Introduction

In 2001 I was a young lad, not even a teenager yet, but I was quite mature for my age. That’s why aside from watching some questionable anime, I also watched more mature TV series. One of them was Scrubs, created by Bill Lawrence. While Scrubs wasn’t an MA-rated show, it did feature sexual jokes, comedy, and sometimes more mature themes that explored life, death, and modern medicine.

What made Scrubs accessible to so many audiences—beyond those interested in serious medical dramas—was its focus on comedy rather than intense drama. When the show finally ended after nine seasons—the last of which we’ll talk about in a moment—I was devastated. Like many TV shows, I never thought it would return to the airwaves.

Thankfully, the TV gods must have heard the prayers of the fans because Scrubs has returned once again, helmed by Bill Lawrence and starring most of the surviving cast. But is this revival a blessing, or should Scrubs have stayed in the morgue as a distant but hilarious memory? Let’s take a look at the first three episodes of Scrubs (2026). Be warned: minor spoilers ahead.

Why You’ll Like This

Scrubs (2026) returns us to Sacred Heart Hospital through the eyes of former main protagonist John “J.D.” Dorian. JD—once again played by Zach Braff—has moved on from his days at Sacred Heart and shifted into private practice. However, after one of his patients ends up at his old hospital, he returns to discover it’s only a shadow of the place he once knew.

Some familiar faces remain. His best friend, surgeon Chris Turk (Donald Faison), is still there along with his wife, nurse Carla Espinosa (Judy Reyes). His former mentor, Dr. Perry Cox (John C. McGinley), now serves as Chief of Medicine. Yet the hospital has clearly changed.

Dr. Cox struggles to mentor the new generation of interns, and Turk has grown noticeably darker in JD’s absence. Adding to the tension is Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke), JD’s ex-wife—the show quickly clarifies that Season 9 is essentially considered non-canon.

The core premise of Scrubs (2026) centers on JD returning to Sacred Heart and stepping into a new role: preparing to take over as Chief of Medicine from Dr. Cox.

Fans of the original series may have mixed feelings at first—but not for the reasons you might expect. Seeing these characters again nearly 26 years after the show originally aired feels strange. The personalities and comedic timing are still intact—Dr. Cox remains hilarious even with limited screen time so far—but the passage of time is obvious.

That’s not a bad thing, but it can be a little surreal. The returning cast still carries the show well, though the new interns have yet to fully prove themselves. Thankfully, Bill Lawrence avoided repeating the mistake of Season 9, where the new cast dominated the narrative while the original characters appeared only briefly.

Still, some familiar faces are missing. Sam Lloyd, who played Ted Buckland, sadly passed away in 2020. The Janitor (Neil Flynn) has yet to appear but is expected later in the season. On the bright side, a few fan favorites have already shown up—like the always chaotic Dr. Hooch (Phil Lewis).

Even after just three episodes, longtime fans will likely find themselves smiling. I laughed, teared up, and genuinely enjoyed each episode so far.

Is It Worth Three Episodes

Without a doubt, fans of Scrubs will enjoy seeing their favorite characters return as if they never left. Despite the time gap, the show does a solid job showing that these characters aren’t just older—they’ve grown from their years of experience.

Will the rest of the season live up to these first three episodes? Part of me believes it will, but there’s always some concern. I’ve already noticed minor pacing issues, likely because the show is trying to tell a complete story in case the revival doesn’t receive additional episodes.

Still, if the series can maintain the quality of these opening episodes, Scrubs (2026) will absolutely be worth watching.

Conclusion

Scrubs (2026) has delivered a surprisingly strong revival so far. While I have a few concerns about pacing and the introduction of the newer characters, the show captures much of what made the original series special.

It genuinely feels like returning to the world I fell in love with back in 2001. Whether this revival becomes a full new season or simply serves as a final farewell remains to be seen. But for now, longtime fans should rejoice—because Scrubs appears to be doing the right thing.

—Aaron