The first season cast.
Never watched Scrubs, eh? The most logical place to start watching Scrubs is from the pilot episode "My First Day", but if you're having trouble finding episodes or are pressed for time we've compiled the most essential information about Scrubs on this page. Of course, we have 1,478 articles about Scrubs episodes, characters, and much more. Start here, and explore the wiki as you explore the show!
What is Scrubs?[]
Scrubs title screen
Scrubs is an American sitcom that ran from 2001-2010 on NBC and ABC. It consisted of 181 episodes aired over 9 seasons. In its very basic sense, the series is a situational comedy about a batch of doctors living and working at a hospital, Sacred Heart. The series uses this idea to explore many issues including love, family, life and death. Though the series is billed as a comedy, Scrubs covers a variety of serious topics and has many emotionally and dramatically moving episodes. Scrubs breaks away from typical sitcom characteristics: it has no laugh track, it has narration, and it is shot single camera. Scrubs has won a handful of awards over the years.
Who are the characters?[]
- Main article: Category:Scrubs Characters
Main Characters[]
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J.D. Portrayed by Zach Braff John Dorian, called "J.D." by friends, is a doctor specializing in internal medicine at Sacred Heart Hospital. We follow his journey from intern to resident and finally to attending at Sacred Heart. Although he narrates nearly every episode, the series is not solely focused on him. J.D.'s overactive imagination and tendency to daydream are responsible for many of the gags throughout Scrubs. |
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Elliot Reid Portrayed by Sarah Chalke Elliot started at Sacred Heart on the same day as J.D. and is also a specialist in internal medicine. Overly neurotic, Elliot struggles throughout the series to fight her way through the "boys club" of medicine. She has many different relationships over the years, including J.D.. She is both hardworking and a perfectionist. |
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Christopher Turk Portrayed by Donald Faison Turk has been J.D.'s best friend since they became college roommates. He immediately finds himself attracted to Carla and tries to woo her, the two remain a couple for the remainder of the series. He started as a surgical intern at Sacred Heart the same day as J.D. and we follow him as he works to eventually become one of Sacred Heart's best attending surgeons. |
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Carla Espinosa Portrayed by Judy Reyes Carla has worked as a nurse at Sacred Heart for many years. She is strong willed, enjoys giving others advice and is not afraid to speak her mind. Carla uses this as a defense mechanism against the stress and sadness she faces in the hospital. She has rare nervous breakdowns, usually about her relationship with Turk and her family. |
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Dr. Bob Kelso Portrayed by Ken Jenkins Dr. Kelso is the Chief of Medicine at Sacred Heart. His years at the hospital as well as his position have turned him into a seemingly heartless individual, although occasionally glimpses of who he actually is shine thorough. Dr. Kelso makes fiscally based decisions and does not tolerate failure. |
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Dr. Perry Cox Portrayed by John C. McGinley Dr. Cox instantly becomes J.D.'s reluctant mentor at Sacred Heart. He is bitter and verbally abusive to nearly everyone in the hospital, patients included. Dr. Cox works as the antithesis of Dr. Kelso, he fights for the good of the patients and staff regardless of the financial ramifications. |
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Janitor Portrayed by Neil Flynn The Janitor is the custodian and handyman at Sacred Heart Hospital. Nearly everything that comes out of his mouth is a some sort of fabrication. Since J.D.'s second day, he has tormented him for getting a penny caught in the door. |
- Note: More main characters are added in Season Nine (see below).
Supporting Characters[]
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Todd Quinlan Portrayed by Robert Maschio "The Todd" is a surgeon at Sacred Heart. He started on the same day as J.D., Elliot and Turk. Despite his jock-like disposition, he is a talented and knowledgeable surgeon. |
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Laverne Roberts Portrayed by Aloma Wright Laverne is a sassy and straight talking nurse who has worked at Sacred Heart Hospital for many years. She is a very religious and strong willed person. |
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Ted Buckland Portrayed by Sam Lloyd Ted is Sacred Heart's attorney and not a very good one. He works closely with the hospital chief of medicine and as Dr. Kelso's personal punching bag. Ted is the leader of the hospital's a capela group. |
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Jordan Sullivan Portrayed by Christa Miller Jordan is Dr. Cox's ex-wife. She, like Dr. Cox, can be very sharp witted and sarcastic which is used as a defense mechanism to mask her own self doubts. She is on the board of Sacred Heart hospital as a representative of her father. |
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Doug Murphy Portrayed by Johnny Kastl Doug is a doctor at Sacred Heart. He started as an intern on the same day as J.D., Elliot and Turk. He is a nervous klutz but eventually finds his true calling at Sacred Heart. |
What do I need to know about...[]
...Season One?[]
J.D., Elliot, and Turk start as interns at Sacred Heart Hospital. They meet Dr. Cox, Dr. Kelso, Carla, and the Janitor. Because this is the first season, there is nothing else essential to know!
