“Scrubs” is back!

It is hard to overstate how important "Scrubs" is to me. It is a show that I loved, and it is a core tenet of at least three friendships. During lockdown, Zach Braff and Donald Faison started a rewatch podcast featuring their costars and sharing behind-the-scenes stories. It is a 'show that I think about all the time, moments or lines will pop into my head randomly. Needless to say, I was thrilled to hear that the show was coming back, but also worried that they would fail to capture the magic of the original series.

JD (Braff) returns to Sacred Heart after years away.

I was worried after the first episode that the show had lost a step. It didn't feel like "Scrubs." The truth is, it was never going to be the original, and I had to adjust my expectations and meet the show where it was and not where I wanted it to be. By the end of the second episode, I saw what they were going for, and I was back on board. The show couldn't be what it was .Dr. Cox's constant verbal abuse, like only calling JD girls names, would not fly in today's society. The Todd, in the original show, was constantly turning anything and everything into a sexual innuendo, and he is more sensitive now. These are good changes that update the show for 2026.

It felt surreal to sit down to watch a new episode of "Scrubs" in 2026. Seeing JD, Turk (Fasion), and Elliot (Sarah Chalke) roaming the halls of Sacred Heart was a welcome sight. The show is just as good as it was back in its original incarnation. As I mentioned, the show has had to adjust, and with it, the characters have as well. JD and Turk, the original b. romance, have grown apart over the years. JD has moved away for his job. That, combined with their respective family priorities, means they don't see one another as much anymore. With JD returning to Sacred Heart as Chief of Medicine, they have to deal with the state of their relationship. There is a moving scene on a roof where they talk about this change in their relationship. It's the kind of scene that "Scrubs" and other Bill Lawrence shows do best: they can make you laugh one second and cry the next. That was the scene that told me "Scrubs" was back.

One thing I wish the show would do is give the new interns more screen time and more significant stories. They have moments, but most are opposite the OG cast. I understand the need to focus on JD, Turk, and Elliot, but these new characters deserve some more attention. The show is only nine episodes, five of which have already aired, so I don't know how much airtime they will get. My hope is that, if we get future seasons, they are allowed the space to grow into real characters.

New Scrubs" in 2026 is a balm for the soul. It is great to see these characters again and watch them navigate growing older, growing apart, new roles in the hospital, and changing times. The show has found its place in today's world without losing the core of what fans loved about the original. 

"Scrubs" airs on Wednesday on ABC and the next day on Hulu