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Episode Recap: "My Hard Labor"
Another pretty solid episode — still not Scrubs at its comic best, and still at least as much about the serious subtexts of the series as about the blackouts and fantasy sequences.
Kim (Elizabeth Banks) is about to give birth, and J.D. (Zach Braff) is ready for everything... except for openly admitting to Kim that he doesn't love her. Meanwhile, Cox (John C. McGinley) looks for someone competent to give his infant daughter a shot, unwilling to give it to her himself for fear that she'll associate him with pain. Carla (Judy Reyes) can't do it,since she's enraged at Turk (Donald Faison) for his stubborn insistence on playing a console video game to its conclusion... or at least for his obliviousness to her need, as great as his, to be something other than a parent sometimes (and, to a much lesser extent, to his obliviousness to her ability to play the game better than either her husband or the Janitor (Neil Flynn). Even Kelso (Ken Jenkins) proves his worth as a parent, while drunkenly comforting his son over the phone, the son despondent over the latest exploitation by his various lowlife men-friends. So when J.D. does find himself telling Kim how he feels about her, in what is probably the funniest as well as the most painful sequence (quite literally for Kim, who finds that her argument with J.D. has caused her to miss her window for an epidural), he is banished from the delivery room in favor of Elliot (Sarah Chalke). But he gathers his lessons in the usual Scrubs style, and goes back in. Kim, while quite sure that her romance with J.D. is over, apparently looks forward to coparenting with him, so J.D. seems suitably awed.
While I'm as much a casual Colin Hay fan as anyone, having him reemerge as he does in the teaser of this episode is an example of the kind of not-quite-airless self-reference too common last season (after his much more effective "haunting" of "My Overkill," the second-season premiere). In fact, let's estimate that perhaps a third of the jokes, maybe even a few more, were just a little too labored, cough, in this episode... which leaves all those others coming at the speed and interlocking screwball logic that we expect of this series.
With the summer's unplanned-pregnancy film comedies Knocked Up and Waitress having done suprisingly well, perhaps there's something in the air. Scrubs is already (unsurprisingly) more realistic in its handling of the matter, so if the writers' strike doesn't bench the series, it'll be interesting to see how they sustain this... and how many cameos and guest spots from previous seasons we'll get. (The show has been notable for giving a number of guest stars, from Heather Graham to Tom Cavanagh to Tara Reid, some of their best roles-in one case, perhaps their only good role [whom could I be thinking of?].)
I'm very glad to see Aloma Wright back.
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Nov 2, 2007 12:22 AM
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Not that I don't love and miss Laverne, but that cameo was pretty odd.
And while Turk's storyline was somewhat funny, I was kind of disappointed in his lack of man-love and being there for JD. When Carla had Izzy, I think Turk spent more time with JD than his wife!!
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Nov 2, 2007 1:16 AM
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It was very clever how Bill Lawrence got Aloma Wright back on the show. It was sneaky how she appeared with a face mask so no one could really see her just yet. As for the episode, it was just as bittersweet as last week's episode. JD admitted that he wasn't in love with Kim and that he'd probably never be able to fall in love with her. But he did come through and was there for the birth of his son. On the other end, I don't know if it was me but Jordan came off as awful when she dumped off her daughter on Perry and just went to sleep. I also find that John C. McGinley's hairstyle is not annoying at all this season. It just seemed unnatural for Turk to be playing video games with the Janitor knowing full well that he and JD are mortal enemies. What's really been funny has been Keith's hatred for Elliot. That's been hysterical. I do hope that Ted the lawyer and Doug make an appearance soon because they're funny in their own right.
Being as polite and constructive as I can, I do have to mention that Todd is still writing the recaps as though they were part of his PhD thesis. "Scrubs" is a comedy and the recap should capture some of that humor. Like the part when Dr. Kelso said he couldn't help Dr. Cox because he was drinking scotch and was "Hasselhoffed." There has to be sense of fun in there. I give Todd credit for trying.
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Nov 2, 2007 1:19 AM
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I thought this was a huge improvement over the opener but I still feel like something is missing. Some of the moments worked for me but others did not - and it just doesn't feel like Scrubs I know and love. I am hoping that the episodes improve because I really want this show to end on a high note.
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Nov 2, 2007 9:34 AM
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I agree with Semper_Sci-Fi about the recap. I didn't understand the entire paragraph about Colin Hay. Who is Colin Hay, by the way?
