(S06E04) Before we get to this week's review (and it's a good one) I just want to give everyone some advanced notice to mark January 18th on their calendar. Yes, that's my birthday (large denomination bills are fine as gifts), but that's not why I want you to mark it off. That will be the day that the Scrubs musical episode airs. From the preview clips I've seen it looks pretty good. So, make sure you set your DVR's (and primitive VCR's) for the occasion.
Oh, one more thing before we begin . . . I didn't know kittens could cause erectile dysfunction? Now it all makes sense!
All right. As mentioned by the lovely and talented Anna Johns this episode of Scrubs spoofed the slightly more serious medical drama House. Well, it wasn't a out-and-out spoof like, say, the movie Airplane was to all of those Airport movies. But, it definitely got a lot of reference on this week's show, especially during the last ten minutes or so.
It really began during rounds, when Cox mentioned the pill-popping Dr. House. After one of the interns (or residents, I'm not too sure what Keith is) said that House was a genius Perry went on one of his famous rants (which were many this week) about how life as a hospital doctor is fairly boring. The best part of his speech was when he said 'There are no cameras filming us' and waved his hand in front of him where the cameras were actually filming John C. McGinley as Dr. Cox. It was a surreal moment.
It turns out there were two medical mysteries at the hospital. One was a patient who had heart failure but no indication of any heart disease. The second was a man whose skin was orange. At first it was all quite baffling, But Cox figured it out on his own. After limping into the hospital's new coffee shop with cane in hand (cans of paint fell on his foot in the previous scene), Perry revealed why the first patient's heart was failing (Broken Heart Syndrome) and why the second patient's skin was orange (eating too many carrots and drinking too much tomato juice). His reveals came complete with washed out, color flashbacks that appeared and disappeared in blinding flashes of light. All in all, I thought it was a nice nod to House.
There were a few other things that went on this episode. One in particular was Carla's continuing stay at the hospital. This is my one complaint about this week's show. Why does Carla get to stay in the hospital for as long as she wants while all of the mothers in the real world of medical plans have to leave their rooms after 48 hours stay (72 hours if you have a C-section). And, does Turk's paycheck really pay for the extended days? That complaint aside, it came as no surprise to us viewers why Carla was staying so long . . . postpartum depression. None of her friends and family put all of the clues together throughout the entire episode. Well, except Dr. Cox, who figured it out at the very end of the show.
Another item of interest was the continuing J.D. and Kim romance. It finally looks like J.D. will be having a solid relationship with a woman, even if she is going away for four months to work at another hospital. If the writers of Scrubs continue to have J.D. maintain this relationship it would certainly be a good out for him to leave the show at the end of the season. By the way, Doctor Dorian was back to his usual form this week with a voice-over right out of the box to start the show, followed by a few patented fantasy sequences. The one where he is reunited with Kim in the airport was very funny.
Finally this week, Elliot moved from the Sacred Heart staff to private practice, even though she remains at the hospital. I was thinking about this (did you smell the smoke) and Elliot has been the character that has really grown the most since the show began. And, I'm not just talking about now, but throughout the entire series. So, her move into private practice is just another chapter in the evolution of Dr. Reid.
No tallies this week, folks. I know you're all upset. We'll talk again next Thursday.
Giveaway Monday: That '70s Show The Complete Series Stash box set
Giveaway Monday: Back to You season one DVD
Six shows that I am watching pretty regularly this season
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-05-2007 @ 9:01AM
Joel Keller said...
Did Cox really figure out that Carla had postpartum depression? Or was it just the writers showing the audience who was having the problem and that everyone missed it?
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1-05-2007 @ 9:06AM
Alicia said...
Very very funny episode. I loved Cox's "stare". It seems as if they are going back to what made the show great!
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1-05-2007 @ 9:26AM
Duane said...
Wow, I really didn't like this episode at all. The mysteries were anything but. I mean, a guy turns orange by eating too much of stuff that turns him red and yellow? And a "single woman" with heart trouble and a wedding ring immediately equals tako-tsubo cardimyopathy? Maybe it was the writers' way of saying that even the "mysteries" are still pretty boring, but it ended up as boring tv to me.
And I don't think Cox figured out Carla's PPD. On the contrary, it was actually a pretty scary and depressing ending. How stupid are both Turk and Cox, that they stood in a room with *two* women that have both given birth, and one of them was crying, and Carla says "It wasn't me" so that's the end of it? They just assume that it's the other lady - and then when they find the orange husband they forget all about the crying mystery? Weak. Even the setup was weak, with random intern walking into the middle of a conversation just to drop the "Oh, someone was crying in here last night, thought I should mention it" non sequitur right in front of the patient. If we're supposed to take it seriously as a problem, they sure didn't. Which just weakens what was supposed to be a big ending.
