Scrubs revival premieres this week with original cast and charm intact

Scrubs returns with its original magic intact

The Scrubs revival premieres this week, and its first four episodes prove the series hasn't lost its signature charm. The first two episodes air on ABC on Wednesday, February 25, before streaming on Hulu on Thursday, February 26.

Original creator Bill Lawrence and stars Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, and Donald Faison have all returned. The new season immediately corrects the missteps of the poorly received ninth season by centering the core friendship between J.D. and Turk.

The chemistry between Braff and Faison remains the show's undeniable engine. Their dynamic picks up as if no time has passed, providing the familiar, comfortable humor that defined the series' original eight-season run.

The old guard settles back in

For fans of the original, this revival is pure sitcom comfort food. Under new showrunner Aseem Batra, the series isn't trying to reinvent the medical drama.

It acknowledges the realities of modern hospitals but keeps its focus on doctor camaraderie and J.D.'s zany inner monologues. The returning cast, including Judy Reyes and John C. McGinley, slip back into their roles with ease.

However, the passage of 16 years has left some gaps. The most glaring absence is Neil Flynn's Janitor, J.D.'s longtime nemesis. Dr. Cox also has a reduced role in these early episodes.

The show attempts to introduce a new rival for J.D. in Joel Kim Booster's Dr. Eric Park, but the character isn't given enough screen time in the first four episodes to fully fill the antagonist void.

A new class of interns arrives

As a teaching hospital, Sacred Heart needs new interns, leading to a role reversal where J.D. and Elliott are now the teachers. The shadow of Season 9's failed new cast looms large, raising the question of whether this new batch can hold their own.

The initial verdict is mixed. In the first four episodes, the new interns are largely defined by single traits and serve as straight men to the original cast's antics.

• They include the handsome one, the British one, and the social media-obsessed one.
• Only by the fourth episode do they begin to develop more coherent personalities.
• They aren't shoved front-and-center like in Season 9, but they also aren't immediate standouts.

The revival's new standout characters

Where the new season finds immediate success is with its supporting additions. Vanessa Bayer shines as Sibby, the hospital's new medical wellness director.

Her character embodies the changed workplace culture that now limits Dr. Cox's rants and The Todd's harassment. Bayer gets ample room to be funny and quickly becomes the strongest new addition to the ensemble.

The show also smartly fills another void with new nurse characters. Michael James Scott and X Mayo play a tag-team nurse duo who effectively step into the role once held by the beloved Nurse Laverne.

The Scrubs revival doesn't blaze new trails, but for fans, that's precisely the point. It's a warm, funny return to a familiar place, anchored by the cast whose chemistry made it work in the first place.