| Character statuses at beginning of Season One | ||||
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| Character | Job | Relationship | Other info | |
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J.D. | Medical Intern | Single | |
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Turk | Surgical Intern | Single | |
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Elliot | Medical Intern | Single | |
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Carla | Nurse | Single | |
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Dr. Kelso | Chief of Medicine | Married | |
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Dr. Cox | Attending Physician | Divorced | |
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Janitor | Janitor | Unknown | |
Essential Episodes
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| "My First Day" | "My Bed Banter & Beyond" |
"My Old Man" | "My Occurrence" |
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...Season Two?[]
In Season One, Turk and Carla started dating. J.D. had his share of romantic relationships, including a brief stint with Elliot that fizzled out and having sex with Dr. Cox's ex-wife Jordan Sullivan in an examination room. At the end of the first season, Jordan exposed everybody's secrets in the cafeteria. ("My Last Day")
| Character statuses at beginning of Season Two | ||||
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| Character | Job | Relationship | Other info | |
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J.D. | Medical Resident | Single | |
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Turk | Surgical Resident | Dating Carla | |
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Elliot | Medical Resident | Single | |
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Carla | Nurse | Dating Turk | |
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Dr. Kelso | Chief of Medicine | Married | |
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Dr. Cox | Attending Physician | Divorced | |
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Janitor | Janitor | Unknown | |
Essential Episodes
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| "My Big Brother" | "My Monster" | "My Kingdom" | "My Dream Job" |
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...Season Three?[]
In Season Two, Carla and Turk have gotten engaged, and Jordan and Perry had a son, Jack Cox. At the end of Season Two, Dr. Cox punches Dr. Kelso in the face for berating Elliot. ("My Dream Job")
| Character statuses at beginning of Season Three | ||||
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| Character | Job | Relationship | Other info | |
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J.D. | Medical Resident | Single | |
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Turk | Surgical Resident | Engaged to Carla | |
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Elliot | Medical Resident | Single | |
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Carla | Nurse | Engaged to Turk | |
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Dr. Kelso | Chief of Medicine | Married | |
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Dr. Cox | Attending Physician | Divorced, but living with Jordan | Had a son with Jordan |
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Janitor | Janitor | Unknown | |
Essential Episodes
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| "My Own American Girl" |
"My Catalyst" | "My Screw Up" | "My Best Friend's Wedding" |
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...Season Four?[]
Turk and Carla are married, and Elliot who left her boyfriend for J.D., only to have him dump her, is furious.
| Character statuses at beginning of Season Four | ||||
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| Character | Job | Relationship | Other info | |
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J.D. | Medical Resident | Single | |
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Turk | Surgical Resident | Married to Carla | |
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Elliot | Medical Resident | Single | Extremely angry with J.D. |
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Carla | Nurse | Married to Turk | |
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Dr. Kelso | Chief of Medicine | Married | |
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Dr. Cox | Attending Physician | Divorced, but living with Jordan | |
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Janitor | Janitor | Unknown | |
Essential Episodes
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| "My Office" | "My Cake" | "My Life in Four Cameras" |
"My Big Move" |
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...Season Five?[]
J.D. and Elliot have patched their friendship only after butting heads for several months with sharing the positions as co-chief residents. J.D. has moved out of the apartment when things between Carla and Turk begin to get a little rocky. They manage to patch things up but J.D. has temporarily replaced Turk with Hooch as his new "chocolate bear". Elliot has accepted a job at another hospital.
| Character statuses at beginning of Season Five | ||||
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| Character | Job | Relationship | Other info | |
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J.D. | Attending Physician | Single | |
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Turk | Attending Surgeon | Married to Carla | |
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Elliot | Attending Physician | Single | |
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Carla | Nurse | Married to Turk | |
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Dr. Kelso | Chief of Medicine | Married | |
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Dr. Cox | Attending Physician, Residency Director | Divorced, but living with Jordan | |
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Janitor | Janitor | Unknown | |
Essential Episodes
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| "My Way Home" | "My Five Stages" | "My Lunch" | "My Urologist" |
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...Season Six?[]
Elliot has entered Private Practice at Sacred Heart and has fallen in love with the new intern Keith Dudemeister, much to the chagrin of J.D.. J.D. accidentally impregnates Kim Briggs on their first date. Carla and Turk are pregnant with their first child.
| Character statuses at beginning of Season Six | ||||
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| Character | Job | Relationship | Other info | |
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J.D. | Attending Physician | Dating Kim | Impregnated Kim Briggs |
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Turk | Attending Surgeon | Married to Carla | Expecting a child with Carla |
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Elliot | Attending Physician | Dating Keith | Has entered Private Practice |
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Carla | Nurse | Married to Turk | Expecting a child with Turk |
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Dr. Kelso | Chief of Medicine | Married | |
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Dr. Cox | Attending Physician, Residency Director | Divorced, but living with Jordan | |
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Janitor | Janitor | Unknown | |
Essential Episodes
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| "My Best Friend's Baby's Baby and My Baby's Baby" |
"My Musical" | "My Long Goodbye" | "My Cold Shower" |
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...Season Seven?[]
Turk and Carla have had their baby daughter Isabella Turk. Elliot, now engaged to Keith, finds herself in a compromising situation with J.D., nearly kissing him. Dr. Cox and Jordan have had a second child, who Jordan names after J.D.. Nurse Laverne Roberts passed away after being involved in an automobile accident.
