Fans may still be getting over the loss of J.D. (Zach Braff) and Elliot’s (Sarah Chalke) divorce in… Scrubs revival, but for the show’s stars, it’s all about great storytelling.
**Spoiler alert for the first three episodes of the series Scrubsnow streaming on Hulu and Disney+**
When sitting down with DECIDER to talk about the hit series’ return after more than 15 years, Braff and Chalke — whose characters ended the original series happily married and with a growing family — opened up about the controversial decision to separate the two for the revival.
“I feel like there’s a lot more room for comedy and drama and all that, rather than just having them happily married,” Chalk said, adding that her first reaction to the divorce was that the casting was “really great.”
In addition, Braff said that there is not a lot of interesting things that can be explored within a relationship and a “good” couple.
When fans first watched the first episode of the new season, they were certainly surprised when the show casually introduced J.D. and Elliot’s divorce, with J.D. saying in a quick voiceover that their marriage “didn’t work out.” In the final episode, “My Rom-Com,” the pair have to start toying with the idea of working together again after J.D. agrees to take over the position of Chief of Medicine from Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley).
Now, the duo — who have seen their fair share of ups and downs over the course of the original series — must learn how to work together, co-parent their children, and remain amicable in what can only be described as a nightmare situation for any divorcing couple.
They’re also trying to find themselves single again, which is pretty easy, as any divorcee can tell you. Overall, this exciting new relationship makes for a fun and dynamic push-and-pull experience that will be explored throughout the season.
Braff also wants to share a message with those who watched the original series and have since found themselves confused by the breakup, and that just because they assumed J.D. and Elliot would stay together due to the “moving on” sequence in Season 8, nothing is guaranteed. Just like Scrubsthe goal has always been to share something real and honest and make fans laugh in the process, and that’s what they’re doing with these two.
“I think it’s important to remind fans that in the Season 8 finale, what you see displayed on screen and paper, are all the things that J.D. hoped would happen. It was his wish. But, you know, in real life, when you end up being 50 years old, a lot of things don’t go the way you plan. Some happen, some don’t. And some relationships fall apart,” he said.
He added, “It’s very important to talk about two people who love each other, but whose marriage didn’t work out. How do they continue? How do they co-parent? How do they interact with each other? And in this extreme case, how do they work together in the same hospital again?”
These are the questions fans will have to watch answered over the course of the nine-episode first season. As much as these two may find their way back to each other, Chalk and the showrunner have the same message: never say never.
The first three episodes of Scrubs It’s now streaming on Hulu. New episodes air at 8pm on ABC and stream the next day on Hulu.
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