| Scrubs season 8 | |||
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Scrubs Season 8 DVD art |
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| Country of origin | United States | ||
| No. of episodes | 18 | ||
| Broadcast | |||
| Original channel | ABC | ||
| Original run | January 6, 2009 – May 6, 2009 | ||
| Home video release | |||
| DVD release | |||
| Region 1 | August 25, 2009 | ||
| Region 2 | September 6, 2010 | ||
| Blu-ray Disc release | |||
| Region A | November 17, 2009 | ||
| Region B | September 6, 2010 | ||
| Season chronology | |||
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| List of Scrubs episodes | |||
The eighth season of the American comedy-drama television series Scrubs premiered on ABC on January 6, 2009 and concluded on May 6, 2009 and consists of 18 episodes. The eighth season was the first to be shown on ABC after NBC dropped the series, ending its seven-year run on the network. ABC's pick-up of the show was followed by it commissioning eighteen episodes, which included an hour-long finale. For all of the season's run, it was expected that the eighth season would be the last, especially after the show's creator Bill Lawrence announced it. After rumors surfaced of a ninth season, it was understood that the eighth would be the last to star Zach Braff and much of the main cast. However, the show was later re-commissioned for another season, in which Braff and other cast members appeared for multiple episodes.[1] The eighth season was the first to be filmed in high definition.
Needing to cut costs for the eighth season, Bill Lawrence stated that he divided the writing staff up into two groups, half for the first nine episodes and half for the second nine episodes.[2] Additionally, each main cast member was absent for three episodes during the season (except Zach Braff and Sarah Chalke who are absent for two). An accompanying web series that aired on ABC's website called Scrubs: Interns was also created to coincide with the season, starring the new interns with guest appearances by the main cast.
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Another way ABC cut costs is to have the main cast absent in a few episodes. Series star Zach Braff is absent for an episode for the first time in the series, and only lends his voice to another episode.
Recurring roles
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Guest stars
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After a rumor-induced build-up to season eight, and it being believed that season seven was the last, ABC picked up Scrubs and announced it as a midseason replacement. The first episode aired January 6, 2009.
The season's timeslot shifted from Scrubs being shown on Tuesdays at 9:00 pm and 9:30 pm to Wednesdays at 8:00 pm beginning with episode 11, "My Nah Nah Nah". The show performed most successfully on Wednesdays, with average viewing figures of 5.36 million an episode.[3]
To cut costs the writing staff was split into two groups, with the exception of Bill Lawrence, Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan, and Bill Callahan, one group for the first seven episodes, and the second for the rest of the season. Since Goldman & Donovan, Callahan and Lawrence wrote an episode in the second half, the term was longer. For the episode "My Nah Nah Nah", writers who didn't work in season 8 were credited, since the episode was partially filmed in season 7.
Writing staff
Episodes 1–7
Episodes 8–18
Production staff
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DirectorsIncludes directors who directed 2 or more episodes, or directors who are part of the cast and crew
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To coincide with Scrubs being shown on television, a web series was produced called Scrubs: Interns. It consisted of twelve webisodes following the adventures of the interns at Sacred Heart Hospital. The episodes featured cameos from several regular cast members, and included an episode with J.D. The webisodes' theme tune was performed by The Blanks. Only the first ten webisodes can be viewed online. The final two can be viewed exclusively on the Scrubs season eight DVD and Blu-ray sets.
| Series # |
Season # |
Title | Directed by | Written by | U.S. viewers (millions) |
Original air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 151 | 1 | "My Jerks" | Michael Spiller | Angela Nissel | 6.76 | January 6, 2009 | 802 |
| Dr. Taylor Maddox (Courteney Cox) joins Sacred Heart as new chief of medicine and Dr. Cox tries to avoid her. J.D. struggles to manage new interns. Carla helps Elliot put her ego in check and Elliot apologizes to Keith for their break-up. The Janitor is caught tormenting J.D. by Maddox and is fired. | |||||||
| 152 | 2 | "My Last Words" | Bill Lawrence | Aseem Batra | 6.64 | January 6, 2009 | 803 |
| J.D. and Turk set aside their personal plans to comfort a dying patient. | |||||||
| 153 | 3 | "My Saving Grace" | Michael Spiller | Janae Bakken | 4.63 | January 13, 2009 | 804 |
| Dr. Cox requests Dr. Kelso's help to oust Dr. Maddox from Sacred Heart. Carla decides to take self-centered, incompetent intern Katie (Betsy Beutler) down a notch by teaching her a lesson. | |||||||
| 154 | 4 | "My Happy Place" | Ken Whittingham | Taii K. Austin | 4.33 | January 13, 2009 | 805 |
| J.D. and Elliot reflect on their past break-ups when they try to encourage Dr. Kelso to branch out beyond the coffee shop and decide to give their relationship another try. Dr. Cox, Todd and Turk work together to help two kidney transplant patients. The Janitor is re-hired. | |||||||
| 155 | 5 | "My ABC's" | Bill Lawrence | Bill Lawrence | 5.12 | January 27, 2009 | 801 |
