‘Scrubs’ Review: Can J.D. Shine in TV’s ‘Ted Lasso’ Era, or Has Time Already Passed Him by?

Has “Scrubs” finally found its moment?

When Bill Lawrence’s medical sitcom first premiered in October 2001, J.D. (Zach Braff) was an outlier, as was the show built around him. Sure, he shared the fears common among his fellow interns at Sacred Heart Hospital, like his best friend Turk (Donald Faison) and instant crush Elliot (Sarah Chalke). But Dr. John Dorian always felt distinctly out of place. He was prone to outlandish fantasies at inopportune moments, and his demeanor pivoted from silly to serious at the needle-drop of a “Coldplay” record. “Scrubs” followed its lead, indulging in goofy bits complete with knowingly crass sex jokes and cartoonish sound effects, all with an underlying earnestness for the hard-working patients, doctors, and hospital staff.

Still, what set J.D. apart from everyone else wasn’t his daydreaming — everyone in “Scrubs” had their weird quirks — it was his sensitivity. He’s thoughtful (hence the daydreaming), compassionate (he loves his patients), and effeminate (look no further than the “hairmet”), especially compared to his colleagues. J.D.’s mentor, Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley), called him by a different girl’s name every day. His boss, Dr. Kelso (Bob Jenkins), berated him for putting patient care over hospital policy. His nemesis, the Janitor (Neil Flynn), got off on torturing him, and even J.D.’s BFF was a traditional dude-bro: cocky, sporty, and not too keen on discussing his feelings with the fellas.

Ostensibly, the original “Scrubs” was about J.D. growing up — a simple coming-of-age story boosted by a zany sitcom spirit. But underneath that straightforward broadcast appeal, the series was about J.D. proving — to himself and the world — that his style of doctoring could work; that his big emotions weren’t a flaw to be ironed out by the hospital’s day-to-day grind, but an asset to be developed and applied to the hospital’s benefit.

Over nine seasons, J.D. did exactly that. He held onto his singular personality while succeeding as a doctor. Some would argue “Scrubs” followed suit: Setting aside the limited awards recognition and early ratings peak (ahead of Season 4, Variety reported it was “never a broad hit”), nine seasons is a long run for any TV show (even in the early 2000s), reruns proved popular after the series ended in 2010, and now ABC is investing in a revival. When there’s still demand for J.D. and Turk in 2026, beyond their omnipresent T-Mobile ads, that’s a success. (Are the ads to blame for bringing “Scrubs” back? Maybe! But I can’t go down that rabbit hole.)

But that was then. Can they do it again? Can J.D. do it again? Can he prove his sensitive approach to medicine, slightly matured over time, is still what Sacred Heart needs? What little narrative hook there is for the “Scrubs” revival — which plays like a safe combination of the short-lived soft-reboot, “Scrubs: Med” (aka Season 9) and the original series — hinges on that question, while inviting a new one: What if J.D. was ahead of his time?

I know how that sounds, given this century has featured almost as many years with “Scrubs” as without it, but our surreal modern world is better acquainted with the likes of J.D. than the one he first walked into. Beta masculinity obviously wasn’t widely accepted in the early 2000s. (If it had been, the character wouldn’t have stood out — at Sacred Heart, or in a TV sitcom landscape headlined by “The King of Queens,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and “Yes, Dear.”) Emotionally vulnerable men didn’t really gain prominence in the 2010s either — not when hope ceded so much ground to hate. But at a time when the male loneliness epidemic gets as much attention as actual diseases and HBO is touting a “nice” version of “Game of Thrones”… is it finally J.D.’s time to shine?

The new “Scrubs” (with Aseem Batra as showrunner) premieres after series creator Bill Lawrence (who’s only an executive producer this time around) has spent the last six years bending the world to his will — of kindness. “Ted Lasso” made being nice cool again (for two seasons, at least), and Lawrence’s chipper, sensitive male leads continue to undermine toxic traits. In “Shrinking,” Jimmy (Jason Segel) tries to be a better dad than his own car-loving, incommunicative, commitment-phobic father (Jeff Daniels). In “Bad Monkey,” Yancy (Vince Vaughn) is the most talkative private eye on TV. He’d rather crack a case by connecting over a few beachside beers than connecting his closed fist with the suspect’s jaw.

Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, and Judy Reyes in ‘Scrubs’Courtesy of Disney

J.D. predates these guys by two decades, but when “Scrubs” (2026) picks up again, he’s their age (late 40s, early 50s). Working as a concierge doctor for rich Californians isn’t exactly his dream job. Sure, there are perks — more time for his kids, more money for his kids, wait, do you remember J.D. has kids? — but he’s isolated and, yes, lonely. So when Dr. Cox calls asking for a favor, J.D. leaps at the chance: Come by the old hospital, visit your wealthy patient (who was admitted for an emergency procedure), and while you’re here, help get the new group of interns to fall in line?

“I can’t work them crazy hours or even abuse them anymore,” Dr. Cox says by way of explaining his newfound ineffectiveness as a teacher. Perhaps J.D. can think of ways to connect with “TikTok Doc” (played by Ava Bunn, who’s always recording herself), ‘Fraidy Doc (Jacob Dudman, who “gets a little woozy” doing any procedure whatsoever), and Rude Doc (David Gridley, who has a classic case of Bad Bedside Manner). There’s also Normal Doc (Amanda Morrow), one of Turk’s interns who’s basically Young Turk (no connotation), but that’s a bit dismissive of ‘Fraidy Doc, who’s basically a Young J.D.

For those who remember, J.D.’s first hurdle as an intern was that he couldn’t perform any of the procedures himself. Dr. Cox forced him to step up (or man up, perhaps?), so it’s fitting that J.D. has to find a way to get ‘Fraidy Doc over his fears, especially when he proves to be just as sensitive as J.D. ‘Fraidy Doc actually says “kindness is the best medicine,” which not even J.D. can let stand. (“No, medicine is the best medicine,” he impatiently replies.)

Aside from serving as mirrors into the past, the interns don’t really matter to “Scrubs” (which is why I haven’t bothered to use their proper names). Through the first four episodes, they’re given only the loosest character traits and the corniest dialogue. (Netflix isn’t the only studio mandating redundant dialogue to assist bored viewers.) Unlike Season 9, when Kerry Bishé’s intern took over the voiceover and Braff was relegated to guest star appearances, interns aren’t the focus anymore. In 2026, “Scrubs” is still J.D.’s show, for better or worse.

The “better” parts arise when “Scrubs” simply tries to be its old self: Turk and Elliot fight over J.D., medical and surgical interns fight over who’s smarter, a random person immediately hates J.D. and spends the rest of his life (presumably) fucking with him. (While Neil Flynn is missed, J.D.’s new rival, played by Joel Kim Booster, admirably commits to filling the viciousness void.)

What’s “worse” may not override what’s working like it did in Season 9 (and, if memory serves, for a few seasons prior), but things get clunky when the silly fantasy sequences fade into serious life lessons, and too many of Season 10’s jokes are as predictable as the plotting. It’s also slower and uglier, with too much space in between dialogue and too little life in the hospital sets.

But the familiarity is also a problem. J.D. becoming a common character in 2026 puts the onus on “Scrubs” to distinguish itself in other ways. We’ve already got Ted Lasso (returning this year), Jimmy Laird (releasing new episodes through early April), and Andrew Yancy (“Bad Monkey” Season 2 is in production), not to mention characters not created by Bill Lawrence, including Stede Bonnet, Dave Burd, and Ser Dunk. What can “Scrubs” offer that they aren’t already providing? What edge does it have other than a two-decade head start? It’s pretty clear J.D. fits in 2026, but why do we need him?

Fans who just want to bask in nostalgia should be happy, and they may even be rewarded if “Scrubs” dares to question what a world of empowered J.D.s could look like. Might his need to be liked by everyone conflict with his job’s more impersonal responsibilities? Is he too easily manipulated or too oblivious to playing favorites? Is he the right guy to steward a new generation, or is he just another old white guy who gets the chance?

Looking for answers may be enough to justify returning to “Scrubs” one more time. Finding them may actually make it meaningful.

Grade: C

“Scrubs” Season 10 premieres Wednesday, February 25 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC with two episodes. New episodes will be released weekly and available on Hulu the next day.