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Nov 2, 2007 10:32 AM
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Who is Colin Hay? Lead singer for "Men At Work"--a wonderful band that had several big hits in the 80s (such as "Down Under", "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Overkill") There's no excuse for not knowing that--I don't care how young you may be!
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Nov 2, 2007 10:42 AM
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I concur about the Colin Hayes comments - I thought maybe I watched a different episode  ">
And Garry B - I'm quite familiar with 80's music and still didn't get the reference...no need to scold people for not knowing who the lead singer was.
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Nov 2, 2007 12:31 PM
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sorry - Colin Hay
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Nov 2, 2007 12:31 PM
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Yes, Men At Work and their three hit songs in the mid-80's. How dare you not know who the lead singer was?!
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Nov 2, 2007 1:08 PM
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Oh come on, I think if you are any half-way decent fan of Scrubs you should know who Colin Hay is. He was on the episode "Overkill" and has contributed more than a few amazing songs to the show during some of its best moments.
Overall, I liked this episode though I admit it was sort of low on the funny, but I think this is part of this whole growing up process that JD is going through this season and they want the viewers to experience how he's finally coming into his own as an adult (albeit it sort of late)...
And I like Todd's recaps....people are so harsh to the bloggers here!!! 
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Nov 2, 2007 2:12 PM
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Oh come on, I think if you are any half-way decent fan of Scrubs you should know who Colin Hay is. He was on the episode "Overkill" and has contributed more than a few amazing songs to the show during some of its best moments.
Other people are harsh? You are still scolding people for having the gall to not know who Colin Hay is. Not everyone is going to know who the dude is. Big deal. Others may recognize him from the episode "Overkill," but not know that is his name or that he fronted Men at Work. I believe being a fan of Scrubs and knowing who Colin Hay is have absolutely nothing to do with one another. I myself am a fan of both, but am not the least bit bothered if others are not.
On to the episode; it was not as funny as some, but I still liked it. It did seem a bit strange that Turk was so excited about becoming a "bluncle," yet sat and played a video game the whole time.
Kelso's line about the videos games he plays was quite funny: "I would Turkleton, but I only play Pac-Man and that car jack game. There is nothing like scoring a Caddy and mowing down street ho's."
I am glad that everyone's kids are delivered so we can finally move past this whole baby fever thing Scrubs inexplicably got into.
The intern with the high, squeaky (is that the right adjective?) voice would normally be something that would get old and annoy me. For some reason, I think it is funny every single time she talks. Even funnier that she can talk in a "normal" voice, but can't because it hurts her throat.
I think I am really going to enjoy their final season.
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Nov 2, 2007 2:38 PM
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I was so happy when it was announced Scrubs was coming back for a final season. But after seeing the episodes from this season, I'm starting to rethink my delight. I watched Scrubs from it's begininng and as one other poster mention, it seems something is missing this season. I have not had those laugh out loud moments at all this year. I know some of the story lines were toward a serious nature but that is when Scrubs was usually at its best by breaking the "tension" with some humor. Been none of that this year. Maybe it's run its course and it's a good thing this is the last year. Or hopefully they have just been some so so episodes and things will pick up again. Either way, I've watched for this long, I'll be darn well sure I watch it to the end.
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Nov 2, 2007 3:15 PM
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Yes, Turk was excited about being a "bluncle" but.... it's not JD giving birth... it's Kim. Perhaps, Kim didn't want anyone else in the room while she gave birth except for JD. At least Turk was at the hospital waiting for the birth, he couldn't be in the room but he was "there" for JD.
Just a thought.
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Nov 2, 2007 5:21 PM
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Well, thanks, Butterflyingash. For those of you who want to know more about Colin Hay, the radio show The Sound of Young America (entitled with all the jovial irony the kids are so fond of today) has a nice episode this week devoted to an interview with and performance by him:
http://www.maximumfun.org/blog/2007/10/podcast-colin-hay-of-men-at-work.html
And little is less funny than recounting a joke or a sight-gag built for drama in a print medium...unless one was actually analyzing it for, say, a thesis, where it's still not funny. Except perhaps unintentionally.
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Nov 3, 2007 7:48 AM
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I guess I am the only person out there who actually liked Kim and JD together. I was sorry to see them break up. The episode where they have their first kiss on JD's front porch was one of my favorites.
The first season of this show didn't have quite so many sight gags and flights of fancy as they did in later seasons. I guess they are going full circle back to where they began. I do like the crazy stuff they have on the show but I don't mind the serious stuff all that much either.
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Nov 7, 2007 2:33 PM
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