Why Scrubs revival's relationship development is such an unexpected yet inspired move

Happy endings can be hard to come by, especially in a hospital setting. But JD managed to get his at the end of Scrubs when a final scene revealed visions of the life he'll share with Elliot and their future family. Or at least, that's what happened the first time the show ended.

A much-maligned surprise ninth season brought our faves back a year later, confirming that their wedding did indeed become a reality off-screen. This wasn't exactly a happy ending though, because JD and Elliot barely appeared at all this time around.

And now, 16 years later, a new Scrubs series has undone that perfect ending entirely by revealing that their marriage has ended completely.

Yep, that future vision of happiness that JD saw at the end of season 8 wasn't real, just like so many other fantasy sequences he's envisioned throughout the show's run. But actually, it turns out Scrubs is all the better for it in this case.

Season 10 begins with Elliot sniping at JD upon his return to Sacred Heart Hospital. It's clear that their marriage didn't end on good terms, even if we don't know the specifics of why they broke up at this stage.

While that might come as a blow to fans who have been rooting for them since day one, it's not entirely out of character to see the pair face off like this. In fact, you could argue JD and Elliot have never been a good fit, constantly at odds despite the obvious chemistry they share.

Scrubs has spent the vast majority of its run convincing us that this 'will they/won't they' couple doesn't make sense long-term (a far cry from their contemporaries in other sitcoms like Friends, Frasier or The Office). The revival presents a perfect opportunity to explore that in depth, exploring a very different kind of tension beyond simplistic notions of "Will they make it?"

Now that we know they don't make it, Scrubs instead offers us a glimpse of married life at a very different stage, one where JD and Elliot work towards an understanding that continues to fit them both now that their marriage has ended (not to mention the two children they continue to co-raise outside of work).

Rather than rely on the easy jokes that can come from bickering, these new episodes smartly delve deeper beyond the arguments to face what the emotional realities of working with your ex might look like. It's hard at points, as we see when Elliot struggles to navigate her friendship with Turk upon JD's return. But there's an emotional nuance to the end of a marriage that Scrubs works hard to unpick as this season progresses.

This shouldn't necessarily come as a surprise. At its best, Scrubs has always grounded the show's often absurd flights of fancy with a very real emotional core. That's true whether it was telling a story of friendship or loss, or in this case, a combination of the two.

Read more:

• Scrubs season 10 release schedule – when will the episode air?
• Scrubs season 10 review: New reboot is much better than it has any right to be

In episode 3 of the Scrubs revival, Elliot and JD initially butt heads again until they suddenly reconnect and come to an understanding.

"I care about you, JD," says Elliot. "I will always care about you. You’re my family. I just don’t know how we will figure this out."

How often do we get to see a fan-favourite couple explore the "honeymoon phase" of their failed marriage, as JD jokingly describes it? In doing so, the writers continue to foreground a key dynamic from the show without betraying the strength of their connection.

They might not work long-term as a couple, but that doesn't mean that there isn't any love between them. Just because you divorce doesn't mean you have to stop caring about the other person, especially when kids are involved. In some cases, this love just evolves into something different, something akin to family, and that's just as beautiful in its own way.

Series creator Bill Lawrence told Deadline that he was resistant to separating Elliot and JD at first. It wasn't until showrunner Aseem Batra explained her own journey co-raising her child as a single parent that he realised the potential of this new development for the revival.

"It doesn’t mean that their story is over," says Lawrence, "but it certainly is something that adults have to navigate all the time."

Scrubs star Zach Braff echoed this in the same interview, explaining that dreams, like those JD fantasised about at the end of season 8, don't "necessarily come true, especially when you’re 50 years old".

"Things that you didn’t want to happen, happen," he continued. "Some marriages fail, some don’t. You have the contrast with Turk and Carla, where they’re as happily married as ever compared to us, who are learning now to co-parent and eventually work together. So I think it was a good way of also showing a wide array of how marriages can turn out in midlife."

With the revival just beginning, it's impossible to know where this journey will take JD and Elliot long-term. There's probably a temptation to bring them back together at some point, given their on-and-off-again past. But the happiest ending I can envision for this pair is one rooted in a familial kind of love where 'will they/won't they' becomes 'they shouldn't' and 'they won't'.

Scrubs season 10 is streaming now on Disney+ in the UK. Sign-up to Disney+ from £5.99 a month.

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