| J.D., Elliot and Dr. Cox each choose an intern to work with. J.D. picks Denise (Eliza Coupe) who lacks compassion towards patients. Elliot's intern, Katie, tries to use her to land a case study with Turk who picks Ed over Katie due to his multi-colored pen. Dr. Cox chooses Ed (Aziz Ansari) who is lazy and overconfident. Sesame Street Cameos. | |||||||
| 156 | 6 | "My Cookie Pants" | Gail Mancuso | Clarence Livingston | 5.05 | January 27, 2009 | 806 |
| Elliot seeks Turk's advice on reigniting romance with J.D., who in turn tries to teach Denise to use compassion while dealing with patients. Dr. Kelso recommends Dr. Cox for the job chief of medicine, who is conflicted over taking the role. | |||||||
| 157 | 7 | "My New Role" | Will Mackenzie | Dave Tennant | 4.90 | February 3, 2009 | 807 |
| Dr. Cox is overcome by his new role as Chief of Medicine and approaches Dr. Kelso for help. | |||||||
| 158 | 8 | "My Lawyer's in Love" | Mark Stegemann | Debra Fordham | 4.70 | February 3, 2009 | 808 |
| Ted finds it hard to take an initiative when he falls in love at first sight. Meanwhile, Dr. Cox finds it difficult to handle multiple situations. | |||||||
| 159 | 9 | "My Absence" | John Putch | Debra Fordham & Andy Schwartz | 4.60 | February 10, 2009 | 809 |
| Elliot is faced with J.D.'s absence at the hospital. Meanwhile, Carla tells Turk that she is pregnant again. Turk takes this seriously as the whole hospital doesn't really care due to this not being their first born child. | |||||||
| 160 | 10 | "My Comedy Show" | Ted Wass | Devin O. Mahoney & C. Rego Marquiis | 4.23 | February 10, 2009 | 810 |
| All of the new Interns get assigned to do a role of each doctor by Turk and J.D, The sketch show ends with a sketch of Turk and J.D portrayed as a couple in love, indicating that the whole hospital thinks of them that way. Both Turk and J.D. begin to think they should stop their behaviour in the hospital but both find it too hard to resist. Meanwhile Elliot tries to get Denise to get out of the hospital to have fun with the other interns. Meanwhile Carla makes the Janitor believe that he is losing his mind. | |||||||
| 161 | 11 | "My Nah Nah Nah" | John Putch | Kevin Biegel | 5.80 | March 18, 2009 | 811 |
| Turk gets an idea about a risky procedure from watching "SportsCenter" that may restore a paralyzed teenager's ability to walk. Jordan gets mad at Dr. Cox when he wears their wedding ring. Lady refuses to hold Janitor's hand, and this upsets and confuses the Janitor. | |||||||
| 162 | 12 | "Their Story II" | Michael McDonald | Andy Schwartz | 5.32 | March 25, 2009 | 812 |
| Narrated from the perspective of hospital's new interns. J.D. assumes the role arguing with Dr. Cox over hospital's various needs. However, his successes do not go over well with Turk. | |||||||
| 163 | 13 | "My Full Moon" | John Michel | Kevin Biegel | 5.04 | April 1, 2009 | 813 |
| A full moon and some bad luck bring Sacred Heart's new interns their roughest cases yet. Meanwhile Elliot ponders her future as a doctor after she finds out the source of a patient's mysterious illness, and then has to tell that patient. | |||||||
| 164 | 14 | "My Soul on Fire (Part 1)" | Bill Lawrence | Bill Callahan | 4.67 | April 8, 2009 | 814 |
| The Janitor and Lady send out invitations to their fake wedding in the Bahamas in order to score some free gifts, but the joke's on them when J.D. convinces everyone from the hospital to go. | |||||||
| 165 | 15 | "My Soul on Fire (Part 2)" | Bill Lawrence | Bill Callahan | 5.30 | April 15, 2009 | 815 |
| Janitor and Lady's quirky, tropical, seaside wedding ceremony affirms the romance for the oddest of the hospital's couples. Meanwhile, there's trouble in paradise for the other couples. The episode features a cameo appearance from Scrubs' creator Bill Lawrence as Van, Justice of the Peace. | |||||||
| 166 | 16 | "My Cuz" | Linda Mendoza | Kevin Biegel | 4.66 | April 22, 2009 | 816 |
| As J.D. plans to move closer to Sam, he reaches out to make peace with Kim (Elizabeth Banks) and finds that she has a new man in her life, Elliot's ex-boyfriend Sean (Scott Foley). Meanwhile, Turk rallies the troops at Sacred Heart to help him campaign for a promotion to chief of surgery. | |||||||
| 167 | 17 | "My Chief Concern" | Zach Braff | Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan | 3.70 | May 5, 2009 | 817 |
| Change begets change when J.D. considers taking a new job so he can live closer to his son and Kim, Turk begins his new role as chief of surgery, and Ted and Gooch take their relationship to the next level. | |||||||
| 168 | 18 | "My Finale"‡ | Bill Lawrence | Bill Lawrence | 5.07 | May 6, 2009 | 818 |
| J.D. intends to leave Sacred Heart to move closer to his son, while he and Elliot plan to take their relationship to the next level. He then goes around saying his farewells to everyone and gets upset when Dr. Cox won't say goodbye to him. | |||||||
The one-hour season finale aired May 6, 2009 on ABC. It was expected to be, if not the last ever episode of Scrubs, the last that Zach Braff will appear in. This was later proved untrue. Also at the ending, Bill Lawrence had stated: "That's a series wrap for..."
In the finale, J.D. anticipates his final day at Sacred Heart Hospital. He deals with his last patient, but is more worried about the day not living up to his expectations. After over-hearing Dr. Cox finally admit that he considered J.D. as a friend, J.D. leaves the hospital. He imagines that on his way out, he walks through a tunnel of people he has met throughout his eight years - over fifty guest stars from the show. J.D. then sees his future projected in front of him. He witnesses marrying Elliot, having a child with her, seeing Sam Dorian and Isabella Turk get engaged, and spending Christmas with his friends from the hospital. Finally, J.D. narrates, "Who's to say this isn't what happens? And who's to say my fantasy won't come true, just this once?" and drives away.
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