“Scrubs” is back, and the showrunner wants to make one thing clear: Dr. Cox is not dying.
The ABC revival returned for its second season Wednesday night, and the premiere episodes dive straight into the fallout from J.D. and Elliot’s divorce. J.D. returned to Sacred Heart as chief of medicine, putting him back in the same workplace as his ex. Season 2 explores how J.D. and Elliot have adapted to their divorce, with J.D. smitten by Charlie (Rachel Bilson) and Elliot adjusting to being a mentor to the new crop of residents.
Assem Batra, the show’s executive producer and showrunner, spoke with Variety about the premiere episodes, revealing that J.D. and Elliot’s son Ollie will appear and that Dr. Cox’s autoimmune disease is getting treated, not ignored.
Cox’s Disease Takes Center Stage
The premiere opens with J.D. pursuing Charlie, but the real weight of the episode belongs to Dr. Cox. Last season ended with Cox diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and the show spends a significant chunk of the premiere on the disease’s treatment.
Batra explained why the writers chose to spend so much time on the disease. “We focused a lot on that because we set up this very sort of dire, serious feeling last season,” he said. “We wanted to put our audience at ease that we aren’t in any way putting Dr. Cox in such jeopardy that he might not be with us.”
He added, “We feel like it’s a way of making the audience know that he’s always going to be part of this family.”
The concern from fans was real. Batra noted that comment threads were full of questions about Cox’s fate. “People were like, ‘Is he gonna die?’” he recalled. “This is a comedy. We don’t want to go that far with it.”
The approach is deliberate. “We don’t want to go that far with it,” Batra said. “So part of it was just showing their continued journey to help Dr. Cox stabilize this particular autoimmune disease that we gave him. With the kind of medications they have these days, people can do very well on them. So it’s just a matter of now finding the right treatment.”
The OGs Are Back, Sort Of
The premiere also brought back several original cast members. Judy Reyes appears as Carla, and Christa Miller shows up as Dr. Cox’s wife, Jordan. Robert Maschio returns as The Todd, and Neil Flynn’s Janitor and Scott Foley’s Elliot ex-flame Sean are expected to appear later in the season.
Balancing everyone’s schedules is the real challenge. Batra praised line producer Mike Livanos for navigating the logistics. “It’s not just the days we get them to shoot, but they have to fly up to Vancouver,” he said. “So we really can eke out sometimes a very small amount of time for people who are doing more than one project.”
The constraints are real. John C. McGinley, who plays Dr. Cox, has another job in the Bill Lawrenceverse. “I know, we would have loved to see him more,” Batra said. “But what we could get with his ‘Rooster’ schedule was about four episodes, so that’s about what we’re going to see him for this run.”
| Character | Role | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| John C. McGinley | Dr. Cox | About 4 episodes |
| Judy Reyes | Carla | Appears in premiere |
| Christa Miller | Jordan | Appears in premiere |
| Robert Maschio | The Todd | Returns |
| Neil Flynn | Janitor | Expected later |
| Scott Foley | Elliot ex-flame Sean | Expected later |
J.D.’s Rebound Relationship
J.D.’s pursuit of Charlie is the emotional throughline of the premiere. Batra describes these post-divorce relationships as “first pancake” moments. “It’s like you make that first pancake, it’s all weird, and not the most beautiful one, and then you try again,” he said.
He framed J.D. and Charlie’s relationship as a rebound. “It is a little bit his rebound relationship where he’s finding himself again,” Batra said. “And like we see in the early episodes, he’s doing too much and overthinking it. He’s almost reverting back to when he was younger.”
The relationship stabilizes somewhat. “But this is very much trying to show that first relationship after a big breakup,” Batra said.
There is a jokey moment involving Joey Fatone. “That was going to be an off-screen joke, and then we found out Joey Fatone was OK to come do the joke. So it was great,” Batra said.
The Season’s Story Arc
The premiere introduces new residents Grant (John Higgins) and Mimi (Keyla Monterroso Mejia), and Turk (Donald Faison) continues to show cracks in his demeanor.
“We really want to explore who J.D. and Elliot are now that they aren’t together as a couple,” Batra said. “What’s their new normal?”
Ollie Will Be Seen
The biggest reveal comes at the end of the interview. Batra confirmed that J.D. and Elliot’s child will appear in the season.
“If I’m allowed to do that as a spoiler, we will,” Batra said. “We will see their kid.”
The timing is tight. “We don’t have a lot of time, as we’re telling these stories and wanting to get all of our new cast in as well,” Batra said.
What Comes Next
Batra’s candor about scheduling is refreshing. The OG cast members are busy, and the show is doing what it can to bring them back without stretching anyone too thin.
The season is young, and the answers to the big questions will come slowly.
For now, the premiere delivers its setup. J.D. and Elliot are adapting to their new reality, and the show is showing how.
“We will see their kid.”
That is the promise.
Source material: “‘Scrubs’ Showrunner Dissects Season 2 Premiere: Is Dr. Cox Going to Live, and Will We Finally See J.D. and Elliott’s Kid?,” Variety.
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