Line of the night, though, goes to JD: "And phone sex is out of the question, because I'm a righty when I talk on the phone, but I'm also a righty when I'm teaching Mini-JD who Daddy is."
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1-05-2007 @ 9:49AM
Kevin O'Shea said...
I have to say the comedy bit of JD sitting on the BMW while it slowly drove away was hillarious. The Janitor's endless supply of business cards was fantastic as well. It feels to me like scrubs has finally returned to form, and is running on all cylinders.
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1-05-2007 @ 9:50AM
Rich Keller said...
Actually, I do believe Cox figured it all out after he talked to the orange-skinned guy at the end of the episode. The flashbacks of Carla seemed to show that Perry was putting all of the clues together: the statement that she wasn't crying, saying that she just wanted time away from the baby.
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1-05-2007 @ 10:19AM
BillS said...
I also thought Cox figured it out... he had one of those sad revalation faces going when the montage of clues ran.
And I felt like a dumbass for not putting together that they were going for the House thing when he hurt his leg on the paint cans. Though I did figure out the carrot/tomato thing before they did, so I am a genius as well. The genius/dumbass combo... well, I'd like to call it geniass.
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1-05-2007 @ 10:57AM
Karen said...
OK I'm a little late to the Scrubs party... catching up with episodes on Comedy Central and whatnot. So what's the deal with Braff? Is he leaving at the end of this season?? It wouldn't be the same show without him...
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1-05-2007 @ 11:20AM
Happy said...
I LOVED the cane bit at the end. The orange guy problem actually was taken directly from a House episode, although there it was just a side bit as House figured it out immediately and also concluded that the guy's wife was possibly cheating on him and blah blah blah.
I didn't think Dr. Cox figured out that Carla was depressed, but after reading these comments, you guys might be right.
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1-05-2007 @ 11:39AM
summer said...
They didn't have any songs on this episode. Normally they're really good about finding the right song...so, I wonder, is that because they were parodying House? Why no songs??
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1-05-2007 @ 11:52AM
Lou said...
If they really wanted to spoof House they would have to have nearly killed the Heart broken Girl with a needless Lumbar Puncture and test Orange Guy for Lupus
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1-05-2007 @ 12:16PM
Newbie said...
@ #7
The series just feels it's time for the end of Scrubs. Glad to se eyou jumping on to one of the best show son TV that didn't get any props.
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1-05-2007 @ 12:17PM
Sean said...
no songs?
I've had "lollypop, lollypop, oh lolly-lolly lollypop" stuck in my head all morning!
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1-05-2007 @ 3:52PM
Jon said...
Aside from the "Lollypop, lollypop, oh lolly-lolly lollypop" song, there was "Where Do You Go" by Sister Hazel playing at the end.
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1-05-2007 @ 11:00PM
Joe said...
Cox didn't figure it out, JD's VO says so in so many words. Having the montage was just to remind idiots of all the clues they "missed", even if they'd already read the episode summary and had those final moments ruined for them.
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1-06-2007 @ 12:57AM
tozmervo said...
When Dr. Cox dissed on Dane Cook I jumped on the couch and hollered "HALLELUJAH!"
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1-06-2007 @ 1:39AM
Melanie said...
There was WAY too much going on in this episode, and yes, it was pathetic that no one figured out about Carla's postpartum depression, especially with the telling final comment about wanting to get away from the baby for awhile.
And no, I don't think Cox figured it out at the end. I thought he was just like, "Huh. Meh, Orange Guy's probably wrong. I'm brilliant!" Although the little scene of Cox seeing the woman's wedding ring (and his expression afterwards) were perfectly "House". :)
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1-06-2007 @ 7:47PM
Paul said...
"House" and "Scrubs" are my 2 favourite shows on TV, so I really enjoyed this episode. Plus, it was nice to see Dave Foley back!
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1-06-2007 @ 8:05PM
Rawnblade said...
I think Lou got it just right. =P
For me the laughing came when Dr. Cox's quizzical gaze cut to the two colors of paint merging, then was turned up to 11 for Cox's entrance as House, sneakers and all.
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1-10-2007 @ 11:40PM
Karen said...
if they really wanted to parody House, they should have used "You Can't Always Get What You Want"... they song always seems to pop up at pivotal moments...
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