Love

Elliot and J.D. in love. ("Our Stuff Gets Real")

In Scrubs, many characters yearn for and seek love. The desire to be loved by another person or to be loved drives many characters. Different than the frequent sexual encounters that the employees of Sacred Heart pursue, love is tied more closely to family, approval, and friendship.

Examples

J.D. and Elliot

J.D. and Elliot in the Bahamas. ("My Soul on Fire, Part 2")

At risk of becoming "Ross & Rachel", J.D. and Elliot were the resident "on again, off again" couple of Sacred Heart, enough to even become a meta joke within the series. ("My Fault") They dated early in their careers at the hospital and spent many other nights in bed together. ("My Bed Banter & Beyond") ("His Story II") They initially thought they were fated to never become a real couple, but eventually they realized that they just needed to use their old relationships as a road-map and see what would happen. ("My Happy Place")

When Elliot realized she loved J.D., she told him. She was upset when he said the same because he was just saying the words and didn't have an feeling behind him. ("My Soul on Fire, Part 1") He eventually told her that he loves her more than Turk, which did the trick. ("My Soul on Fire, Part 2") After leaving Sacred Heart, the two got married and Elliot became pregnant. ("Our First Day of School")

Turk and J.D.

"Guy Love" ("My Musical")

Another recurring joke in Scrubs is that J.D. and Turk were a couple. Dr. Cox would often call them matching nicknames or tell strangers that they were lovers. Some other characters, such as Denise Lemmon, would comment that they were a "cute interracial gay couple". ("My Last Chance") This joke is based on how good of friends they are because they often hug and act like a couple. In the episode "My Musical", the duo sing the song "Guy Love" about their feelings toward each other. ("My Musical")

Turk and Carla

Turk and Carla's wedding day. ("My Best Friend's Wedding")

The longest running and most stable relationship on Scrubs, Turk and Carla meet in the pilot episode and quickly begin dating. ("My Mentor") They get married after three years. ("My Best Friend's Wedding") Their relationship isn't perfect and they hit some speed bumps over the years, but ultimately resolve all their problems. ("My Faith in Humanity") They have had two children by the end of the series. ("Our First Day of School")

Dr. Cox and Jordan

Dr. Cox and Jordan become re-divorced. ("My New Game")

Perry Cox and Jordan Sullivan have one of the least traditional relationships on the series. They were married for several years, but were divorced after growing to dislike each other. They started to have sex again and Jordan became pregnant with Jack. They had the baby and decided to be in a relationship again, but refused to take it any further. ("My Karma") When they realized they were legally still married, they had another divorce, as it made them more comfortable. ("My New Game") They had another child and began wearing their wedding rings again, but remain divorced. ("My Long Goodbye") ("My Nah Nah Nah")

They are a strong couple and stand up for each other and their relationship. They are both sarcastic and strong willed people, but somehow they make their love work.

Janitor and Lady

Janitor and Lady get married. ("My Soul on Fire, Part 2")

Although Janitor is a mysterious person, he was smitten by Ladinia Williams, nicknamed "Lady". ("My Number One Doctor") He hid his true self from her, but slowly revealed to her who he really was. They eventually got married in the Bahamas. ("My Soul on Fire, Part 2")

Ted and Gooch

Ted and Gooch sing. ("My Lawyer's in Love")

Another unlikely character to fall in love was Ted Buckland, the hospital's sadsack lawyer. The producers of Scrubs wanted most of the characters to have happy endings at the end of Season Eight, so they introduced Stephanie Gooch to the world of Sacred Heart. Ted was too shy to approach her at first, but J.D. and Janitor formed a pact to help Ted. Ted and Gooch bonded over their love of music. ("My Lawyer's in Love") Ted decides to leave the hospital with Gooch to travel the world and sing. ("Our Histories")

Denise and Drew

Drew accidentally says "I love you". ("Our True Lies")

Denise and Drew are similar to Perry and Jordan because they have two strong personalities but are drawn to each other. ("Our First Day of School") Drew accidentally says "I love you" to Denise one morning and she becomes very standoffish. Turk talks to her and she eventually opens up to Drew and shares her true feelings of love. ("Our True Lies")

Elliot and Keith

Keith proposes. ("My Turf War")

Elliot and Keith Dudemeister began as a purely physical relationship. ("My Buddy's Booty") However, they began developing feelings for each other and began dating. After a year of dating, Elliot accepted his marriage proposal. ("My Turf War") ("My Cold Shower") However, she shortly broke it off, citing her desire to fall in love and get married was stronger than her desire for Keith. ("My Own Worst Enemy")