an episode without crying your eyes out, Scrubs might be the show for you. It’s also got a bizarre sense of humor, so there’s no way you’ll be bored. Plus, Zach Braff.

Suggested Rate of Watching

Two to five episodes per day is the perfect rate of watching. Just enough to laugh at. The episodes are short, since it’s a comedy, so you can fit one to three episodes into the same time as you’d watch a longer show, especially if that show is Game of Thrones.

You Will Like This Show if You Like…

If we’re being honest, Scrubs isn’t really like anything else. It has a bizarre sense of humor that plays on the show’s own in-jokes with some physical humor, and a whole lot of daydreaming. But if you like The Big Bang Theory, you’ll probably like Scrubs, although there’s definitely no Scrubs substitute for Sheldon Cooper.

Best & Worst Season

The best seasons are easily the first and second seasons, because the show is introducing you to everyone and diving into their relationships, and it does so hilariously. As you get to know and care about the characters, the jokes become funnier, and the somber, meaningful moments have some tenderness to them.

The ninth, and final, season is considered by most to be the worst season, because of the bizarre plot structure, cast changes and time jump, all at once. If you don’t end up liking the season, you can always just pretend the show ended after season eight. Season seven is also pretty meh, especially because it was affected by the writers’ strike at the time.

Best & Worst Episode From Each Season

Not all seasons are alike, and not every season really has a “best” and “worst” episode. And season nine doesn’t really have any best episodes at all. It’s more like a spin-off than a part of the original show.

Season One

Best: 1×16 — “My Heavy Meddle”

Season Two

Best: 2×20 — “My Interpretation”

Season Three

Best: 3×14 — “My Screwup”

Season Four

Best: 4×06 — “My Cake”
Worst: 4×17 — “My Life in Four Cameras”

Season Five

Best: 5×20 — “My Lunch”

Season Six

Best: 6×15 — “My Long Goodbye”
Worst: 6×12 — “My Fishbowl”

Season Seven

Best: 7×05 — “My Growing Pains”
Worst: 7×11 — “My Princess”

Season Eight

Best: 8×18 — “My Finale”

Season Nine

Worst: All of them

Characters You Will Aspire to Be Like

Carla and J.D. are both pretty great. Carla’s a fantastic female role model, and she’s often the heart of Sacred Heart, and like nurses so often are, an unsung hero. Carla isn’t afraid to speak her mind and put people in their place, but she’s also caring and kind. And as frustrating as J.D. can be sometimes, he’s still the main character, and he has a redeeming, lovable quality to him that makes you want him to succeed.

Character You Will Love to Hate

We hate to say it, but probably Kim. We don’t want to get too spoilery on this one.

Couples You Will Be Shipping

J.D. and Turk is probably the best (platonic) ship, although so many fans insist it was more than platonic and was the best love story on the show. We can’t help but agree!

J.D. and Elliot are frustrating, but you’ll probably ship them anyway. No spoilers on whether they’re endgame, sorry.

Turk and Carla make a great couple, since they’re both so fantastic on their own.

Dr. Cox and Jordan, same as above.

Terminology You Need to Know

The great thing about Scrubs? It pretty much lays it all out for you. Despite being set in a hospital filled with medical professionals, you never feel left out, especially since at the beginning of the series, we’re all learning things alongside J.D. and the interns.

Best Guest Stars

Michael J. Fox and Colin Farrell, hands down.

Snacks to Eat During

This is definitely a snacking show, especially since J.D. and Turk spend so much time snacking on-screen. We recommend anything you’d eat while watching Gilmore Girls—pizza, nachos, candy, fries, popcorn, the works. Scrubs is also easy enough to turn into a drinking game if you have a free Saturday night and know enough of the show’s running gags and in-jokes by that point.

Music You Will Be Dying to Hear Again

“Don’t Look Away” by Joshua Radin
“Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder
“Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin, performed by John Bennett Perry
“She’s Gone” by Hall and Oats, performed by Tom Cavanaugh
“She Says” by Howie Day
“Everybody’s Changing” by Keane
“Stolen” by Dashboard Confessional
“The Book of Love” by Peter Gabriel

Number of Deaths

Too many to count. This takes place in a hospital, remember? The new doctors-to-be dealing with mortality is one of the recurring themes.

Number of Weddings

Two

Number of Pregnancies

Five

Number of Time Jumps

One, and everyone hated it.

Number of Proposals

Two

Best Quotes

Carla: Yeah, who told you that?
Janitor: Mmm, the wind.

The entire Arnold Palmer joke.

Turk: Look, man, we all have those bleak moments where we swear we’ll never bounce back. Like when I was 17, my mom walked in my room with a look that I had never seen. She said, “It’s over Turk…Michael Jordan’s career is over.”
Dr. Cox: Is anyone a bigger idiot than you?

J.D.: Is he the black golfer?

Carla: I just took a pregnancy test, just tell me when a minute’s up.
Turk: I just put some pizza rolls on the microwave oven; the minute that bad boy rings we’re good to go.
Carla: Oh, my god, I can’t stand it, 30 more seconds.
Turk: OK baby, don’t get too excited, they have to cool off for at least a minute.

J.D.: Look, Elliot, I don’t know if it’s possible to put how I feel about you into words, but I guess I’ll give it a shot. I never really believed I’d find somebody that I love as much as you. I love you more than anything in the whole world. Elliot, I love you more than Turk.
Elliot: Oh my God.
J.D.: I know, that’s even hard for me to say, but it’s true.

What to Do When You’re Done Watching

After you’re done watching, you can always watch the entire series again. Rewatch, anyone? Scrubs has a timeless appeal, like Friends or Sex and the City, so you can come back to it and find new things to appreciate every time.

If rewatching isn’t your style, we recommend taking the time to feel inspired. You’ve just watched these characters go through a serious journey, especially considering J.D. started as an intern. Take Scrubs’ fun-but-inspirational approach to life, and go out there and pursue your own dream!

Your final option? Make a friend watch Scrubs for the first time so you can appreciate every reaction they have. They’ll thank you later.

Your Complete Guide to Binge-Watching ‘Scrubs’