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maninahat Grand Poobah Since: Apr, 2009
Grand Poobah
08/29/2011 04:50:11 •••

There is too much drama in my comedy.

Let's start by saying I like Scrubs, It is a genuinely funny show. Like most people, I have also picked a favourite from the broad, varied cast of characters (Dr. Kelso, though the janitor comes close at second place).

The problem with Scrubs is its attempts to engage with drama. It is mostly down to the main character, JD, who never shuts up. He endlessly muses, whines, and angsts over everything. The most annoying aspect of his character comes in the form of a stock scene that occurs towards the end of every episode. The scene is a montage which summarises several subplots that have developed over the course of the episode, whilst JD talks about what he has learnt. The problem is that these deeply personal life lessons are often corny and mind-numbingly obvious. "Letting go can sometimes be hard," says a ponderous JD, "...most of all, it is hardest to let go of someone you care about." Well, no shit. The montage is just a device to draw each episode to a close, and considering the uninspired morals, it is a fairly laboured one at that. It reminds me of the protagonist in the anime FLCL. He would stand around, trying to make big pretentious speeches as though he was some mature, stoic hero, when in reality, he's talking total nonsense. The difference is that FLCL plays it for laughs, whilst Scrubs presents it dead straight.

I also find it mawkish whenever characters like Dr. Cox drops his icy, sarcastic persona and reveals his vulnerable side (he does this nearly every episode), or when Eliot reveals the depressing source of her neurotic behaviour (happens regularly). And I just don't care when a patient inevitably dies and everyone looks about teary eyed.

Scrubs is very funny, and can occasionally be meaningful as well. However, the episodes are hampered by its ham-fisted attempts to appeal to me on an emotional level. It is very corny, and because it's so prolific in the series, the drama has no real impact anymore.

wellinever Since: Jan, 2001
11/27/2009 00:00:00

I think that Scrubs' Flanderisation doesn't help matters. Early on you could handle JD's drama because he was a deeper character. But as he became dumber and more one-dimentional I couldn't bare his whining.

Chibi-Kibou Since: Dec, 1969
12/16/2009 00:00:00

I mostly agree but.. it strikes me that at least on some level, J.D.'s commentary was played for laughs as well, albeit much more discretely. At least, for my part, I always detected something hiding under the summing ups and musings that just.. made me want to laugh as well as enjoy them ( yeah, I enjoyed them, yay >.> )

Smokie Since: Jan, 2001
wellinever Since: Jan, 2001
02/22/2010 00:00:00

Because she enjoys them or is that just the advice you give every stranger over the internet?

joeyjojo Since: Jan, 2001
04/01/2010 00:00:00

i don't know, but either way that's some good advice lol.

hashtagsarestupid
93.211.177.83 Since: Dec, 1969
04/25/2010 00:00:00

Good god are you sure you don't mix up Scrubs with Grey's Anatomy? Because when it's down to crazy, whiny, annoying (and to infinity) bitches Meredith will beat JD all the time!

wellinever Since: Jan, 2001
04/25/2010 00:00:00

Just because Grey's Anatomy may be more overdone, it doesn't mean that scrubs is still quaility.

iwintheinternets? Since: Sep, 2009
04/26/2010 00:00:00

I think Holden Caulfield wrote this. If you are Holden Caulfield, let me for one say I want to marry you.

you walk, i'll run, i'll follow right behind you.
Kashi Since: Apr, 2009
04/26/2010 00:00:00

But it doesn't contain the word "phoney" enough!

78.148.80.60 Since: Dec, 1969
07/17/2010 00:00:00

In my opinon, one of the best things about Scrubs is the way it balances drama and comedy so well, and manages to be both touching and funny. This is done brilliantly in 'My Philosophy', 'My Screw Up' and 'My Lunch' and that's just for starters. Although JD's character does become somewhat irritating in later seasons, he grows up in season 8, and I find his narration consistently funny. As for saying that Dr. Cox reveals his vunerable side 'nearly ever episode', well that's just a massive exaggeration. Scrubs definitely does have flaws but I don't think they're the ones that you mentioned here.

Thormy Since: Dec, 1969
08/12/2010 00:00:00

There was significant Flanderization in Scrubs, no one is doubting that. But the drama is what made it stand apart from other shows at the time. It gave you a somewhat deeper experience when many people were expecting a lighter show. Apparently it's not okay to show drama on NBC before 10?

Phrederic Since: Jun, 2009
08/12/2010 00:00:00

My problem is for such a long running and rather character based show, the characters are flat and really simple. And I despise JD, he's like a more incompetent and annoying Shinji.

"Whoa" Keanu Reeves
manblack Since: Mar, 2014
08/26/2011 00:00:00

I've watched 10 episodes of this crappy show. It's not funny at all to me.

Tomwithnonumbers Since: Dec, 2010
08/29/2011 00:00:00

It takes a while to be funny. It relies on you accepting and feeling at home with the characters.

And the flanderisation is somewhat balanced by the increasingly self-referential humour as the series goes on. Towards the end they are constantly mocking their own rather obvious drama cues and quirks. And whats more, once they've mocked it, they will only use that trope for humour from then on and bring in a more mature drama


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