5 Biggest Scrubs Actors & Characters Missing From the Reboot

by

After years of requests from fans, Scrubs is back for a tenth season, continuing its legacy as a beloved medical comedy. The revival, now on ABC, brings back the original cast and has already earned positive reviews for successfully recreating the show’s signature mix of hilarious moments and heartfelt emotion. Importantly, the new season smartly ignores the controversial events of season nine and resets the story. It brings everything back to Sacred Heart Hospital – the familiar setting that was previously destroyed in the show – giving fans the atmosphere they loved from the beginning.

Season ten of Scrubs brings back John “JD” Dorian as he revisits Sacred Heart Hospital. The season focuses on how JD’s close friendship with Christopher Turk has grown, as well as his continuing relationship with Elliot Reid. Seeing Perry Cox and Carla Espinosa again is comforting, but the season also makes you notice the characters who aren’t there anymore.

5) Sam Lloyd as Ted Buckland

The most noticeably missing character in the Scrubs revival is Ted Buckland, played by Sam Lloyd, who sadly passed away in 2020. Ted, the often-bullied hospital lawyer, offered a special kind of humor, frequently taking the brunt of jokes while also showcasing his surprising talent through a cappella with his group, The Worthless Peons. His story had a satisfying ending in the original series, especially after he moved away with his girlfriend, Stephanie Gooch, and he even made a quick appearance in Bill Lawrence’s other show, Cougar Town.

4) Kerry Bishé as Lucy Bennett

Kerry Bishé played Lucy Bennett, a hopeful medical student introduced in Season 9 as a potential new lead after JD left the show. However, Season 10 decided to focus back on the original hospital setting, leaving Lucy’s character out of the current story. Lucy was created to be similar to JD, using internal thoughts and funny daydreams, and was meant to represent the show passing to a new generation. This change was a major reason why Season 9 received mixed reactions, as it didn’t have the same familiar connection between the established characters.

3) Eliza Coupe as Denise Mahoney

Denise Mahoney, played by Eliza Coupe, is one of the few characters introduced in later seasons of Scrubs who really resonated with fans. Her realistic and blunt take on medicine was a refreshing change from the more optimistic personalities of the original interns. Many viewers considered her a highlight of seasons eight and nine, and she effectively guided the new cast with a serious, professional attitude reminiscent of a younger, female Dr. Cox. Despite being a popular character who was still employed at the hospital at the end of the original series, she hasn’t appeared in the Scrubs reboot.

2) Ken Jenkins as Bob Kelso

Ken Jenkins wonderfully played the grumpy but kind-hearted Bob Kelso throughout all nine seasons of the original Scrubs. However, he won’t be appearing in the show’s tenth season. This makes sense within the story, as Kelso retired as Chief of Medicine during season seven and spent his remaining time enjoying retirement perks like muffins and free healthcare. Bringing him back as a regular after his emotional departure in the season eight finale would have lessened the impact of that moment. Also, Ken Jenkins is now 85 years old and has mostly retired from acting, which has contributed to this decision.

1) Neil Flynn as The Janitor

Neil Flynn’s character, the Janitor, is a major loss for the revived Scrubs series. His unpredictable behavior and constant teasing of JD were key to the show’s unique, comedic style. The show explained his departure by simply having him quit when JD left the hospital – a fittingly mysterious ending. Despite this, fans who anticipated his return to playfully torment the new Chief of Medicine are disappointed by his absence in the first few episodes. While Flynn’s busy acting schedule likely contributes to this, the show’s creators have hinted he’ll make a guest appearance later in the season, giving fans hope for a rekindling of his iconic rivalry with JD.

New episodes of Scrubs Season 10 premiere on ABC every Wednesday.

If the new season of Scrubs got another guest appearance, which character from the show would you most like to see return? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/7-tv-shows-that-took-a-turn-no-one-saw-coming/embed/#

Read More

2026-02-27 21:43