"My Lucky Charm" is the fourteenth episode of Scrubs' fourth season. Turk and J.D. learn to embrace life from Billy Callahan (Colin Farrell). Carla and Elliot flake on plans to go out. Dr. Cox gets a vasectomy.
Synopsis[]
Billy tells Turk and J.D. to embrace life
Recently, Turk and J.D.'s plans have not gone farther than their living room, but their perspective is turned when a life-loving Irishman, Billy Callahan, comes to visit his brother, who was in a bar fight. He takes the hospital by storm, charming all the women (and Todd). However, it turns out Billy is not the patient's brother — he is the man who knocked him unconscious in the bar fight, and J.D. and Turk now face a moral dilemma. J.D. decides to call the police, who take Billy away. In the process, J.D. and Turk earn the scorn of the hospital's female staffers (and Todd). Billy is later released and returns to Sacred Heart. He apologizes to the man he knocked out, who claims responsibility for throwing the first punch, and all is forgiven. J.D. apologizes for calling the cops. Billy accepts but questions why J.D. and Turk would call the authorities rather than speaking to him first. J.D. and Turk realize they were jealous of the exciting life Billy leads, and decide to take a page from his book. They take their "Go Fish" game to the bar instead of playing at home.
Jordan takes a pregnancy test, which comes out negative. As a precaution, Dr. Cox secretly gets a vasectomy. It isn't only the Janitor who is "busting chops," as Dr. Kelso reveals Perry's little secret right in front of Jordan. To Cox's surprise, she isn't angry at him. Instead, she's sweet and understanding. This bothers Cox a great deal, and he sits with Dr. Kelso in the cafeteria and tells him about Jordan's reaction to the vasectomy. But before long, he realizes Kelso can't explain why Jordan reacted the way she did. So he asks Jordan herself when he gets home. She states that their relationship is founded on mutual independence and freedom, and she doesn't want to jinx a good thing by interfering in Cox's personal decisions. Because he wants to be part of a more open and collaborative relationship, Cox gets the vasectomy reversed. However, almost immediately after they kiss and close the matter, Jordan reveals that she doesn't want any more kids and says he should get the procedure done again, to which Cox replies flatly, "Fantastic."
Elliot and Carla stay in together
Elliot and Carla have a new routine of making elaborate plans only to cancel them later. Turk takes advantage of these plans to score brownie points with Carla by making suggestions while knowing they're not going to happen. Billy's arrival brings their issues to the surface, which eventually results in a cat-fight between Elliot and Carla in the cafeteria, much to the delight of Todd. They make up and realize they haven't been as close since Carla got married. They decide to make more of an effort to follow through when they make plans, and they spend the night in together, talking and joking with each other.
Recurring Themes[]
More: Fantasies • Flashbacks • J.D.'s girl names • Janitor's pranks and lies
J.D. imagines an Irish Turk.
Turk and J.D.'s wild nightlife
Fantasies[]
- J.D. imagines meeting a black Irish "brother". The fantasy shows Turk dressed as a leprechaun, dancing with some Irish dancers.
Flashbacks[]
- J.D. and Turk's wild nightlife consists of games of "Go Fish." It is so exciting that Turk falls asleep.
- The "joint" decision Cox and Jordan made over the vasectomy consisted of Cox telling his doctor, "Snip it, Doc. Snip it hard."
Janitor Story[]
- Janitor starts busting chops — which involves getting people in as much trouble as he can by proving their excuses wrong or telling someone what they have done.
Episode Running Gags[]
- Jerry is a patient with Walking Corpse Syndrome (he thinks that he is dead even though he's moving around). He narrates his thoughts out loud, even when Carla vents to him about Elliot. The only person he actually talks to is Billy.
- J.D. tries constantly to explain to Billy that he and Turk are not a gay couple, but ends up correcting him in a "gay" way.
Guest Stars[]
- Colin Farrell as Billy Callahan
- Michael Bunin as Jerry
- Daniel Macner as Policeman #1
- Matthew Pohlson as Patient
- Myra Turley as Woman
- Skip Wright as Doctor
Music[]
♫ List of music featured in Scrubs
- "Today" by Joshua Radin
Quotes[]
"Who taught you to fight like that?" — Carla
- [Elliot and Carla fight]
- [Todd takes a front-row seat]
- “Continue.”
