8 Scrubs Moments That Made Fans Cry

Despite being billed as a sitcom, Scrubs boasted an uncanny ability to break its audiences’ hearts. One scene could have Turk and J.D. in the middle of their signature high jinks, only for the next to feature the death of a much-loved character. On paper, the drastic change in tone should give the viewer severe emotional whiplash. However, Bill Lawrence’s brainchild made use of both instances to enhance their respective highs and lows. In fact, Scrubs is timeless because of the immense contrast between one moment and the next.

The comedic elements of the show are often quoted and have ended up in circulation as memes and GIFs more than a decade after the finale episode aired. However, it would be a crime to ignore the emotional heart of the show. With Scrubs being set in a hospital, death was a commonly used plot device to instill sadness in its audience. However, the writers managed to find a fresh take on it each time. They also found ways to bring a tear to the eye that didn’t result in the loss of a character.

8 J.D. Snaps

He Lectures His Friends On Their Relationships

J.D. came under fire in the season 2 episode, “My T.C.W.” T.C.W. (Tasty Coma Wife), otherwise known as Jamie Moyer (Amy Smart), was the attractive wife of one of the hospital’s coma patients. Despite the episode having a comedic tone overall, there was a shift near the end when J.D. informed his friends of his plan to take Jamie out on a date.

He was judged immediately, with everyone present weighing in on J.D.’s romantic life. This caused him to offer his own criticisms of his accusers’ relationship issues, putting their problems out in the open. His spirited rant was fueled by frustration and thinly veiled anger. The scene gave an insight into J.D.’s inner workings, showing the crushing loneliness that contributed to his decision to navigate the ethical minefield of dating Jamie.

7 The Janitor Pours His Heart Out

His Let His Feelings For Elliot Be Known

In “My Best Laid Plans,” The Janitor landed a date with Elliot, although it was a feat he achieved by deceiving her. When they returned to the hospital, Dr. Cox brought the subterfuge to the surface by exposing the Janitor’s actions. Initially, Elliot was angry that she’d been misled. Under the impression that the evening took place just for the Janitor to win a bet, her trust in the Janitor was dashed.

The Janitor’s heartfelt apology managed to bring Elliot around by laying himself bare and confessing his feelings for her, despite also admitting he was aware it wasn’t mutual. There was one line that cut right to the heart of viewers, and it was one of the Janitor’s most vulnerable moments in the entire run of Scrubs. Despite the fact the Janitor was originally imaginary, it was scenes like this that made him more tangible. One particular line hit hard:

“You’re the only one around here that treats me like a real person.”

As a character who was primarily used as comic relief in an already comedic show, it cut even deeper to see the Janitor in a situation where he could have his heart broken. When Elliot accepted the apology and admitted she had a nice time, it was enough to save the scene from being too upsetting.

6 My Philosophy

Scrubs Managed To Cushion The Blow With Music

There were a few times that Scrubs made use of the music of Colin Hay. One of the most effective moments was in the thirteenth episode of season 2, “My Philosophy.” Although Hay doesn’t perform the song in the episode, the Broadway-esque arrangement of “Waiting For My Real Life to Begin” was a fitting soundtrack for the passing away of one of J.D.’s favorite patients.

Elaine (Jill Tracy), who shared that her vision of death was that of a Broadway musical, ultimately waited too long for a new heart. The end result was seeing her live out her version of the process of death through the eyes of J.D. With Elaine taking the lead role, the rest of the cast supported her with a moving performance of the Colin Hay song. This compassionate interpretation of the death of a patient was one of the few moments that ticked the boxes of being both saddening and cathartic.

5 My Old Lady

J.D. Lost A Patient, As Did Turk And Elliot

The fourth episode of season 1, “My Old Lady,” was framed by the statistic that 1-in-3 patients die in the hospital. Turk, Elliot, and J.D. all had patients who initially seemed treatable. With that stat in mind, viewers were led to believe that only one of the patients being treated in the episode wouldn’t make it to the end. The tables turned when it was revealed all three were suffering from potentially fatal conditions. Each of the three doctors struggled with a different aspect of their profession, and it directly impacted their care. For Elliot, it was her indecisiveness. Turk found himself resisting the act of bonding with his patients.

J.D. arguably had the largest roadblock as he battled with his fear of death. His patient, Mrs. Tanner, declined dialysis, the only procedure that could have saved her life. Her claims that she was ready to die shook J.D. to his core, and the doctor-patient relationship took on a more maternal dynamic. Despite Mrs. Tanner being the one close to death, she comforted J.D. when the young doctor claimed he was scared. The moment highlights how inexperienced J.D. was at the time, and that he still had a lot to learn in terms of the emotional toll of his occupation. When Mrs. Tanner passed away peacefully on her own terms, the loss of Turk’s and Elliot’s patients only compounded the melancholy of the episode.

