My Finale
Encyclopedia
"My Finale" is the hour-long season finale for season eight of the American
sitcom Scrubs
. It was originally broadcast as episode 18 of season eight
on May 6, 2009, and was intended to be the series finale. However, the show unexpectedly returned for a ninth season
. As the show underwent many changes for the ninth season, this is the last episode in which most of the main cast appear as series regulars.
as he thinks back to his first day
at Sacred Heart. Elliot reveals she has been "sneak moving in" by slowly replacing J.D.'s stuff with her own. At the hospital, Turk greets J.D. with a giant goodbye banner in front of the main entrance and a final "full-turbo spinning eagle" as his goodbye to his best friend. J.D. realizes Turk said goodbye too early and the moment will be ruined later so they decide to have intense hugs whenever they run into each other. Meanwhile, at the hospital's CoffeeBucks, Dr. Kelso
tells Carla
and Ted
he wants to be a doctor again, albeit part-time, and he won't be hanging around Sacred Heart any more. Kelso grabs his last free muffin and plans to steal a table from the CoffeeBucks.
J.D. hunts for Dr. Cox in hopes to receive a heartfelt goodbye from his mentor. He finds Dr. Cox and gives him a home-made anthology of all his long winded rants, each with a rating on how much they hurt J.D. Even though J.D. steals a laugh from him, Dr. Cox refuses to give him the sentimental moment or show any emotion. Afterwards, the Janitor
confronts J.D. with the penny
that had started their ongoing feud (now on a necklace that he wears) as he tries to finally get J.D. to admit he put it in the door. Later, after forgetting a patient's illness and name, J.D. feels like a terrible doctor. His day goes from bad to worse when he finds out another patient will eventually die from Huntington's disease
and that he has to tell her son that he might have inherited the disease too. The son disregards J.D.'s advice and doesn't want to get tested.
J.D. storms outside with Elliot for some air, distraught that nobody else wants to give him a heartfelt goodbye. Elliot points out to the happy staffers yelling goodbye from the windows of the upper floors of the hospital. J.D. jumps at the chance to make a heartfelt yet clearly pre-rehearsed speech about his maturation at Sacred Heart, only to find that the goodbyes are meant for Dr. Kelso, who has taken his table and is finally leaving Sacred Heart a full year after his own retirement. Dr. Kelso reminds J.D. that no one ever really makes a big deal when someone leaves the hospital, but offers J.D. a handshake and proper farewell. This reenergizes J.D., determined to get his sentimental goodbye from Dr. Cox, who tells him this day is nothing special.
Watching his terminal patient, J.D. sits with Carla, who defends him against Dr. Cox one last time as he walks by. J.D. asks her why she has always been so nice and never harassed him the way she does Dr. Cox. Carla reminds him that he is "Bambi" and she wanted to teach him. They have a tender moment as J.D. thanks her for teaching him, and they say how much they are going to miss each other.
Later in the cafeteria, Jordan says goodbye to J.D., reminiscing about how they had slept together
, and then kisses him on the cheek before realizing with horror how nice she had just been. She then makes things right by insulting Ted, who allows her to because "[She] needs it". The Janitor attempts to demonstrate to J.D. how suddenly accusing someone will make them own up to what they did in a pre-rehearsed trick with the intern Denise, who walks off unfazed. Janitor tells J.D. one last time to admit putting the penny in the door, and J.D. finally cracks, saying that he did it, but it was eight years ago and an accident. The penny had fallen out of his pocket and rolled into the door, and J.D. hadn't owned up because it was his first day and didn't want Janitor to be mad at him so early on. When J.D. asks if Janitor believes him, he replies that he saw the incident happen, and only asked J.D. back then if he was responsible as a test of character. J.D. had failed the test, starting the feud and missing out on a great friendship with the Janitor.
As he is preparing to leave, he sees Dr. Cox ranting at the intern Sunny. He finally relents, admitting to himself that Cox is gruff and insensitive, yet still a great teacher. He thanks Dr. Cox for everything, before moving on. Turk and Elliot both rush up to J.D. and apologize for saying their goodbyes too early, but he understands. He's glad that Elliot is moving in with him, she crazily blurts out that she has sub-let her house and they now officially live together.
At the end of J.D.'s shift, the Janitor actually offers his goodbye to him. They wish each other luck and the Janitor reveals his name as Glenn Matthews; however, an orderly then calls him Tommy, making it uncertain whether this is indeed his real name.
