My Way Home

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For other uses, see My Way Home (disambiguation).
Scrubs episode
“My Way Home”

Elliot, Turk, JD, and Carla search for brains, a heart, a way home, and courage.
Episode no. Season 5
Episode 7
Guest star(s) Travis Schuldt (Keith)
Writer(s) Neil Goldman,
Garrett Donovan
Director Zach Braff
Production no. 505
Original airdate January 24, 2006
Episode chronology
← Previous Next →
"My Missed Perception" "My Big Bird"

"My Way Home" is the 100th episode of the American situation comedy Scrubs. It originally aired as Episode 7 of Season 5 on January 24, 2006.

The episode is notable for being the show's one hundredth episode, and for being an homage to the 1939 American musical film The Wizard of Oz.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Contents

[edit] Episode overview

J.D. gets called in to work on his day off. The only thing he wants to do is get home. Meanwhile Elliot is trying to convince everyone she is an expert on endocrinology, Carla has doubts over being a parent, and Turk has to wrestle over an issue that will either help his career or break his conscience.

[edit] Cultural references

The entire episode is a homage to the MGM musical film The Wizard of Oz. The following are some of the featured references to The Wizard of Oz:

Scrubs The Wizard of Oz
Dr. Cox calls J.D. Dorothy. The main character is named Dorothy Gale.
J.D. is listening to the band Toto while in the bath, and later declares "Toto and I are going home" (brandishing his iPod). Dorothy's dog (who travels with Dorothy to Oz) is named Toto.
The Janitor paints J.D.'s shoes red. Dorothy is given a pair of ruby slippers.
Ted's band sings "We're Off to See the Wizard" and "Over the Rainbow." These are the two most famous songs from the movie.
In the second half of the episode, the colors are noticeably brighter and oversaturated. The movie shifts from a sepia toned color scheme in Kansas to the much brighter Technicolor in Oz.
Jordan cries "I'm melting!" The Wicked Witch says the same thing as she dies.
Dr. Cox refers to Jordan as "The Wicked Witch of the East Wing." The witch killed by the falling farm house is known as "The Wicked Witch of the East."
Dr. Cox refers to Elliot as having straw-colored, scarecrow hair, and Elliot is worried she doesn't have the brains to lead a Q&A session on endocrinology. The Scarecrow has hair literally made out of straw, and is worried he doesn't have enough brains.
Dr. Cox says that it is as if Elliot's impossibly perfect answers "are falling from the sky." Dorothy's house falls from the sky.
Turk needs a heart from a braindead patient. He must also learn to better empathize with the family, and thus needs a 'heart' in a less literal sense. The Tin Woodsman needs a heart.
Dr. Cox's son Jack is painted bright green. This may be a reference to the Munchkins, some of whom had green clothing (but not green skin). It could also have been a reference to the Emerald City, whose inhabitants do wear green (although they don't have green skin). Finally, it may be a reference to the Wicked Witch's army of winged monkeys (although they were blue), or to the Wicked Witch herself.
The potential heart donor is named Ray Bolger. Ray Bolger is the actor who played The Scarecrow.
The Janitor (with a screwdriver in his mouth) makes the muffled request, "Oil can! Oil can!" The Tin Woodsman makes the same request, which is muffled because his mouth has rusted shut.
Carla needs the courage to face the upcoming prospect of parenthood. The Cowardly Lion needs courage.
The Janitor paints yellow lines down the hospital corridors to show the exits, and blue, green and red lines point to other important areas of the hospital. The Yellow brick road, which the characters walk down, leads Dorothy out of Oz. The multi-colored lines may also be a reference to the rainbow mentionned in the song "Over the Rainbow."
The Todd says that, at the zoo, he saw "lions, and tigers and bears," and then says, "Oh my" as he notices an attractive cheerleader. Tin Woodsman, Scarecrow and Dorothy chant "Lions, and tigers, and bears; oh my," as they march through the forest.
J.D. just wants to go home. Dorothy wants to return home to Kansas.
Near the end Dr Cox says "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" in the hopes that Carla doesn't talk to him. The Wizard says the same thing in a futile attempt to protect his true identity.
In the end, Carla, Elliot and Turk found out they had what they wanted all along. J.D. says, "Every so often a wizard comes along, and tells you exactly what you need to hear." The Wizard helps the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Woodsman and the Scarecrow realize the same thing.
Dr. Cox, Elliot and J.D. work on patients named Langley and Fleming. Noel Langley worked on the screenplay for The Wizard of Oz, and Victor Fleming directed the film.
The Todd wears a scrub cap with pictures of flying monkeys on it. The Wicked Witch's minions are flying monkeys.
At the end, J.D. walks home along a path of golden trees and a rainbow is seen. An obvious reference to the Yellow Brick Road which leads Dorothy home, and the song "Over The Rainbow".
  • The episode also references the film Clerks, which also features a character dragged into work on his day off. The episode even features J.D. saying "I'm not even supposed to be here today," a line from Clerks. Zach Braff is from New Jersey, as is Clerks writer/director Kevin Smith.

[edit] Featured music

[edit] External links


Scrubs
List of Scrubs episodes | List of relationships on Scrubs | Sacred Heart Hospital
Characters
J.D. | Elliot | Turk | Carla | Dr. Cox | Bob Kelso | Janitor | List of minor characters of Scrubs
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