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Unfortunately, Judy Reyes’ Carla and John C. McGinley’s Dr. Cox have smaller roles in the Scrubs revival, due to scheduling commitments and conflicts, but they’ve still made their presence felt even in a reduced capacity. More recently, Episode 6, “My V.I.P.,” brings back Rowdy, the taxidermied Golden Retriever that belongs to J.D. and Turk. While, yes, it’s a stuffed animal, the dog was a key part of the original show, a fan-favorite, and a shining example of their friendship. He’s now situated in J.D’s office at the hospital, and is seen in the episode during his conversation with Dr. Park (Joel Kim Booster).
Scrubs Season 10 Is Increasingly Living Up To The Original Series
For longtime Scrubs fans, it’s absolutely great to see Rowdy again and, while it’s just a few seconds of screentime, it still manages to be a highlight. It’s a relief to know that he’s still in J.D’s life, though he’s definitely looking a little older and shaggier after his 16-year absence from the screen. It also perfectly continues the jokes around the animal and how J.D. treats him compared to others, with Park referring to him by asking, “what’s with the emotional support corpse?” and J.D. responding to, “Be nice to him, he hasn’t had a walk in 26 years.”
It’s a small moment, but it continues how the new Scrubs is managing to feel like old Scrubs, more so than the disappointing ninth season was able to achieve. It’s struck a good balance with this so far. Elements like Rowdy are clear fan service, but there’s enough in here where it avoids the easy, nostalgic route, such as J.D. and Elliot’s divorce. This makes it fresh, and is where it is able to use the passage of time to its advantage for new storytelling opportunities and to take its characters in some unexpected directions.
