Scrubs’ JD & Elliot Relationship Bombshell Defined

The creator and stars of the brand new Scrubs reboot opened up about one of many revival’s most stunning developments concerning JD (Zach Braff) and Elliot (Sarah Chalke).

Within the Scrubs season 8 finale, JD envisioned a future the place he and Elliot had been married. And, within the controversial ninth season of the flagship present, it was confirmed that the on-again, off-again couple had tied the knot (though many followers wished to neglect that season totally). Nonetheless, within the first episode of the revival, which takes place practically 20 years after the unique present, it’s revealed that the 2 have since divorced.

In an interview with Deadline, sequence creator Invoice Lawrence said that the choice to separate the fan favourite couple was as a result of he wished to showcase the unpredictability of maturity. Whereas the unique Scrubs ended on an optimistic observe for JD, giving him a future the place his private {and professional} lives are lastly aligned, the revival takes a extra grounded method. Lawrence defined that he wished to drive house the truth that, in actuality, life isn’t as picture-perfect as the best way the earlier sequence ended.

Lawrence added that the choice to have the characters break up was not one which was made evenly. He defined how the inventive crew was initially hesitant about it. Nonetheless, on the finish of the day, they finally determined that revisiting JD and Elliot’s relationship as co-parents as an alternative of a fortunately married couple would supply extra storylines.

Right here’s the inside track. The eighth yr [of Scrubs] ends with, simply as soon as I’d prefer to imagine my desires got here true. All of us felt that means, and to not be darkish in regards to the world however, though I’m very grateful about how my life has gone, not every part works out the best way you need it to work out.

I’m an enormous believer in writing what you understand and what you see. Our showrunner [Aseem Batra] — she stated I used to be allowed to speak about this — is somebody that, once I left Scrubs, was married and was having a younger youngster, and now’s a single guardian, co-raising that youngster with any person. That doesn’t imply that it’s acrimonious, and that doesn’t imply that it’s his personal journey. I’m positive you’ve the identical expertise, some individuals in your lives work out, some don’t.

I used to be actually resistant at first, and the one factor these guys all drove house to me, they’re like, in case you watch the 9,000 episodes of Scrubs, you’d say, Turk and Carla are going to make it. And you then would go, I don’t assume J.D. and Elliot have had greater than an episode and a half, they appeared like a functioning couple.

So it’s a superb storytelling system. It doesn’t imply that their story is over, but it surely definitely is one thing that adults need to navigate on a regular basis.

The actors behind the now-divorced couple themselves additionally chimed in on how they felt about JD and Elliot’s marriage ending. Chalke stated that she wasn’t upset in any respect by it. The actor even stated that she thought it was an excellent concept. She defined how this may enable the present to have much more drama and comedic moments. She added that one of the vital entertaining issues in regards to the two characters within the unique Scrubs was how they had been all the time breaking apart and getting again collectively, which would not actually work in the event that they had been married.

I used to be not disenchanted, I assumed it was nice. I assumed it was one of the best ways in as a result of clearly, there’s a lot extra alternative for comedy and drama when you’ve two individuals that aren’t simply high-quality and fortunately married and getting alongside. I believe it opens up extra prospects for his or her storylines. And likewise within the unique run, we had a lot of, they’re collectively, after which they break up. We had a number of enjoyable enjoying that within the unique Scrubs, so, to do it on this iteration, I assumed it was one of the best ways to create battle, and we had fun.

Braff said that the finale of season 8, the model that almost all followers who hated Scrubs season 9 imagine to be the ultimate chapter, the montage it ended on confirmed JD’s concept of what his fortunately ever after regarded like. He additionally echoed Lawrence’s sentiments about how, in actual life, issues do not all the time work out the best way individuals would love them to, and divorces are extremely frequent. He additionally defined how this may shake issues up and add extra distinction to the present, as Turk (Donald Faison) and Carla (Judy Reyes) from the unique sequence are fortunately married.

And likewise to make it actual. What J.D. sees projected on the sheet on the finish of Season 8 is what he hopes and desires will occur. However that doesn’t essentially come true, particularly while you’re 50 years outdated. Issues that you simply didn’t wish to occur, occur. Some marriages fail, some don’t.

You might have the distinction with Turk and Carla, the place they’re as fortunately married as ever in comparison with us, who’re studying now to co-parent and finally work collectively. So I believe it was a great way of additionally exhibiting a big selection of how marriages can prove in midlife.

Scrubs airs new episodes each Wednesday at 8:00 PM ET and 5:00 PM PT on ABC.