Scrubs was canceled in 2010 when Med School tried and failed to take the sitcom in a different direction. One of the most significant reveals ahead of the show’s revival is that the Med School episodes are no longer canon. So, although Scrubs actually ended 16 years ago, it’s the Season 8 finale from 2009 that serves as the last official look at what the characters were up to. 17 years later, there are some very important questions that the new episodes will need to answer about what’s happened during this unseen period.
While Med School did further the arcs of the original Scrubs cast, ABC has now walked those 13 installments back. Now, they exist as little more than an alternate future that no longer has any impact on the sitcom’s main continuity. Still, certain moments in that now-irrelevant season do raise some interesting questions. While not all that entertaining, they serve as fairly organic and realistic representations of what could have happened after the Season 8 finale. That said, on the whole, relegating them to non-canon status was still a good decision.
7
Why Did JD & Elliot Break Up?
Scrubs: Med School immediately revealed that JD (Zach Braff) and Elliot (Sarah Chalke) got married, paying off JD’s fantasy montage in the Season 8 finale. Elliot was also pregnant with their first child. However, if any of this happened in the revival’s reworked continuity, something went badly wrong. It’s been revealed that JD and Elliot are no longer together in the new episodes. No explanation has yet been provided to account for this notable retcon, but Scrubs must provide a suitable reason for why their happy ending unraveled. It’ll either be revealed right away or kept for just the right moment.
6
Where Is the Janitor?
Neil Flynn’s Scrubs character was one of the most beloved figures in the sitcom’s original run. That’s why it has come as such a big surprise that he apparently isn’t involved with the revival. While it’s still possible he could suddenly appear, surprising fans and Sacred Heart employees alike, there’s been no official confirmation that the Janitor is returning. The revival can’t ignore the Janitor’s absence, as the trailer proves that JD is finally returning to a hospital that has essentially been frozen in time for almost two decades. Worryingly, Med School‘s explanation for the Janitor’s departure did make sense. He left when he realized that JD was no longer there to torture. It’ll be tough to undo that one, but not impossible.
5
Did Dr. Cox Ever Replace JD?
In Season 8, JD briefly stepped into the role of the second-most influential doctor at Sacred Heart, which was a position he was always destined to fill. It happens in the wake of Dr. Cox’s (John C. McGinley) official promotion to Chief of Medicine, which means JD becomes his mentor’s right-hand man in all matters. That said, Cox appears to still be actively teaching the new doctors in the Scrubs revival, but he seems frustrated that no one is really responding all that well to his brash, somewhat outdated way of imparting information. JD was able to tolerate Dr. Cox’s abrasive attitude in this respect, and they developed a powerful student/teacher, almost father/son relationship as a result. There’s no guarantee Cox has been able to replace JD in either respect since the Season 8 finale.
Dr. Cox took a special interest in Michael Mosley’s Drew in Scrubs: Med School, but the show was canceled before that arc was able to go anywhere.
4
What Happened To Ted?
One of the saddest parts of Med School being wiped from the Scrubs timeline is that we now have fewer canonical appearances from Sam Lloyd’s Ted Buckland. That’s true of other members of the cast, but the fact that Lloyd passed away in 2020 means we won’t be getting any replacement Ted episodes. It’s been revealed that the revival will feature a new location called Lloyd’s Tavern, as a way of paying tribute to the late Scrubs star, but there’s yet to be an in-universe reveal about Ted himself. It’s possible he could still be alive off-screen, or he may also have passed away like the actor who played him in all nine of the original runs. I think the former would be more wholesome, but the latter is likely too.
3
How Did Dr. Kelso’s Return To Medicine Go?
Ken Jenkins’ Dr. Kelso is another original Scrubs character who probably should be in the revival, but hasn’t been announced yet. However, his absence is far easier to account for than the Janitor’s. Kelso retired as Chief of Medicine in Season 7, only to hang around the hospital eating endless muffins and just generally having no real sense of direction. Retirement eventually got the better of him, and he returned to practicing medicine part-time elsewhere near the end of Season 8. Med School somewhat retconned this decision by bringing him aboard as a teacher at the show’s fictitious university. Now that Med School doesn’t count anymore, it’d be interesting to discover how Kelso’s retirement U-turn went. Still, 17 years later, it would make sense if he had actually fully retired, which could easily account for why he isn’t in the revival.
2
How Has Turk Done as Chief of Medicine?
Donald Faison’s Turk was promoted to Chief of Surgery near the end of Season 8, paying off one of the biggest arcs in the show. Unfortunately, we got to see very little of Turk carrying out his new responsibilities, as the news that JD was leaving Sacred Heart took center stage. There’s no doubt that Turk has the skill and experience to thrive in the role, but JD’s departure, quashing the dream of them one day running the hospital together, must have been a bitter pill to swallow. Even Med School didn’t give much away about Turk’s new leadership role, but the revival will have 17 years of twists and turns to account for and recap.
1
What Is JD’s Relationship With His Son Like?
JD’s relationship with his own father, John Ritter’s Sam Dorian, was always presented as somewhat strained, but loving nonetheless. His dynamic with Dr. Cox, his surrogate father figure, was pretty much identical. So, the sensitive JD will be determined to break that cycle and be the best father he can be. Unfortunately, life can be complicated, and unseen events may have taken place in the 17 years since the Season 8 finale that have knocked JD’s intentions off-course. Sam Dorian Jr. was the reason why JD moved away from his friends and colleagues in the first place, and why he has drifted from them since 2009. So, JD’s son should be an important character in the Scrubs revival, and it will be interesting to see how Braff’s character parents a teenager.
Are there any other questions you want the Scrubs revival to answer? Let’s discuss them in the comments.
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Scrubs
- Release Date
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2001 – 2010-00-00
- Network
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ABC, NBC
- Directors
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Michael Spiller, Chris Koch, Ken Whittingham, Adam Bernstein, Gail Mancuso, Marc Buckland, John Inwood, John Putch, Will Mackenzie, Victor Nelli Jr., Craig Zisk, Lawrence Trilling, Linda Mendoza, Michael McDonald, John Michel, Rick Blue, Richard Alexander Wells, Henry Chan, Joanna Kerns, Mark Stegemann, Matthew Diamond, Peter Lauer, Elodie Keene, Jason Ensler
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Scrubs
- Release Date
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February 25, 2026
- Network
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ABC
Cast
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Donald Faison
Christopher Turk
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