Scrubs - Season 8, Episode 5: "My ABC's"

Remember in the last episode recap, where I said that "My Happy Place" would be tough act to follow? Well, "My ABC's" does a plenty fine job doing just that.

What most people will remember about this episode is that it features some of the Sesame Street Muppets. What could have very easily been a cute, but hollow series of scenes successfully incorporates the familiar characters into the Scrubs brand of humour. Watching the characters interact with Grover, Elmo, Oscar (and whatever the hell this thing is)



is undeniably fun to watch, particularly when they push the limits of what one would expect from Muppet behaviour.

Otherwise, the strength of the episode is based on the regular characters doing what they do best, particularly Dr. Cox, whose interactions with the new interns is reminiscent of his treatment of JD and company in the first season. Two out of the three new named interns also get to develop and show off their brand of character humour. Ed (Aziz Ansari) and Denise (Eliza Coupe) are freaking hilarious in every scene he's in. Katie (Betsy Beutler), on the other hand, appear at first to be being groomed as the new Elliot. Then, after a catty twist, she turns out to be replacing Jordan Sullivan as the resident uber-bitch. As the first type, I didn't feel inclined to watch her, then after the switch, I started to like to hate her. I guess we'll see where this goes.

Pretty much everything worked in this episode. On top the characters being great, the stories they were involved in were strong. JD's medical story in particular was impactful, maybe not enough to make us cry, but effective enough for us to understand why JD would.

The very end also brought a well-balanced tone to the whole episode. Rather than forcing a lesson, it simply presents the frustrations that will be forthcoming with the new batch of interns, and allows us to make our own judgments.

Some of the sequences feel a little awkward, which can be attributed to the fact that it was originally intended to be the premiere. Some lines feel tacked on (like Elliot adding "but we're back together now, don't tell anyone" to the end of her rant about her and JD's past, while the whole episode feels a little expository for the fourth entry of a season.

Still, if a little temporal displacement is the most I have to complain about in an episode, they're surely doing something right.

Rating: 3.75 stars