© (C) 2009 Buena Vista Home Entertainment SCRUBS - THE COMPLETE EIGHTH SEASON

DVD:

DVD Review: 'SCRUBS - THE COMPLETE 8TH SEASON'

A satisfying season, capped off by what would have been a perfect series finale if it weren't coming back for Season 9

Grade: B
Stars: Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, Jusy Reyes, John C. McGinley, Neil Flynn, Ken Jenkins
Writer(s): Various
Director: Various
SRP: $39.98
Distributor: Buena Vista Home Entertainment

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By CARL CORTEZ, Contributing Editor
Published 9/7/2009

In the last three seasons, SCRUBS has been a frustrating affair. Knocked around NBC’s schedule for years, the series was always on the verge of being cancelled without getting a chance to wrap up all its loose ends.

Then it was cancelled and ABC picked up for a “final” season – but after the finale aired this Spring, they decided to renew the series and change its focus for the forthcoming 9th season.

For SCRUBS fans this has been heaven, but it’s also provided some rocky roads– both in storytelling and focus.

That said, the 8th season certainly had a few rocky episodes itself, but on whole, magic and inventiveness of the show gelled whenever the series focused on wrapping up loose ends and progressing the storyline of its eccentric doctors at Sacred Hearts hospital.

With 19 episodes, SCRUBS finally figured out a satisfying way to tie up the J.D. (Zach Braff) and Eliot (Sarah Chalke) on again/off again love affair by not leaving the resolution to the end of the year, but rather dealing with it head-on very early in the season and letting it play gradually until the finale.

This was such a refreshing change of pace from most series and it allowed, for the very first time, a sense of closure to their relationship woes after eight seasons.

The episode exploring this was “My Happy Place” and it echoed many fan sentiments about how their relationship has played out over the years with Dr. Kelso (Ken Jenkins) spelling things out for them in one of the finest moments of the season.

Meanwhile, the journey of J.D. from child-man to man-child is also explored – giving him more responsibilities and allowing him to finally grow up and segue into the two-part season ender “My Finale.”

Along the way, lawyer Ted (Sam Lloyd) finds love, J.D. and Turk (Donald Faison) wrap up their bromance and Perry Cox (John C. McGinley) finally shows he has a heart.

With a handful of episodes with limited or no involvement of Braff (it was an experiment to see how the show would work without him), it’s clear Braff is the center of the show and it works best when he’s there. However, since he will only be around for six episodes next season, it’s wise creator Bill Lawrence shifted the focus to be about the “teaching” aspect of the hospital that was previously unexplored, rather than going through the motions with a whole new group of interns in the same setting (which they’ve tried off and on during this season and last with mixed results).

Other highlights include a great episode involving the Muppet characters from SESAME STREET and the season kicked off to a great start with the appearance of Courteney Cox as the ruthless new Chief of Medicine.

SPECIAL FEATURES

The gag reel is way too short, but funnier than most DVDs, while the “alternate line readings” by the cast isn’t as funny as previous seasons. There’s ample commentaries from everybody and there’s a lively featurette about the behind-the-scenes machinations for the two-part episode “My Soul on Fire” episode where the doctors fly to the Bahamas for the Janitor’s wedding.

THE LAST WORD
Like many fans of the series, I can’t bring myself to give up on SCRUBS no matter how many reprieves it gets. There’s something comforting about the exploits of this little hospital and the supporting cast of characters is as strong as they come on network television. It’s great ABC had the confidence in the series to give it a proper send-up, and most importantly, it has confidence that Lawrence can take the unchartered Season 9 into a whole new direction that hopefully will keep the series on the air for another eight seasons to come.

4062-4082

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