I'm No Superman: A look at the laughter and tears in Scrubs

Scrubs is one of the most popular comedy programmes on TV right now. It's a hit in the ratings, cleans up at awards ceremonies and it's sent sales of Appletinis through the roof! But the wonderful thing about Scrubs that sets it apart from all the other shows out there is that not only does each episode provide side splitting comedy, but it can also deliver truly powerful and emotional moments of drama as well. Here are the best examples of Scrubs doing what it does best...making you want to laugh and cry in equal measures.

Season 5: My Lunch

Crying With Laughter: As well as JD’s attempt to force Dr Cox into having lunch with him by hiding every spoon in the hospital on soup and frozen yoghurt day, this episode has Carla and Elliot attempt to coax sexist, sleazy innuendo spouting surgeon “The Todd” out of the closet. Todd reveals his true sexuality, but very little changes…he just hits on the guys instead of girls. Eventually he reveals to Elliot and Carla that he was faking it all, because “chicks dig gay dudes”.

Just Plain Crying: After JD bumps into Jill Tracy, an annoying former patient whose life has taken a turn for the worst, he tries everything he can to avoid her…until she turns up at the hospital having taken a fatal cocaine overdose. Jill’s mother allows Dr Cox to give Jill’s organs to three patients waiting for a transplant, while JD wonders whether he could have prevented her death. Dr Cox manages to convince JD to stop blaming himself for a death that wasn’t his fault before a cruel twist of fate reveals that Jill really died of rabies and now the three patients with her organs have got it too. The final scene sees Dr Cox desperately trying, and failing, to save them from death, accompanied by The Fray’s How To Save A Life. Feeling responsible for all their deaths, Dr Cox walks out of the hospital seemingly for good.

Season 6: My Long Goodbye

Crying With Laughter: Jordan and Dr Cox have just had a baby girl, who apparently looks like a lizard, but only one other person knows about it, and that’s JD. However Dr Cox doesn’t want anybody else knowing about the birth, so is left with no option but to rely on JD to keep Jordan distracted with an overenthusiastic round of congratulations (Wow Jordan, you sure look hot for a woman who’s just been gutted!) and a finger shadow puppet presentation of the attack on Pearl Harbour. Frustrated that JD is her only visitor, Jordan decides that he can be the godfather and that the baby will be named Jennifer Dylan (JD), which reduces the original JD to a gibbering wreck.

Just Plain Crying: The reason Dr Cox didn’t want anybody to know about the birth of his daughter is because Nurse Laverne Roberts is in a coma after getting into a car accident. One by one the staff of Sacred Heart line up to say their goodbyes which upsets Nurse Carla, Laverne’s closest friend, as she still believes that Laverne will still recover. However Laverne is found to be brain dead and the family agrees to switch off her life support machine. Unable to cope with the fact that Laverne will soon die, Carla goes into denial, refusing to see Nurse Roberts while at the same time being followed everywhere by her ghost-like spirit. Eventually she is convinced by Elliot and Turk to say her goodbyes while she still can, even though she still feels unready. After a heartbreakingly emotional speech, Carla is comforted by her friends as Laverne finally passes away.

Season 3: My Screw Up

Crying With Laughter: Carla forces Turk to shave off his moustache, resulting in a rather unwanted discovery…Turk has a mole above his lip, a mole that Carla hears speaking to her. While Carla is desperate to get rid of Turk’s “tickle button”, Elliot is paranoid about the huge bunion on her foot. She refuses to draw the face of her boyfriend on it as a loving tribute, as JD suggested, but still does not know how to get rid of it. Carla convinces Turk to have plastic surgery, despite his fears that he will forever be branded a “butt face” after the skin graft. Just as the surgery is about to begin however, Carla feels guilty and calls the operation off. Elliot leaps at the opportunity to have the plastic surgeon take care of her bunion, the sight of which causes a nurse to faint. Nice!

Just Plain Crying: Generally considered by fans to be the saddest moment in the show, Dr Cox’s former brother in law and best friend, Ben, arrives at the hospital two years after he was diagnosed with Leukaemia. Although delighted to see him again, Dr Cox chastises Ben for not seeing a single doctor following his diagnosis.
Later Dr Cox rushes out of the hospital to bail the clown for his son’s upcoming birthday party out of jail and leaves Ben with JD, who is already overloaded with patients, one of which is on the verge of death. When Cox returns, JD informs him that his patient has died. Dr Cox decides that JD was to blame for the patient’s death and, despite Ben’s protests, takes all of JD’s other patients and sends him home.
Ben follows Dr Cox around everywhere he goes, trying to convince him to forgive JD. Cox finally gives in and acknowledges to JD that he wasn’t to blame for the death. JD later finds Dr Cox talking to Ben on the way to what Dr Cox believes is his son’s birthday party. After JD arrives, Dr Cox turns to find Ben gone…and realises that he is really at Ben’s funeral. He, along with the viewers, realises that Ben was JD’s patient that died and that ever since then Ben has been a figment of Dr Cox’s imagination. The episode closes with Dr Cox being comforted by JD as he stares out at Ben’s coffin. And this show’s supposed to be a comedy...

Videos Courtesy of: youtube.com (users reticentmind, HaxTbh and freakofebag), Photo Courtesy of wallpapergate.com