| Character statuses at beginning of Season Seven | ||||
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| Character | Job | Relationship | Other info | |
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J.D. | Attending Physician | Dating Kim | Expecting a child with Kim Briggs |
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Turk | Attending Surgeon | Married to Carla | Had a daughter, Izzy, with Carla |
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Elliot | Attending Physician | Engaged to Keith | |
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Carla | Nurse | Married to Turk | Had a daughter, Izzy, with Turk |
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Dr. Kelso | Chief of Medicine | Married | |
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Dr. Cox | Attending Physician, Residency Director | Divorced, but living with Jordan | Had a daughter with Jordan |
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Janitor | Janitor | Unknown | |
Essential Episodes
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| "My Hard Labor" | "My Inconvenient Truth" |
"My Number One Doctor" |
"My Dumb Luck" |
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...Season Eight?[]
Dr. Kelso has quit his position as Chief of Medicine at Sacred Heart but has won free muffins for life from the hospital Coffee Bucks and so is still a frequent presence at the hospital. J.D. and Kim have their baby and name him Sam Perry Gilligan Dorian but Kim decides that they shouldn't stay together if the only connection is the baby. Elliot calls off her engagement with Keith, upsetting him. The Janitor, meanwhile, begins dating Lady.
| Character statuses at beginning of Season Eight | ||||
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| Character | Job | Relationship | Other info | |
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J.D. | Attending Physician | Single | Had a son, Sammy Dorian |
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Turk | Attending Surgeon | Married to Carla | |
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Elliot | Attending Physician | Single | |
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Carla | Nurse | Married to Turk | |
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Dr. Kelso | Retired | Married | Hanging around Coffee Bucks because he won free muffins for life. |
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Dr. Cox | Attending Physician, Residency Director | Divorced, but living with Jordan | |
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Janitor | Janitor | Dating Lady | |
Essential Episodes
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| "My Happy Place" | "My New Role" | "My Soul on Fire" | "My Finale" |
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...Season Nine?[]
In Season Nine things changed... A LOT. Bill Lawrence has stated that Season Nine was a spin-off. The main cast changed, as did the location, major writing staff, and production locations. The series also jumped 18 months into the future, with many important character developments happening during this time lapse. New characters include:
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Denise Mahoney Portrayed by Eliza Coupe Denise started at Sacred Heart as an intern in Season Eight. She is very sarcastic and to the point. She works at Winston U as an advisor. |
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Lucy Bennett Portrayed by Kerry Bishé Lucy is a medical student at Winston University. She loves horses and is a bit naive, but has a big heart for both her patients and her classmates. |
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Drew Suffin Portrayed by Michael Mosley Drew is a med student at Winston U. He previously attended another university, but quit with a bang. He since has traveled the world. |
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Cole Aaronson Portrayed by Dave Franco Cole is a frat-boy stuck in medical school. He comes from a wealthy family, so his acceptance to Winston University was no surprise. |
J.D. has left Sacred Heart to work at a hospital closer to Sammy and Kim. At the end of Season Eight, he and Elliot were dating, but when Season Nine begins they are married and Elliot is expecting a baby. Carla has left work to be a stay-at-home mom. Dr. Cox accepted the position of Chief of Medicine, and Turk campaigned his way into Chief of Surgery. Janitor and Lady got married.
Sacred Heart was torn down, and a New Sacred Heart Hospital was built on the campus of Winston University. Dr. Cox, Turk, Dr. Kelso, and J.D. serve as professors at the University teaching newcomers including Lucy, Drew, and Cole.
| Character statuses at beginning of Season Nine | ||||
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| Character | Job | Relationship | Other info | |
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J.D. | Attending Physician (St. Vincent's) Residency Director (St. Vincent's) Visiting Professor (Winston U.) |
Married to Elliot | Expecting a baby with Elliot |
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Turk | Chief of Surgery Professor (Winston U.) |
Married to Carla | Had another baby with Carla |
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Elliot | Attending Physician | Married to J.D. | Expecting a baby with J.D. |
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Carla | Stay-at-home Mom | Married to Turk | Had another baby with Turk |
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Dr. Kelso | Part-time professor (Winston U.) | Widower | |
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Dr. Cox | Chief of Medicine Professor (Winston U.) |
Divorced, but living with Jordan | |
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Janitor | Janitor | Married to Lady | Left Sacred Heart |
Essential Episodes
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| "Our First Day of School" | "Our White Coats" | "Our Stuff Gets Real" | "Our Thanks" |
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What now?[]
Watch some DVDs, stream some episodes online, or catch reruns. Then explore the wiki and add quotes, images, and trivia that you love that you haven't found here. A great place to start is via our main categories (also found on the top navigation):
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