There are so many sitcoms that have come and gone over the years. Some get, maybe, a couple of seasons before cancellation, with the cream of the crop managing eight, nine, maybe ten, or even fourteen and counting, Scrubs is one of those shows. It has garnered a loyal fanbase over its nine years on TV, even ten years later still getting watched.
However, as high a quality as most of the show may be, there is an argument to be had that the show will not stand the test of times like others to go alongside that which says the opposite.
Won't Age Well - Girl's Names
The constant reference to J.D. as a girl by Dr. Cox is not something that is meant to be healthy or admired, but it nevertheless can easily be offensive.
Cox's continuous use of girl's names to call J.D. becomes standard throughout the show, but making fun of J.D.'s feminine side, and using girl's names as if it is insulting to be a woman certainly does not hold up that well. If the show was re-created today, Cox would have to find a way of insulting JD that doesn't rely on toxic masculinity.
Timeless - The Accuracy
There are so many medical shows out there that are hugely inaccurate and played for dramatic purposes rather than actual medical accuracy.
Scrubs is not one of those shows. It has often gotten heralded as the one most medically accurate shows out there both in its look at the day to day life of doctors, but also due to the realism of medical cases, this due to the real-life inspiration for the show, creator Bill Lawrence's friend Dr. Jon Doris.
Won't Age Well - Transphobic Jokes
There are not insane amounts of transphobic jokes in Scrubs, but even one is too many and rightfully does not hold up today.
The reference to Turk "groping" a trans individual was not as a whole that bad, other than the fact that Turk misgendered her. But, when Carla spread the rumor that the nurse who was called the 'younger Carla' was a storyline, Carla decided to tell everyone she was actually a guy - transphobic and unacceptable.
Timeless - The Bookends
Season one episode one "My First Day," and the season eight finale "My Finale" are two amazing episodes, and ignoring season nine are perfect bookends for the show.
Not only did the show start on a great foot, but it stuck the finish, an area where so many shows fail miserably, damaging all the fantastic work that got done prior - looking at you Dexter, How I Met Your Mother and Game Of Thrones.
Won't Age Well - The Writer Strike
Season seven of Scrubs glaringly only has eleven episodes, and they appear to be out of order near the end, which they are.
This is due to a writer's strike that happened at the time of the season. Season seven was originally meant to have eighteen episodes, and perhaps be the last of the show, the writers strike meant there are only eleven episodes, which hurts the season massively and completely muddles up storylines.
Timeless - The Emotion
The comedy in Scrubs is terrific, with the writing consistently delivering on that end, but what is also so impressive about the show is how it blends in emotion.
Ben's death, "My Lunch," Turk and J.D.'s talk with George, and so many more moments and episodes have reduced fans to tears and will continue to do so for years to come.
Timeless - The Relationships
The friendships, relationships, and dynamics in Scrubs are brilliant, and a joy to watch and follow across all the show's seasons.
The friendship between Turk and J.D. is perhaps the best in sitcom history, the Ross/Rachel dynamic of Elliot and J.D., the mentorship of Dr. Cox and his life with Jordan, as well as hatred, then love for Dr. Kelso, the Janitor's torture of J.D., and the staple of Turk and Carla, all of it helps make the show as good as it is.
Won't Age Well - Gay Jokes
Just about every single episode of Scrubs has a gay joke, usually at the expense of Turk and J.D.'s friendship.
So many offensive digs at LGBTQ people are something that does not hold up today, and will not hold up ever again. A lot of the jokes were relatively harmless when coming from J.D. and Turk about themselves. However, when other people use it as an insult against them, or when Turk has a little homophobia - which does admittedly get resolved and play into his growth - they do not have a leg to stand on.
Timeless - The Characters
The growth and development of the central characters is key to any television show, and Scrubs does a great job of that.
The characters grow in careers and their personal lives, both in how they are as a person and as a medical professional. The performances of the entire cast are always spot on, and even recurring characters like the Todd, Ted, and Laverne are amazing to watch. They all truly make the show what it is.
Timeless - The Rewatchability
All of these factors come together to form the show as a fantastic sitcom from the 2000s that will be timeless for the fans of it and will become timeless to those yet to discover it. All of these factors and more make the show amazingly rewatchable.
As long as you can experience the real music and get over season nine and a short season seven, which are pretty inoffensive issues, the show is one that is so rewatchable, like all great TV shows and movies are.