Somehow Scrubs eluded me through its entire run, but I was given a second chance when it started all the way from beginning again. I actually did not set out to watch it on purpose and therefore missed the first two episodes, but by chance saw the third one. I gave it a "7", which was good enough to warrant checking out a couple of more episodes. Unfortunately, most of them got only a "6", and a few got even a "4" and a "5". Now, a "6" is not bad by any means. It's just ordinary. In my opinion, in those episodes that I saw of the first 20, the writers were trying too hard, the humor was done heavy-handedly and it all just wasn't very engaging. I suspect that it shows that the actors, especially the younger ones, took some time to get into the roles - it's just like with Friends: compare the beginning of the first season of Friends to any later season and you can see the difference. So, I hung in there and Scrubs delivered a couple of "8"s, which was a good sign. The episodes with Brendan Fraser also got "8"s from me. They could have been "9"s or even "10"s, had Brendan not stolen the show from everyone. And the last time I checked, the show was called "Scrubs", not "The Brendan Fraser Show". The best episode I saw was the final one, where pretty much everything was in balance and the laughs came at a steady rate, not arbitrarily like in the episodes that got a "6". Also, there was a genuine plot (if not much character) development and a terrific climax. Still, it wasn't even close to getting a "10" from me because a "10" should be something that *cannot* be improved upon in any way (there is no "11" except on Spinal Tap's amps). But I could now see why this show lived long and prospered and look forward to watching the later seasons.
2 Reviews
Season One
zkonedog27 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Ever on the lookout for a new television show (my favorite entertainment genre), I decided to give Scrubs a try after catching up on "The Office" DVDs. Though not thoroughly disappointed or anything like that, after completing this entire first season I am very ambivalent about continuing on with the series.
Basically, the show revolves around four hospital interns (narrated from the perspective of Zach Braff's "J. D." character) and their crazy experiences. Auxiliary characters include the crotchety old Chief of Medicine, the tortured, tough-guy image Doctor, and the mysterious janitor who thrives on making life as miserable as possible for J. D. While the show is obviously a comedy at heart, it also contains a strong human-interest aspect that sees its characters grow throughout the season, not just remain static from episode to episode.
However, the "problem" with this show (though not by any internal error) is that it doesn't measure up to its contemporaries in its two key departments: cut-away gags and the character-driven angle. In terms of the types of jokes (cut-away mock-ups, primarily) most often used, the show pales in comparison to Family Guy's hilarious randomness. Plus, that human-interest angle just isn't as compelling as the cast of The Office.
Thus, although the first season of Scrubs is decent enough when evaluated on its own, it just doesn't live up to others currently on the air. Those who are easily offended by the material of Family Guy will appreciate the tamer atmosphere of this show (while continuing with the cut-away gags), but otherwise you might find it a bit boring and stagnant.
Perhaps sometime in the future I will return to the series to see if the writing/characters are amped up a notch, but right now I am content to leave off after Season One and stick with my other fare.
Basically, the show revolves around four hospital interns (narrated from the perspective of Zach Braff's "J. D." character) and their crazy experiences. Auxiliary characters include the crotchety old Chief of Medicine, the tortured, tough-guy image Doctor, and the mysterious janitor who thrives on making life as miserable as possible for J. D. While the show is obviously a comedy at heart, it also contains a strong human-interest aspect that sees its characters grow throughout the season, not just remain static from episode to episode.
However, the "problem" with this show (though not by any internal error) is that it doesn't measure up to its contemporaries in its two key departments: cut-away gags and the character-driven angle. In terms of the types of jokes (cut-away mock-ups, primarily) most often used, the show pales in comparison to Family Guy's hilarious randomness. Plus, that human-interest angle just isn't as compelling as the cast of The Office.
Thus, although the first season of Scrubs is decent enough when evaluated on its own, it just doesn't live up to others currently on the air. Those who are easily offended by the material of Family Guy will appreciate the tamer atmosphere of this show (while continuing with the cut-away gags), but otherwise you might find it a bit boring and stagnant.
Perhaps sometime in the future I will return to the series to see if the writing/characters are amped up a notch, but right now I am content to leave off after Season One and stick with my other fare.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
