Sam Lloyd, the beloved actor who portrayed sad sack hospital lawyer Ted Buckland on Scrubs, sadly passed away after a short battle with cancer on April 30th. As castmates and fans alike fondly remember the actor and musician, now is the perfect time to reflect on Lloyd’s contribution to the enduring appeal of Scrubs and why Ted stands out amongst a cast of colorful supporting characters on the medical comedy. 

Ted Buckland was Sacred Heart Hospital’s long-serving hapless lawyer, despite the fact that he never displayed the sharpest lawyering mind. Constantly the target of Chief of Medicine Dr. Bob Kelso’s verbal abuse and exploitation, Ted’s lack of self-esteem and general spinelessness would often lead to some of the show’s funniest one-liners and slapstick gags. 

Related: Michael J. Fox Was Scrubs' Greatest Guest Star

While audiences would often laugh at Ted’s expense - be it him passing out tangled in exercise equipment and missing the Gilmore Girls or knocking himself out by slipping on a desk with a sweaty palm - he is one of many supporting characters from the show who is shown to have more hidden depths as the series progresses. 

Part of that depth comes from Ted’s genuine musical talent, as first seen when audiences were first introduced to his acapella band, the Worthless Peons, in "My Hero," the twenty-third episode of season 1. The members of the band who all work in other areas of hospital administration were played by the members of Lloyd’s real-life band, The Blanks. They go from a capella version of cartoon theme songs to performing some of the most sincere musical moments in the show, from the band stepping in for Turk and Carla’s absent wedding band to the beautiful cover of "Hey Ya" at the Janitor’s Hawaiian wedding. 

Scrubs is a show that has many strong side characters - those recurring members of the cast outside of the main players. Many get their moment in the sun, with the episode "Their Story," the seventeenth episode of season 6. The episode switches perspectives from Zach Braff’s JD to three side characters who regularly appear on the show: The Todd, Jordan, and Ted. It’s an episode that demonstrates Ted’s strength against other side characters. Todd's brand of innuendo humor has not aged well, and while Jordan’s sarcastic, manipulative nature can be very funny, it is Ted who stands out. His fantasy sequences are the funniest of the three characters, in no small part down to Lloyd’s hilarious delivery and commitment to slapstick.

Ted’s time on Scrubs ends with a neat bow that gives the hapless lawyer a happy ending, heading off to travel the world with his new girlfriend (this is if you don’t count his Cougar Town appearance as Scrubs canon). The happy ending may be a byproduct of tying everything up for the final season in a manner that makes fans feel content, but it also demonstrates how much affection fans of the show generated for sweaty Teddy over the course of eight seasons. It is also, of course, a testament to Sam Lloyd’s dedicated performance across the show’s existence, creating a character that fans grew to love seeing on-screen whose pathetic behavior became more and more endearing. To quote Dr. Kelso, "Thanks for everything Ted, sincerely."

Next: Where Are They Now: The Scrubs Cast