All 7 Scrubs Episodes Directed By Zach Braff, Ranked

Like many sitcoms, Scrubs had a great many directors during its run, but Zach Braff is among one of its most prominent. As well as leading the Scrubs cast as the head-in-the-clouds Dr. John “JD” Dorian, Braff also stepped behind the camera to direct seven episodes. Since Scrubs, Braff has been in the director’s chair for other sitcoms like Ted Lasso and Shrinking, but also his own movie projects, such as 2023’s A Good Person. Braff’s Scrubs episodes sit well among the rest of the show due to his understanding of Scrubs‘ aesthetic.

Scrubs marked the point where Zach Braff’s directorial career started to take off. His first directing credit for the sitcom that made him came in Scrubs season 4, which first aired in 2004. The same year, Braff’s first feature film, Garden State, also received a theatrical release. Zach Braff has continued to both act and direct since Scrubs was canceled after season 9, although he didn’t direct an episode beyond Scrubs season 8. However, some of the episodes with Braff leading the production are among Scrubs‘ most memorable.

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7 My Growing Pains

Season 7, Episode 5

“My Growing Pains” focuses on JD’s attempt to become more mature due to the arrival of his son. While the episode itself is still entertaining, its lack of Scrubs‘ signature zaniness hurts its quality. The story falls long into Braff’s directorial run on Scrubs so the episode’s slickness is more defined than ever. The medical sitcom has never shied away from the emotional challenges of life in the medical field as well as just the day-to-day, but “My Growing Pains” leans too much into its melancholic elements.

Without sufficient amounts of comedy, episodes of Scrubs such as this lose their identity in a way that Braff’s talents behind the camera can only rectify so much. The more dramatic tone in the episode is arguably an artful reflection of JD’s journey to becoming the man he thinks his son needs him to be. Regardless, while the writing device should be applauded, the idea could have been executed better.

6 My Princess

Season 7, Episode 11

Scrubs‘ homage to 1987’s The Princess Bride is one of the sitcom’s most visually spectacular achievements. The show’s characters slot into their new roles well, with the framing device of Dr. Cox reading his son a bedtime story allowing for the fantastical story to take place. The issue is that the genre-bending “My Princess” eclipses itself at times with the feat it’s pulling off. While the wacky setting and over-the-top character design are a feast for the eyes, they’re also a little distracting in the context of a 20-minute sitcom. It’s a great episode, but Braff directed better Scrubs installments.

Braff has mentioned on his Scrubs rewatch podcast, Fake Doctors, Real Friends, that “My Princess” was never supposed to be the Scrubs season 7 finale that it ended up being. The episode was aired as the finale due to the writer’s strike of 2007-2008. Although there were other shows severely affected by 2007’s writers’ strike, it almost meant this was the final episode of Scrubs.

5 My No Good Reason

Season 6, Episode 14

At a certain point, it becomes difficult to separate Braff’s Scrubs directorial efforts. All of his episodes are of a high quality, so ranking them becomes a delicate task. “My No Good Reason” is brilliant in its own right. It has a great blend of comedy and drama, but that’s true of a great many Scrubs episodes. The main takeaway from the episode is that Laverne is let down by her own philosophy of “Bad things happen around here for a reason” when she ends the episode in a coma.

At the time, Laverne’s accident is one of the saddest moments in Scrubs. However, the moment is compromised in Scrubs season 7. Laverne passes away in Scrubs season 6, episode 15, “My Long Goodbye” as a result of her injuries. Her death essentially doesn’t last long, as Aloma Wright, who plays Laverne, is recast as another nurse by the name of Shirley. The casting quirk is played for laughs, with only JD noticing the resemblance. So, the emotional trauma of “My No Good Reason” is retroactively reduced due to later events in Scrubs.

4 My Chief Concern

Season 8, Episode 17

“My Chief Concern” is the final episode of Scrubs directed by Zach Braff, but it’s also one of his best. Showrunner Bill Lawrence’s assignment of the important episode to Braff shows faith in his directing skills. The story takes place at a key point in the lives of many Scrubs characters. Braff captures the comedic friction developing between JD and Turk as the duo prepare to become less involved in each other’s lives. The episode focuses little on patient storylines, so Braff is given plenty of space to address how the Scrubs characters are handling their upcoming respective milestones.

3 My Best Laid Plans

Season 4, Episode 19

Across all nine seasons of Scrubs, the episodes are often at their best when a strong theme ties together all of its storylines. “My Best Laid Plans” addresses romantic relationships at various points in their timelines – even ones that don’t quite exist. Turk and Carla’s marriage features, as well as the Janitor’s faux date with Elliot. However, the main event is what makes the episode so enthralling.

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JD is rarely shown as anything but the show’s lovable nerd, but “My Best Laid Plans” shows a more unlikable version of the character. Despite already dating Kylie, he also attempts to explore his latent feelings for the returning Molly Clock. This installment of Scrubs is one of the rare episodes where it’s easy to root against JD rather than support his choices, and it makes for very engaging viewing. “My Best Laid Plans” also makes great use of Heather Graham as Molly, one of Scrubs‘ best guest stars.

2 My Last Chance

Season 4, Episode 8

This episode is made even more impressive when it’s considered it was the first episode of Scrubs directed by Zach Braff. “My Last Chance” is deceptively short considering how much Braff manages to fit into the 20-minute runtime. The B-story featuring Dr. Cox’s ambulance ride is a compelling narrative in itself that’s more recognizable as a Scrubs story, but JD’s quest to reach Molly with Elliot’s note is by far the most exciting and comical part of this iconic episode.

As with the other Scrubs episodes he directed, Zach Braff still appears heavily in “My Last Chance,” but his dual duties don’t distract him from either task. His directorial Scrubs debut is brilliant, and his acting as JD isn’t diminished by his increased responsibilities within the production. This episode comes very close to being Braff’s best Scrubs episode with him in the director’s chair, but it just about misses out.

1 My Way Home

Season 5, Episode 7

While he may have given it his best shot, Zach Braff was never able to top his tribute episode to 1939’s The Wizard of Oz. “My Way Home” brilliantly balances its endless references to the Judy Garland classic with retaining its own identity as an episode of Scrubs. This installment starts off making subtle references to The Wizard of Oz and slowly integrates them into the story. By the end, it’s impossible to ignore the homage to the 1930s classic, and the two have become so intertwined that it almost feels as if Scrubs has always been that way.