As he walks through the ICU for the final time, J.D. thinks of how he is lucky to have gotten what he has from the day, he says his goodbye to Dr. Cox before leaving. Sunny tells Dr. Cox how glad she is that J.D. is finally leaving. Dr. Cox replies that he considers J.D. a talented doctor, a good person, and a friend. J.D. (who had planned this in advance with Sunny) is secretly behind him and hears the whole thing, finally hugging a mortified Dr. Cox.
J.D. then walks through the halls of Sacred Heart for the last time and, as he does, he sees visions of many of the people he has encountered over his eight years there. He sees his family, ex-girlfriends, former patients and co-workers before walking out the door for the last time. Upon leaving, he makes his final inner monologue about being able to shape his own unknown future. He visualizes a film of his future playing on the still hanging "Goodbye J.D." cloth, showing him marrying Elliot, having a child with her, sharing Christmas
with Elliot, Turk, Carla, Dr. Cox, Jordan and all their children, his grown son Sam getting engaged to Turk's grown daughter, Isabella, and showing off to J.D. and Turk, him hugging everybody in those visions, and finally him getting an honest hug from Dr. Cox. This sequence is constructed in a musical montage style, and is accompanied by a Peter Gabriel
cover of "The Book of Love", originally written by the Magnetic Fields
. The cloth is torn down by an unfamiliar janitor (played by series creator Bill Lawrence
) who says goodnight to him. With that, J.D. gets into his car and drives off.
, writer Bill Lawrence admitted that the dialogue between J.D. and Elliot in bed at the beginning of the episode was lifted from the pilot of a previous show of his, Spin City
. Also of note, the doctor who says "adios" to J.D. as he leaves the ICU in the final attempt for Dr. Cox to give JD a goodbye hug is Dr. Jonathan Doris, upon whom the show is loosely based.
(who played Franklyn the lab technician) of Heroes
and Sarah Lancaster
(who played Lisa the Gift-Shop Girl) of Chuck
were asked to appear with the other recurring characters at the end of the episode, but were denied permission to appear by NBC
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sitcom Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
. It was originally broadcast as episode 18 of season eight
Scrubs (season 8)
The eighth season of the American comedy-drama television series Scrubs premiered on ABC on January 6, 2009 and concluded on May 6, 2009 and consists of 18 episodes. The eighth season was the first to be shown on ABC after NBC dropped the series, ending its seven-year run on the network...
on May 6, 2009, and was intended to be the series finale. However, the show unexpectedly returned for a ninth season
Scrubs (season 9)
The ninth and final season of the American comedy-drama television series Scrubs premiered on ABC on December 1, 2009 and concluded on March 17, 2010 and consists of 13 episodes...
. As the show underwent many changes for the ninth season, this is the last episode in which most of the main cast appear as series regulars.
Plot
On the morning of his last day, J.D. lies in bed next to ElliotElliot Reid
Dr. Elliot Reid is a fictional character played by Sarah Chalke in the American comedy-drama Scrubs. She has appeared in every episode during the first eight seasons except two Season 8 episodes, "My Last Words" and "My Lawyer's in Love"....
as he thinks back to his first day
My First Day
"My First Day" is the pilot episode of the American comedy-drama Scrubs. It originally aired on October 2, 2001 on NBC. The episode was written by series creator Bill Lawrence and directed by Adam Bernstein....
at Sacred Heart. Elliot reveals she has been "sneak moving in" by slowly replacing J.D.'s stuff with her own. At the hospital, Turk greets J.D. with a giant goodbye banner in front of the main entrance and a final "full-turbo spinning eagle" as his goodbye to his best friend. J.D. realizes Turk said goodbye too early and the moment will be ruined later so they decide to have intense hugs whenever they run into each other. Meanwhile, at the hospital's CoffeeBucks, Dr. Kelso
Bob Kelso
Robert "Bob" Kelso, M.D. , is a fictional character played by Ken Jenkins in the American comedy-drama Scrubs....
tells Carla
Carla Espinosa
Carla Espinosa, RN is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama Scrubs, portrayed by Judy Reyes.Carla has appeared in every episode during the first eight seasons except three Season 8 episodes, "My Happy Place", "My Cookie Pants" and "My Full Moon"...
and Ted
Ted Buckland
Theodore "Ted" Buckland, Esq., most commonly referred to as Ted Buckland , is a fictional character played by Sam Lloyd in Bill Lawrence series Scrubs and Cougar Town, and the only character to appears in both series.Created for Scrubs, Ted is the depressive, suicidal and incompetent lawyer of the...
he wants to be a doctor again, albeit part-time, and he won't be hanging around Sacred Heart any more. Kelso grabs his last free muffin and plans to steal a table from the CoffeeBucks.