4 The Passing Of Mrs. Wilk

She Struggled To Accept Her Fate

Mrs. Wilk was one of Scrubs‘ most memorable patients, with audiences witnessing her journey from illness, to health, and then back to illness again. The roller coaster hit one of the biggest twists when Mrs. Wilk was being discharged from Sacred Heart, only for viewers to see one of J.D.’s interns become responsible for her eventual return to their care.

The next time Mrs. Wilk was in the hospital, she was not so fortunate in her recovery. In Scrubs season 5’s “My Five Stages,” Mrs. Wilk wrestles with the knowledge that her condition is now fatal. Although the upsetting ending to her arc would have been enough to move viewers, they were also made to watch both J.D. and Dr. Cox go through the same struggle. Although her passing was eventually peaceful, it made the occurrence no less heartbreaking.

3 Dr. Cox Gives Up

Audiences Were Shown A Rare Crack In His Armor

Dr. Perry Cox was one of the most indestructible characters on television. His indomitable spirit and unwavering commitment to his patients were a large part of the appeal of John C. McGinley’s Scrubs character. That was why his breakdown in the episode “My Lunch” hit so hard. Despite coaching a guilt-ridden J.D. through the loss of a patient, Cox still succumbed to the same emotion in the very same episode. Following the death of Sacred Heart regular Jill Tracy (Nicole Sullivan), for which J.D. felt partly responsible, Dr. Cox managed to find a silver lining.

After discovering Jill was a registered organ donor, Dr. Cox distributed her organs among his patients. However, disaster struck when it came to light that Jill actually passed away from rabies, rather than an overdose as previously thought. Events took a downward turn, with the missed diagnosis proving fatal for the organs’ recipients. Despite J.D. giving his mentor the same speech he’d given him earlier in the episode in an attempt to bring him back from the brink, Cox still folded.

Blaming himself for the incident, Dr. Cox left Sacred Heart, unable to accept his mistake. The episode was left on a cliffhanger, and audiences were forced to wait until the next episode to discover whether Cox would come through the other side of his turmoil. Luckily, the next episode, “My Fallen Idol,” showed the staff of Sacred Heart sitting with their friend and mentor to help him heal. The entire endeavor was emotionally taxing, but at least Dr. Cox eventually recovered.

2 The Hallway Scene

All Good Things Must Come To An End

The ending of any beloved TV show is always an emotional affair. For a show like Scrubs, it was always going to go above and beyond to toy with its audience’s feelings. Despite being aware that most shows will eventually reach their conclusion, it can still hit home when it actually happens. When J.D. headed for the exit of Sacred Heart that final time, the halls were lined with what felt like every character from the last eight seasons. Viewers were treated to one final delivery of many of their favorite catchphrases and jokes, and while it was a fitting farewell to the characters they’d grown to love, saying goodbye is never easy.

In a self-aware voiceover, J.D. summed up the thought process of everyone watching, and delivered an ethos that would return to their minds each time they watched “My Finale.” If it weren’t for the lead character also admitting they were struggling with the finality of the situation, along with the beautiful foreshadowing montage set to Peter Gabriel’s, “The Book of Love,” audiences may never have recovered. However, it was the perfect ending for Scrubs, despite there also being a ninth season, thanks to this line:

“And even though it felt warm and safe, I knew it had to end.”

1 Ben’s Funeral

Despite Being Used Sparingly, Brendan Fraser’s Character Left His Mark

Audiences immediately took to Ben Sullivan when he made his first appearance in “My Occurrence” near the end of season 1. Brendan Fraser played Ben Sullivan in Scrubs, the brother of Jordan, Dr. Cox’s ex-wife. Despite the divorce, Dr. Cox had remained close with Ben, with the former even declaring the latter his best friend. Seeing as Dr. Cox rarely showed his affectionate side, it was clear that Ben must have been a very special person.

Ben took a cavalier attitude to all aspects of his life, and he was a breath of fresh air for the constant drama at Scared Heart. When he was diagnosed with leukemia during his first appearance on the show, J.D. struggled to process the information. Instead, he fantasized his way out of it, convincing himself that his new friend had received a false diagnosis. The viewers were taken along for the ride, and the full truth of the matter was only revealed at the end of the episode.

Dr. Cox also had difficulties accepting his best friend’s condition. This wasn’t only true in “My Hero,” the following episode, but also two seasons later in “My Screw Up.” This was Ben’s final appearance. Despite appearing throughout the episode, the majority of Ben’s screen time was spent as a figment of Dr. Cox’s imagination. Dr. Cox was given the news of Ben’s death early on in “My Screw Up,” only to continue perceiving a version of his friend that he alone could see.

It was a sneaky ploy by the show’s writers, as it took a second viewing of the episode to notice that Dr. Cox is the only character to interact with “Ben” after his death. However, the real emotional gut-punch arrived when Dr. Cox realizes he and J.D. aren’t on the way to his son’s birthday party, but to his best friend’s funeral. Everything from the autumnal setting to the use of Josh Radin’s “Winter” contributed to the immense sadness that was unleashed upon both the characters and their audience. This was easily the saddest moment in Scrubs.