TV Meme: Day 6 - Favorite Episode of My Favorite Show

Well, this was actually pretty easy (and will be a little shorter than my other posts) because I did a post about this a little while ago right here.

But, just to recap: my favorite episode of my favorite show (Scrubs) is My Screw Up.

Scrubs to me has always had that rare talent in mixing both drama and comedy in such a way that it doesn't take away from the show - it only enhances it.

In this episode, Dr. Cox's (John C. McGinley) best friend and brother-in-law Ben (Brendan Fraser) returns to Sacred Heart after touring the world. In the only two previous episodes that Ben was in he was diagnosed with leukemia.

At the beginning of this episode we are now aware that Ben has been in remission since we last saw him, but he has not seen a doctor since his world tour had begun. Ben's visit also coincides with Dr. Cox's son's birthday, and Dr. Cox spends a good amount of time in this episode trying to get everything ready for the party so it is perfect.

It just so happens that the birthday clown lands himself in jail and it is up to Dr. Cox to bail him out - in doing so he leaves Ben and his other patients in the hands of J.D. (Zach Braff). J.D. tells Dr. Cox that he is swamped with patients, including one particular patient whose heart J.D. is worried about. Nevertheless, he takes on Ben as a patient.

As Dr. Cox returns we learn that one of J.D.'s patients has died - and this is where the episode gets wicked good - we aren't truly told which patient died. We are led to believe that it was J.D.'s heart patients and throughout the rest of the episode it sure does appear that way.

See, Scrubs pulled the old Sixth Sense on its audience. Throughout the rest of the episode Ben is still around, however, he only interacts with Dr. Cox. We don't find out it was Ben who passed away until the final season as Dr. Cox is walking with J.D. (and Ben) in a suit - Dr. Cox believes he is heading to his son's party, until J.D. asks him where he thinks he is and we pull back to a graveyard and Ben's funeral.

Like I said in my previous post about this episode - it is truly amazing how the audience has so much of an attachment to a character we have only seen twice before. It is a great pat on the back to the writing, the acting of Fraser and also that of McGinley.

Just an outstanding episode.

(They definitely pulled a fast one over on me - I had no clue until the end.)