J.D. hunts for Dr. Cox in hopes to receive a heartfelt goodbye from his mentor. He finds Dr. Cox and gives him a home-made anthology of all his long winded rants, each with a rating on how much they hurt J.D. Even though J.D. steals a laugh from him, Dr. Cox refuses to give him the sentimental moment or show any emotion. Afterwards, the Janitor
Janitor (Scrubs)
The Janitor is a fictional character, played by actor Neil Flynn in the American comedy-drama Scrubs.Neil Flynn was originally billed as a recurring guest star throughout Season 1, although he appeared in all 24 episodes of that season. He was promoted to a series regular beginning with Season 2...
confronts J.D. with the penny
Penny
A penny is a coin or a type of currency used in several English-speaking countries. It is often the smallest denomination within a currency system.-Etymology:...
that had started their ongoing feud (now on a necklace that he wears) as he tries to finally get J.D. to admit he put it in the door. Later, after forgetting a patient's illness and name, J.D. feels like a terrible doctor. His day goes from bad to worse when he finds out another patient will eventually die from Huntington's disease
Huntington's disease
Huntington's disease, chorea, or disorder , is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects muscle coordination and leads to cognitive decline and dementia. It typically becomes noticeable in middle age. HD is the most common genetic cause of abnormal involuntary writhing movements called chorea...
and that he has to tell her son that he might have inherited the disease too. The son disregards J.D.'s advice and doesn't want to get tested.
J.D. storms outside with Elliot for some air, distraught that nobody else wants to give him a heartfelt goodbye. Elliot points out to the happy staffers yelling goodbye from the windows of the upper floors of the hospital. J.D. jumps at the chance to make a heartfelt yet clearly pre-rehearsed speech about his maturation at Sacred Heart, only to find that the goodbyes are meant for Dr. Kelso, who has taken his table and is finally leaving Sacred Heart a full year after his own retirement. Dr. Kelso reminds J.D. that no one ever really makes a big deal when someone leaves the hospital, but offers J.D. a handshake and proper farewell. This reenergizes J.D., determined to get his sentimental goodbye from Dr. Cox, who tells him this day is nothing special.
Watching his terminal patient, J.D. sits with Carla, who defends him against Dr. Cox one last time as he walks by. J.D. asks her why she has always been so nice and never harassed him the way she does Dr. Cox. Carla reminds him that he is "Bambi" and she wanted to teach him. They have a tender moment as J.D. thanks her for teaching him, and they say how much they are going to miss each other.
Later in the cafeteria, Jordan says goodbye to J.D., reminiscing about how they had slept together
My Bad
"My Bad" is the sixth episode of the American situation comedy Scrubs. It originally aired on October 30, 2001 on NBC.-Plot:Dr. Cox's suspension puts his future at the hospital in doubt....
, and then kisses him on the cheek before realizing with horror how nice she had just been. She then makes things right by insulting Ted, who allows her to because "[She] needs it". The Janitor attempts to demonstrate to J.D. how suddenly accusing someone will make them own up to what they did in a pre-rehearsed trick with the intern Denise, who walks off unfazed. Janitor tells J.D. one last time to admit putting the penny in the door, and J.D. finally cracks, saying that he did it, but it was eight years ago and an accident. The penny had fallen out of his pocket and rolled into the door, and J.D. hadn't owned up because it was his first day and didn't want Janitor to be mad at him so early on. When J.D. asks if Janitor believes him, he replies that he saw the incident happen, and only asked J.D. back then if he was responsible as a test of character. J.D. had failed the test, starting the feud and missing out on a great friendship with the Janitor.
As he is preparing to leave, he sees Dr. Cox ranting at the intern Sunny. He finally relents, admitting to himself that Cox is gruff and insensitive, yet still a great teacher. He thanks Dr. Cox for everything, before moving on. Turk and Elliot both rush up to J.D. and apologize for saying their goodbyes too early, but he understands. He's glad that Elliot is moving in with him, she crazily blurts out that she has sub-let her house and they now officially live together.
At the end of J.D.'s shift, the Janitor actually offers his goodbye to him. They wish each other luck and the Janitor reveals his name as Glenn Matthews; however, an orderly then calls him Tommy, making it uncertain whether this is indeed his real name.