- “Yo, who taught you to fight like that?”— Carla
- “When you grow up in an orchard, you don't have much choice.”— Elliot
- “When you grow up in an orchard, you don't have much choice.”— Elliot
- [Carla looks bemused]
- “Apple thieves.”
- “Apple thieves.”
- “Ah...”
- “[Being a great doctor isn't just about medical knowledge; it's also about people skills.] Wow, that is the worst broken nose I have ever seen.”— J.D.
- “I'm here because I stepped on a nail.”— Woman
- “I'm here because I stepped on a nail.”— Woman
- “Of course. [Were you walking on your nose?]”
[Slams board down on his hand]
- “Ah! [My 'me time' hand!]”— J.D.
"Dead people don't talk, Jerry." — J.D.
- “Dead people don't talk, Jerry.”— J.D.
- “Dead people don't talk, Jerry.”— J.D.
- “Deep-sea fishing.”— Dr. Cox
- “Deep-sea fishing.”— Dr. Cox
- “You hate fishing.”
- “I went with my buddies.”
- “I went with my buddies.”
- “You don't have any buddies.”
- “Oh yeah, well, we landed a 200-pound white marlin off the coast of San Diego.”
- “Interesting, as that's 3,000 miles from the natural habitat of the white marlin. Hmmmmmm, well, perhaps it hopped a train from Cape Cod!”— Janitor
- “Interesting, as that's 3,000 miles from the natural habitat of the white marlin. Hmmmmmm, well, perhaps it hopped a train from Cape Cod!”— Janitor
- “Why?”
- “I'm busting chops today. You can ask anybody.”
- “I'm busting chops today. You can ask anybody.”
- “Oh yeah, well, we landed a 200-pound white marlin off the coast of San Diego.”
- “It's true.”
- “See?”
- “See?”
- “No, Bob.”— Dr. Cox
- “No, Bob.”— Dr. Cox
- “You just got a vasectomy. I had mine back in '68. Ironically, that was the same year Enid discovered pasta and I discovered I'm not attracted to enormous women.”
"He said my eyes look like the Irish countryside after a soft rain." — Elliot
[Elliot starts passionately kissing Billy]
- “He said my eyes look like the Irish countryside after a soft rain. Ahem. I should go.”— Elliot
- “He said my eyes look like the Irish countryside after a soft rain. Ahem. I should go.”— Elliot
- “That happened very quickly.”
- “How ya doin'?”— Billy
- “Not great, actually. I'm dead.”— Jerry
- “Not great, actually. I'm dead.”— Jerry
- “Bummer.”
- “My son is taking, is taking ballet. C'mon, Jordan, he's already got an overbearing mother and a fairly prominent lisp. If we stick him in the tights, we might as well get him a timeshare on Fire Island.”— Dr. Cox
- “Oh, I haven't even decided if I'm gonna make him gay yet.”— Jordan
- “Oh, I haven't even decided if I'm gonna make him gay yet.”— Jordan
- “I'm supposed to be in Florence by midnight.”— Billy
- “How the hell are you gonna do that?”— Turk
- “How the hell are you gonna do that?”— Turk
- “Her apartment is two blocks away. Shouldn't be no problem at all.”
Trivia[]
- This episode was dedicated to Teddy Ebersol, who was a relative of Christa Miller who died in a 2004 plane crash. (more info)
- On first meeting, Billy asks if he could have an IV full of Guinness as a way to cure his hangover, and J.D. says that "they don't usually do that." This could be a call back to "My Dream Job", where J.D., Turk, and Spence hook themselves up to IV medication to cure their hangovers.
- The vasectomy Dr. Cox gets in this episode doesn't work, as we find out in "My Transition".
- This episode features another indication that Todd may be bisexual, as he is the only male in the group of female employees who are angry at J.D. and Turk for having Billy arrested and demand that they come up with "another gorgeous Irishman".