'Scrubs' Season 9 Premiere Episodes

This new season of Scrubs doesn’t entirely create the sense of being a completely new show, as creator Bill Lawrence intends, but it offers enough new twists and intriguing characters to indicate that the venerable medical comedy still has life left in it.

After an eighth season that was generally expected to be the series’ swan song, Scrubs returns vastly changed (so much so that creator Bill Lawrence wanted the title changed to Scrubs Med School), and at least partially reinvigorated. The first two episodes of the ninth season make sure to include plenty of familiar elements so as not to put off longtime viewers. Original star Zach Braff makes two of his reported six appearances of the season in these episodes as J.D., now teaching at the medical school attached to the new Sacred Heart hospital, which is the new setting for the show. Also teaching at the school are J.D.’s buddy Turk (Donald Faison) and his mentor/nemesis Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley), both of whom will be series regulars along with the new cast members.

While it’s nice to see both J.D. and Turk still around (J.D. splits his customary narration with the new lead character, med student Lucy Bennett, played by Kerry Bishe), it also makes it a little tough to move on and focus on the new cast members, who at least come off as entertaining and worth watching. Less welcome is Dr. Cox, whose I-hate-everyone shtick was already getting mighty old, and whose more humanizing characteristics are not on display, at least in these episodes. And the overly dopey fantasy sequences, which became far too prevalent in recent seasons, could definitely be toned down.

Still, the best thing about these episodes is that they demonstrate potential for a show about the new (and new-ish) characters. Lucy is as appealing an everywoman med student as J.D. was an appealing everyman doctor; Michael Mosley’s Drew, an older student returning to med school after flaming out once, is a new character type for the show to explore; and Eliza Coupe really steps up as the abrasive but level-headed Denise, in a role expanded from her periodic appearances in Season 8. Dave Franco’s self-important Cole is so far a little one-note, but even so, I’m interested in watching a show about these characters. At this point, the show is only about halfway really about them, but it’s enough to make it worth keeping an eye on.

Disclosure: A review screener was provided by the network. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.