As he walks through the ICU for the final time, J.D. thinks of how he is lucky to have gotten what he has from the day, he says his goodbye to Dr. Cox before leaving. Sunny tells Dr. Cox how glad she is that J.D. is finally leaving. Dr. Cox replies that he considers J.D. a talented doctor, a good person, and a friend. J.D. (who had planned this in advance with Sunny) is secretly behind him and hears the whole thing, finally hugging a mortified Dr. Cox.
J.D. then walks through the halls of Sacred Heart for the last time and, as he does, he sees visions of many of the people he has encountered over his eight years there. He sees his family, ex-girlfriends, former patients and co-workers before walking out the door for the last time. Upon leaving, he makes his final inner monologue about being able to shape his own unknown future. He visualizes a film of his future playing on the still hanging "Goodbye J.D." cloth, showing him marrying Elliot, having a child with her, sharing Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
with Elliot, Turk, Carla, Dr. Cox, Jordan and all their children, his grown son Sam getting engaged to Turk's grown daughter, Isabella, and showing off to J.D. and Turk, him hugging everybody in those visions, and finally him getting an honest hug from Dr. Cox. This sequence is constructed in a musical montage style, and is accompanied by a Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
cover of "The Book of Love", originally written by the Magnetic Fields
The Magnetic Fields
The Magnetic Fields is the principal creative outlet of singer-songwriter Stephin Merritt...
. The cloth is torn down by an unfamiliar janitor (played by series creator Bill Lawrence
Bill Lawrence (producer)
William Van Duzer Lawrence IV is an American screenwriter, producer, and director best known as the creator of Scrubs and co-creator of Cougar Town. Lawrence is married to the actress Christa Miller whom he cast in both television series; they have three children together...
) who says goodnight to him. With that, J.D. gets into his car and drives off.
Production
On his blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, writer Bill Lawrence admitted that the dialogue between J.D. and Elliot in bed at the beginning of the episode was lifted from the pilot of a previous show of his, Spin City
Spin City
Spin City is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 17, 1996 until April 30, 2002 on the ABC network. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J. Fox as Mike...
. Also of note, the doctor who says "adios" to J.D. as he leaves the ICU in the final attempt for Dr. Cox to give JD a goodbye hug is Dr. Jonathan Doris, upon whom the show is loosely based.
Cast
It was reported a week after filming in September 2008 that the finale of season 8 would feature a large amount of previous patients, character relations and medical staff from the past eight seasons. Over fifty actors reprised their roles from previous episodes for the episode. Heather Graham was also invited to reprise her role as Dr. Molly Clock, but declined for personal reasons. Masi OkaMasi Oka
Masayori "Masi" Oka is a Japanese-American actor and digital effects artist.He has performed in numerous feature films and TV series, most prominently as Hiro Nakamura in the NBC TV series Heroes from 2006 until its cancellation in May 2010. He resides in Los Angeles, California.-Early life:Oka...
(who played Franklyn the lab technician) of Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
and Sarah Lancaster
Sarah Lancaster
Sarah Lancaster is an American actress. Since the show's inception in 2007, she has co-starred in the NBC comedy-spy series Chuck, as the title character's sister, Ellie Bartowski....
(who played Lisa the Gift-Shop Girl) of Chuck
Chuck (TV series)
Chuck is an action-comedy/spy-drama television program from the United States created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The series is about an "average computer-whiz-next-door" named Chuck, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central...
were asked to appear with the other recurring characters at the end of the episode, but were denied permission to appear by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.
Music
- "Snow (Hey Oh)" by Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
- "The Book of Love69 Love Songs69 Love Songs is a three-volume concept album by The Magnetic Fields released in 1999. As its title indicates, the album is composed of 69 love songs, all written by Magnetic Fields frontman Stephin Merritt.-Conception and live performance:...
" by The Magnetic FieldsThe Magnetic FieldsThe Magnetic Fields is the principal creative outlet of singer-songwriter Stephin Merritt...
as performed by Peter GabrielPeter GabrielPeter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career... - "SupermanSuperman (Lazlo Bane song)“Superman” is a song by the American band Lazlo Bane, from their album All the Time in the World. It was written by Lazlo Bane and Pondy Doorcan. It is most noted for being the theme song to the American TV series Scrubs...
" by Lazlo BaneLazlo BaneLazlo Bane is an alternative rock band hailing from Santa Monica, California, United States. They are well known for collaborating with former Men at Work member Colin Hay, and providing the song "Superman" as the theme for the television show Scrubs...
(acoustic instrumental) - "Superman" by Lazlo Bane as performed by The BlanksThe BlanksThe Blanks are an a cappella group. Most notably, they appeared in the TV series Scrubs in a recurring guest role, under various names such as Ted's Band and The Worthless Peons...