- “Well, it's like last year when the safety brake failed on Enid's wheelchair and she started rolling towards our pool. I told myself, "Bob, it's already too late to stop it, so you might as well sit back and enjoy it".”— Dr. Kelso
"My Growing Pains" is the fifth episode of Scrubs' seventh season. J.D. and Turk take a trip down memory lane to their first prank together. Dr. Kelso's true age is revealed. Dr. Cox has a 10-year-old patient, Josh Winston, who is diagnosed with leukemia.
Synopsis[]
J.D. and Turk's first prank
Josh Winston[]
When J.D. and Turk take a trip down memory lane to their first prank together while planning another, Dr. Cox tells J.D. that he has to "grow up" due to his new responsibilities of fatherhood. J.D. tells Turk that they need to act their age, and Turk tries to convince J.D. that he doesn't need to completely lose his inner child. At the same time, Dr. Cox tries to make Jack grow up by refusing to talk to him in a "funny voice" that entertains him. Meanwhile, Dr. Cox has a 10-year-old patient, Josh Winston, who is diagnosed with leukemia. He has to deal with the child's parents, who want to keep the condition a secret from Josh. Dr. Cox goes ahead and tells Josh without his parents' consent; when he announces his deed triumphantly to Carla, she insists that he "just doesn't get it". At the same time, Turk tortures J.D. by trying to get him to play some of their childish games, like Find the Saltine.
J.D. and Dr. Cox confront Turk and Carla in a "tag team" battle. Carla says that Dr. Cox has no right to deny Josh his childhood by forcing him to deal with such a terrible disease, saying that Dr. Cox's own lost childhood is not a justifiable excuse. Turk also manages to make J.D. realize that his new responsibilities do not necessarily preclude his individual expression; according to Turk, there is no reason for J.D. to "change who he is." The episode ends with J.D. and Turk playing at "World's Most Giant Black Doctor", asking people to sign a petition to make the hospital more giant-accessible, while Dr. Cox talks to Jack using the "funny voice" over a webcam.
Kelso's birthday party
Kelso's birthday[]
Meanwhile, it's Dr. Kelso's birthday, he tells Elliot he's turning fifty-eight; however Carla and Ted reveal that he's been saying the same thing for years. Elliot enlists the Janitor and Ted's help to find out Kelso's real age. After several bizarre ideas, the Janitor and Elliot just break into the personnel files. They find that he is in fact sixty-five, and throw him a surprise birthday party. However, a board member later approaches Kelso in his office, saying that sixty-five is the hospital's standard retirement age for administrators and that Kelso will have to step down. Kelso reluctantly agrees, asking only that the search for his replacement be kept a secret.
Recurring Themes[]
Sammy imagines all the men have breasts
More: Fantasies • Flashbacks • J.D.'s girl names • Janitor's pranks and lies
Fantasies[]
- J.D. tries to imagine what Sammy's fantasies are like. He fantasizes about all the men of Sacred Heart having breasts for Sam to feed off.
Flashbacks[]
- Turk and J.D.'s second day of college: The pair, along with Ricky (A.K.A. Caramel Bear), pull a prank with disastrous consequences.
Janitor story[]
Janitor helps Elliot break into the personnel files to find out Kelso's real age. He reluctantly gives Kelso his power drill as a birthday gift, before claiming the drill Ted got Kelso for himself.
Episode Running Gags[]
- When Carla and Turk are "tag teaming" on J.D. and Dr. Cox, J.D. and Cox speak simultaneously.
Guest Stars[]
- Phill Lewis as Hooch
- Efren Ramirez as Ricky
- Sterling Beaumon as Josh Winston
- Aaron Ikeda as Rex
- Susan Leslie as Mrs. Winston
- Andrew Miller as Jack Cox
- Arthur Roberts as Board member
- Paul Webster as Mr. Winston
- Shalina Waterman as Cute Nurse
Music[]
♫ List of music featured in Scrubs
- "Whoomp! (There It Is)" by Tag Team
- "The Man" by Pete Yorn
- "I'm With You" by Avril Lavigne
Quotes[]
- “Jacky, you're getting a little too old for that now pal, you're 4. I mean people are actually starting to understand about a third of what you say.”— Dr. Cox
- “I like lightning...(2/3 of a sentence of undecipherable nonsense)???”— Jack Cox
- “I like lightning...(2/3 of a sentence of undecipherable nonsense)???”— Jack Cox
- “What do you say, we hit up a Wiggles concert, then go back to my crib, pop open a bottle of formula see what happens?”
- “ Come here and taste this brown sugar. Taste. This. Brown. Sugar!”
- “ Come here and taste this brown sugar. Taste. This. Brown. Sugar!”
- “I wanna hit that, I wanna spank it good, I wanna hit that, I wanna give it to you!”— J.D. as Sam
- “Anyways, when was the last time we did something "off the hook stupid".”— Turk
- “Probably not since the second day of College, remember? When it wasn't just the two of us, it was the three of us.”— J.D.
- “Probably not since the second day of College, remember? When it wasn't just the two of us, it was the three of us.”— J.D.
- “What has two thumbs, a funny voice and still doesn't give a crap. Bob Kelso. I added the funny voice to keep it fresh.”— Dr. Kelso
Trivia[]
- First appearance of Ricky/Caramel Bear.
- The Janitor's personnel file says his name is Captain Billy Stinkwater and that he is half gopher.
- In this episode, Turk makes Izzy talk and move, just like a ventriloquist dummy. However, in the season six episode "My Road to Nowhere", when nurse Rochelle does the same, Turk asks her "What's the matter with you?!". It's possible that his opinion on the matter changed since then.
- Dr. Kelso turns 65 in this episode which is the mandatory retirement age at Sacred Heart.
- Even though there are captions to what Jack is saying and it's incomplete, it sounds like he is saying "I like Lightning McQueen bicycle, stuffed pizza."
- In the episode "My Kingdom" the portrait that Dr. Cox uses to fake Dr. Kelso's death gives him the birth year of 1947, making Dr. Kelso 60, but Cox has probably been lied to about his age as well.