Blu-ray Review: Scrubs - The Complete Eighth Season

Release Date: November 17th, 2009
Running Time: 414 minutes

The Show

I was always an avid fan of ER and never really strayed into other medical procedurals despite the seemingly endless spread across every network. Due to this I never watched Scrubs but noticed the critical and fan praise that was given to it year after year. Witty, often improvised dialogue and a first-person point-of-view a la Ally McBeal separated Scrubs from the pack. The Complete Eighth Season has mastered the show’s formula, but fans who purchased the DVD set weeks ago will be disappointed at this late Blu-ray release.

The show follows the staff at Sacred Heart Hospital, focusing mainly on Dr. John “J.D.” Dorian (Zach Braff) who provides narration and his own day dream sequences. Other cast members include: J.D.’s love interest Dr. Elliott Reid (Sarah Chalke); the sarcastic Dr. Perry Cox (John C. McGinley); J.D.’s best friend surgeon Dr. Chris Tuck (Donald Faison); head nurse and Turk’s wife, Carla (Judy Reyes); retired head of medicine Dr. Bob Kelso (Ken Jenkings); and the unnamed prankster Janitor (Neil Flynn).

The Eight Season begins with the arrival of Dr. Kelso’s replacement, Dr. Taylor Maddox (Courtney Cox-Aqruette) who shakes up the hospital in a multi-episode stint, not making any friends in the process. J.D. and Elliot also become more honest with their feelings for each other. Dr. Cox is promoted to Chief of Medicine, and Turk is promoted to Chief of Surgery. Throw in a batch of new interns and everything at Sacred Heart is business as usual. Some of the plots over the course of the season include: the resident doctors choosing interns to be their protégés while J.D. has daydreams of the Muppets; Elliot and Carla working on doctor/nurse relationships; the interns performing at the traditional comedy show; and Janitor inviting everyone to his wedding in the Bahamas. The season comes to a close with J.D. considering leaving Sacred Heart to be closer to his son, a decision that plagues his mind with worries on whether he will be able to preserve his relationships with Elliot and Turk.

Scrubs is a quirky little show that is technically a comedy but is never afraid to have very real character arcs and bursts of intense drama. Though the improvisational-heavy comedy often results in goofy gags and quips, the writers build their laughs and tears out of real, believable situations. Since the eighth season marks the last time many cast members appear as regulars, it is sure to be a favorite for many fans. If I have one criticism it is that the development of the intern characters can fall to the wayside, but they’re interns, they are meant to be stepped over!

The three disc set contains all 19 episodes from the eighth season: “My Jerks,” “My Last Words,” “My Saving Grace,” “My Happy Place,” “My ABC’s,” “My Cookie Pants,” “My New Role,” “My Lawyer’s In Love,” “My Absence,” “My Comedy Show,” “My Nah Nah Nah,” “Their Story II,” “My Full Moon,” “My Soul on Fire (Parts 1 and 2),” “My Cuz,” “My Chief Concern,” and “My Finale (Parts 1 and 2).”

The Discs

The video is presented in a 1.78:1, 1080p High Definition transfer. Colors are natural but the bland palette of the hospital doesn’t cause much to pop outside of the blood reds. Detail is great in close up shots, showing off excellent facial detail and costume texture, but intermittent softer shots can reduce the clarity, particularly in the background. Minor compression artifacts can be found now and again, but there are no problems with color banding or video noise. Overall this is a good, but not great, effort.

The audio is offered in an English DTS HD 5.1 master lossless audio track with English/French/Spanish subtitles. This is a very front-heavy mix but the material itself rarely calls for anything more dynamic. Dialogue and narration are clean and balanced. Rear speakers have basic acoustic and ambient effects but don’t quite recreate the hectic bustle of a hospital. It is actually the score that makes the most use out of every channel. This is a very crisp track it just isn’t very engaging.

The Extras

Commentary is offered on every episode except “My Cuz” and “My Finale Parts 1 & 2.” Each track has Executive Producer Bill Lawrence and various members of the cast and crew. After eight seasons these people have created excellent chemistry. The few tracks I breezed through had a good combination of funny anecdotes, production information, and general goofing around. I won’t say they are the most informative tracks out there, but the camaraderie makes it a fun listen, especially with some of the more outgoing actors.

“My Bahamas Vacation” (20 minutes) is a featurette on the cast and crew’s experiences in the Bahamas while filming the episode “My Soul on Fire.” It is both a solid behind-the-scenes piece on the episode itself as well as a fun look at the cast and crew exploring the island and having fun.

“It’s All In the Name” is a 3-minute montage of Dr. Cox calling J.D. by various names.

“Scrubs Interns” is a 40-minute collection of 12 webisodes that follows the new interns adjusting to the routine of the hospital. Cast members from the show make guest appearances.

15 Deleted Scenes run 12 minutes and 17 “Alternate Lines” run 15 minutes. One interesting bit about these sections is that for any alternate take they also show you the version that actually aired for comparison. 3 minutes of Bloopers are offered as well.

A $10 rebate certificate is given for people who already purchased the season on DVD.

Lastly, the Blu-ray features “Season Play” that tracks your progress.

Final Thoughts

The Blu-ray set for Scrubs: The Complete Eighth Season is technically capable and fan friendly. Though it is unlikely new viewers will jump in at this late stage, the set is robust enough for fans to consider a purchase.