Just like the season that had preceded it,Scrubsseason 9 introduced several figures to the sitcom’s formula, but it left out one of season 8’s brilliant new characters who would have improved the divisiveMed Schoolera. As fans will remember, notall nine seasons ofScrubswere the same, as the show’s final run received a drastic overhaul that’s reported to have been originally intended as a spinoff rather than season 9 of the same sitcom.Scrubs' final era caused its cancellation, but it could have been improved by keeping one of the freshest characters in play.
AScrubsrevival has been heavily rumoredfor a while now. While it hasn’t yet been officially confirmed, key members of the original cast and crew have been very vocal about the plan to bring the show back and how likely it is to happen soon. ShowrunnerBill Lawrence has gone as far as to confirm aScrubsrevival is “so very close,“and that a deal to allow him to remain with Apple TV+ while also returning to Disney to makeScrubsis looking promising. If so,Scrubsseason 10 could finally redeem the mistakes of theMed Schoolepisodes.
Aziz Ansari’s Ed From Scrubs Season 8 Left Too Soon
Ansari only appeared in 4 Scrubs episodes
Perhaps as an experiment to see how the show would look with a new cast,Scrubsseason 8 brought a new crop of interns into the foldto conclude the sitcom’s run in its most beloved format. AlthoughEliza Coupe’s Dr. Denise Mahoney did cross over from season 8 into season 9, she was the only member of this new group to do so. One of Denise’s fellow interns inScrubsseason 8 was Aziz Ansari’s Dr. Ed Dhandapani. However, Ansari appeared in only four episodes and made his exit inScrubsseason 8, episode 8, “My Lawyer’s in Love.”
8
1
8.0/10
2
9.3/10
“My ABC’s”
5
8.2/10
“My Lawyer’s in Love”
8.3/10
Ed also appeared in 2 episodes of the forgotten ABC web series,Scrubs: Interns
Although frustrating and intentionally unlikable, Ed was a great addition to the sitcom. His over-the-top cockiness and abrasive personality made the few episodes he was in even better. At first, it appeared as thoughScrubshad a pretty big redemption arc ready for him, but his departure not even halfway through season 8 made that impossible. It’s also possible he could have followed Denise into the sitcom’s new format, which would have created a stronger connection betweenScrubsseasons 8 and 9, andEd could have been a brilliant character to involved in theMed Schoolera.
Why Ed Left Scrubs So Soon After His Debut
Ansari was cast in a much bigger role in another sitcom
Aziz Ansari was a huge loss to theScrubscast. Having said that, there’s a good reason why Ed didn’t stick around very long, and it relates to Ansari’s career away from the medical sitcom. Although he was already a working actor by the time of hisScrubsdebut in 2009, being cast as Ed was still a huge moment, and arguably his biggest project to that point. Ansari’s good fortune continued, as the same year he appeared inScrubs,he then went on to debut as Tom Haverford as a member of the main cast ofParks & Recreation.
Ansari played Tom in all seven seasons ofParks & Rec, totaling 120 appearances between 2009 and 2015.
Ansari played Tom in all seven seasons ofParks & Rec, totaling 120 appearances between 2009 and 2015.Scrubswas highly unlikely to continue to run for quite as long asParks & Recended up doing, andTom was a much larger part of his show than Ed was in his. So, it was the right move from a career standpoint for Aziz Ansari. Thankfully, Bill Lawrence and company gave the actor a properScrubsexit, and even knowing why Ansari’s character exits so soon, it still feels incredibly organic.
Bringing Ed Back For Scrubs Season 10 Wouldn’t Make Any Sense
Ed didn’t seem the type of character to learn from his mistakes
Ed was a naturally gifted intern who, by Dr. Cox’s own begrudging admission, was doing “better than most.” The issue with Ed’s talents was that it made him unwilling to study, as he believed he could keep up with the fast-paced field of internal medicine without burying his head in books. When this starts to impact Ed’s internship, John C. McGinley’s character gives him an ultimatum that highlights Ed’s laziness, andDr. Cox uses his capacity as the new Chief of Medicine to fire Ansari’s characterwhen he’s sure that Ed won’t change.
Scrubs Season 10 Can Finally Show This Character Who Has Never Made An Onscreen Appearance
There’s no shortage of Scrubs characters who could return in the coming revival, but there’s one with a direct connection to JD who needs to appear.
Since then,it’s difficult to imagine Ed doing any better at another hospital, so bringing him back inScrubsseason 10 would be illogical. Although he could have either gotten his act together or moved into an adjacent career, both feel unlikely. Furthermore,Lawrence’s plans to combine new and oldScrubscharacters in the revivaldon’t leave room for Ansari’s return. He wasn’t established enough to count as an old character, and he wouldn’t be new if he came back. In short, bringing back such a minor character like Ed would unfortunately just take up space in newScrubsepisodes.
Scrubs
Cast
Scrubs is a Sitcom and Medical Comedy/Drama created by Bill Lawrence that follows a group of medical students throughout their daily lives at the Sacred Heart Teaching Hospital. The series stars Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, and Donald Faison, as they work their way up from Medical Interns while juggling all sorts of hospital shenanigans.
