- “Hats off there Barbie, that was one potent combination of verbal diarrhea and stunned silence.”— Dr. Cox
"My Faith in Humanity" is the twenty-third episode of Scrubs' fourth season. J.D. looks for humanity in the hospital. Elliot tries to get with Jake with Dr. Cox's help. Turk and Carla undergo couples therapy.
Synopsis[]
J.D. is forced to confront human nature when a dying woman called Betty is brought to the hospital by her neighbor, Jake who was on his way to the airport to go kayaking in New Zealand. When Betty's lungs give out, she consults Jake on her options, Jake helps her realize it's time to die. Unfortunately, her brother decides to sue him for this. Betty falls into a coma before she can tell her brother the real situation.
Elliot is tired of not having any chances to meet men. When she sees Jake, she wants to get his attention but doesn't know how to make a good impression. She goes to Dr. Cox and Carla for romantic advice regarding Jake. Dr. Cox tells her that if she wants his attention that she should ignore him. She takes his advice and it works.
J.D. cannot believe the lack of humanity Dennis is showing and Kelso asks him when was the last time he saw any glimpse humanity around the hospital? As a result, J.D. tells Jake to leave for his kayaking trip as Betty's brother/lawyer, Dennis won't be able to track him. He leaves, but then comes back to face Dennis, who relents and does the right thing. Betty is left as comfortable as possible in her dying moments. Just as Jake is about to leave again, Elliot (with some Coxian encouragement) invites him for coffee.
Turk and Carla in therapy.
Turk and J.D. create a super crime fighting medical team in Turner and Hooch. Turk and Carla are in couple's therapy, but Turk refuses to participate. J.D. makes Turk realize that he is indeed upset deep down just as the therapist had suggested, but he still avoids the therapy. When he sees Jake standing up for himself and not hiding away from his problems Turk goes to and opens up at the next therapy session. J.D. also takes heart from Jake's humanity and stops to help an old woman change a Tire.
Recurring Themes[]
More: Fantasies • Flashbacks • J.D.'s girl names • Janitor's pranks and lies
Fantasies[]
J.D. fills a room full of cottonballs.
- J.D. imagines that the saying "make you as comfortable as possible" as meaning filling the entire room with all the cotton balls from the hospital and letting the patient lay in them.
- “I am very, very comfortable!”— Betty
- “Then you're ready to die.”— J.D.
- “Then you're ready to die.”— J.D.
Flashbacks[]
- The vast array of good men Sacred Heart has to offer, including Ted and The Todd.
- Elliot take Dr. Cox's advice and engages Jake before ignoring him completely.
Janitor Story[]
Janitor's empty rat sack.
- The Janitor tries to impress Elliot by bringing in an old lady from the mall to recreate the scene when Jake brought in his neighbor. Elliot tells him that they are through with that.
- The Janitor has "gone clubbing" (i.e., he's gone up to the roof to beat rats). He's gathered a big bag of rats that he shows off to Jake (he says he placed one dead one in the middle so the others could get a good look and "start toeing the line"), but the rats escape from the bag and scurry past Dr. Kelso's feet just as he makes a comment about keeping the hospital up to the latest codes. When the Janitor is unsuccessful in catching the rats, he exclaims breathlessly that "they are smart, organized, and they have my keys".
Episode Running Gags[]
- Whenever Jake enters, trumpets play (the same "sex buddy" trumpets from My Sex Buddy).
- People constantly refer to Jake as "square head".
- During the episode, J.D. shows that he doesn't know anything in geography.
Guest Stars[]
Jim Hanks as Dr. Turner and Phill Lewis as Hooch
- Ellen Albertini Dow as Betty
- Josh Randall as Jake
- James Michael Tyler as Couples Therapist
- Jim Hanks as Dr. Turner
- Phill Lewis as Hooch
- Whitney Rydbeck as Dennis
- Stephanie Brown as Jenny
- Scott Damian as Man
- Janelle Giumarra as Nurse
- Sue Ozeran as Lady
Music[]
♫ List of music featured in Scrubs
- "Closer to Spring" by Michael Zambrelli
Quotes[]
- “YES! Who's Clarissa?”— Dr. Cox
- “YES! Who's Clarissa?”— Dr. Cox
- “She's the short, balding woman in the pharmacy.”
- “Oh, then definitely yes.”
- “Oh, then definitely yes.”
- “She just got engaged, bad combover and all.”
- “When Clarissa beats you to the alter, it might be time to hang up the ovaries.”— Carla
- “When Clarissa beats you to the alter, it might be time to hang up the ovaries.”— Carla
- “Hey Jake. So, you're probably rushing home to wipe old person smell off before your trip, huh?”— Elliot
- “Excuse me?”— Jake
- “Excuse me?”— Jake
- “Oh, I'm just kidding. I love old people, still there's no denying they have a distinctive smell. I mean it's nothing bad, it's like a general mustiness. Y'know when you get your cast...taken off and...skin mould....”
- “But Hooch, if the patient just has simple Cellulitus then why aren't the antibiotics working?”— Dr. Turner
- “Damn it Turner! It just doesn't make sense.”— Hooch
- “Even though I had created a Super Medical Crime Fighting Team I still felt lousy...”— J.D.'s narration
- “Even though I had created a Super Medical Crime Fighting Team I still felt lousy...”— J.D.'s narration
- “Damn it Turner! It just doesn't make sense.”— Hooch
- [Elliot celebrates]
- “She's a dude.”— J.D.
- “Exactly! But what does he have?”— Carla
- “A shaved chest, a closetful of tiny tee shirts, and the eyes of a madman.”— Elliot
- “OHHHH! I'm sorry! The correct answer she was looking for is "a giant ego"! I have a giant ego!”— Dr. Cox
- “OHHHH! I'm sorry! The correct answer she was looking for is "a giant ego"! I have a giant ego!”— Dr. Cox
- “Dammit! I knew that!”
- “A shaved chest, a closetful of tiny tee shirts, and the eyes of a madman.”— Elliot
Trivia[]
- Ted admits that he has never won a case.
- The cotton ball scene with J.D. and Betty is reminiscent of a scene in the film Patch Adams, where the title character helps fulfill a fantasy of a terminally ill patient by allowing her to swim in a pool filled with spaghetti. Both the terminally ill patient in Patch Adams and the role of Betty in this episode were played by Ellen Albertini Dow.
- In the scene where Betty's brother announces he is about to sue Jake, he walks off to J.D's left. But as the scene is ending, you can see turns around and walks towards J.D. and Jake again.
- Dr. Turner is played by Jim Hanks, brother of Tom Hanks, who played Scott Turner in the film Turner & Hooch.
- During Dr. Cox's rant to Elliot he mentions that the NHL is on strike. At the time of this episode's airing the NHL lockout occurred which cancelled the entire 2004-05 season.
Images[]
