My Inconvenient Truth

“Obviously, as Environmental Officer I don't have any real power, but I can give you this citation, just as a symbolic gesture. You'll notice on the back, I made a list of possible consequences for violating the Hospital's new "green" policy. If you leave a light on, I make you lick a battery or make you eat a light bulb, your choice, and as for parking in a Car Pool Only Lane, well I can't really damage your car, but I might just throw a wasp hive in there...maybe mess with the locks so you can't get out.”— Janitor

"My Inconvenient Truth" is the third episode of Scrubs' seventh season. Janitor attempts to make the hospital "greener". Dan surprises J.D. with a new hybrid car. A new scale at the hospital worries some of the female employees.

Synopsis

The new scale

The hospital receives a new patient scale, which causes all the female staff to worry about their weight. Dr. Cox tells a patient not to get so worked up over small things, before shouting at Boon about his coffee, and Elliot, who is trying to deal with such hypocrisy in the hospital, gets a patient, Robyn, who has passed out at work due to malnutrition. Dr. Cox, annoyed that Elliot (of all people) pointed out his hypocrisy, weighs Elliot, despite her threats, and it is found out that Elliot weighs less than her patient, thus calling her out on her own hypocrisy. Not wanting to be a hypocrite, Elliot decides that she will also try to gain some weight, but is put off after the male staffers, with some coercion from Dr. Cox, praise her appearance. After Carla reassures her that, on this occasion, her hypocrisy is no bad thing, Elliot gets tough on Robyn, much to the delight of Dr. Cox.

Dan visits

J.D. is a having a rough time after Kim and Sammy move away, and to make things worse his brother Dan returns with the news that he has moved out of their mom's attic and got a job as a real estate agent. This especially annoys J.D. as he normally uses Dan's life as a way of finding perspective in his own. Dan knows J.D. is having a rough time and surprises him with a new car. J.D. disdains Dan's new found success and the notion of Dan giving him a car, so he breaks the windshield, stating that Dan is supposed to be the family screw-up. Dan tells J.D. that he needs to "grow up," which is reciprocated by everyone J.D. later asks, including Turk. J.D. accepts his brother and takes him to visit his new nephew Sammy. J.D and Dan are then driving back, while Dan makes a statement that his nephew looks just like their dad.

Recurring Themes

     More: Fantasies • Flashbacks • J.D.'s girl names • Janitor's pranks and lies

Fantasies

• Female hospital staff weigh Turk & J.D. and stamp them "Tubbo" and "Muscles Wanted", respectively.

Flashbacks

• Elliot, Ted, Carla, and Dr. Kelso all tell J.D. he does need to grow up.
• Elliot remembers Carla's "You're both human" talk from "My Own Worst Enemy", in which Carla said she didn't want to have to repeat herself two weeks later.

Janitor story

Janitor becomes the Hospital Environmental Officer after Ted shows him An Inconvenient Truth. He enforces carpooling and recycling, but he quickly loses his interest in it. He becomes very upset in himself, but realizes that he actually did some good when he sees that Kelso and some of the attendings have begun to car pool into work.

Episode Running Gags

• Dr. Cox makes "white noise" by sighing into his stethoscope while wearing them so he doesn't have to listen to people.
• Janitor throws a wasps' nest into Turk's car. Later, he is seen in the background trying to shake wasps off himself.

Guest Stars

• Tom Cavanagh as Dan Dorian
• Corena Chase as Robyn
• Paul Latham as Mr. Barnhart
• Greg Allan Martin as Tan Doctor
• Tyler Poelle as Boon

Music

     ♫ List of music featured in Scrubs

• "1812 Overture (Opus 49)" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
• "Friends & Family" by Trik Turner

Quotes

“You look like you've been sick.”— Turk

“Turk, that's so sweet.”— Elliot

“How come you don't point it out when I ask good questions?”— Turk

“Because I don't love you like he does.”— Carla

“Told you.”— J.D.

“Hey you! Come over here an read this number will you.”— Dr. Cox

“No Boon! I will kill you family!”— Elliot

“Now who is that guy? What's behind that door? When is the next bus to Chicago? 7 O' Clock, be under it. Where is that girl going? Wanna see me do a funny dance? A-bika-tika-booka-tooka EH! EH! Wanna see me do it around you?...”— Dan Dorian as The Constant Questioner

“He has crazy eyes.”— Robyn

“I do. I'm OK with it.”— Dr. Cox

“Move it Jolly Green!”— J.D.

“I'm so disappointed in you, You're pathetic and weak, and I don't love you anymore, get out!”— Ted

“Janitors aren't human.”— Janitor

“He looks like Dad.”— Dan

“I know.”— J.D.

Trivia

• This was a "green" episode during NBC's Go Green Week. NBC tried to raise the environmental awareness by even making their NBC logo green.
• Dan's entrance mirrors that of Jigsaw's in the first Saw movie.
• Elliot's patient, Robyn, later appears in "My Full Moon".
• Carla mentioning that she gave Elliot the same lecture about being human two weeks ago, along with her comment in the episode two weeks previously that she didn't want to be giving the same lecture again in two weeks, were both lines added to make the similarity of the two episodes seem intentional when in fact it was a complete coincidence.

Images