"Scrubs" The Complete Sixth Season DVD Review

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Scrubs: Season Six (2006-07)
Show & DVD Details

Repeat Writers: Neil Goldman, Garrett Donovan, Bill Callahan, Debra Fordham, Aseem Batra, Kevin Biegel, Janae Bakken

Repeat Directors: John Putch, John Inwood, Linda Mendoza, Victor Nelli, Jr.

Regular Cast: Zach Braff (Dr. John "J.D." Dorian), Sarah Chalke (Dr. Elliot Reid), Donald Faison (Dr. Chris Turk), Neil Flynn (The Janitor), Ken Jenkins (Dr. Bob Kelso), John C. McGinley (Dr. Perry Cox), Judy Reyes (Nurse Carla Espinosa)

Recurring Characters: Christa Miller (Jordan Sullivan), Robert Maschio (Dr. Todd Quinlan), Travis Schuldt (Dr. Keith Dudemeister), Sam Lloyd (Ted Buckland), Aloma Wright (Nurse Laverne Roberts), Elizabeth Banks (Dr. Kim Briggs), Mike Schwartz (Lloyd), Johnny Kastl (Dr. Doug Murphy), Michael Weston (Private Brian Dancer), Keri Russell (Melody O'Harra), Jay Kenneth Johnson (Dr. Matthews), Shaughn Buchholz (Cabbage), Andrew Miller (Baby Jack), Frank Cameron (Dr. Mickhead), Randall Winston (Leonard), Geoff Stevenson (Dr. Beardface), Bob Bencomo (Colonel Doctor), Philip McNiven (Roy), George Miserlis (Crispin), Paul F. Perry (Randall), Manley Henry (Snoop Dogg Resident)

Notable Guest Stars: Blue Man Group (Themselves), David Clennon (Dr. Turner), Scott Weinger (Dr. Kershnar), Dave Foley (Dr. Lester Headrick), Kevin West (Mr. Mehleison), Stephanie D'Abruzzo (Patti), Benjamin King (Dr. Milos Radovichovniciviszik), Julian Berlin (Anne), Alexander Chaplin (Sam Thompson), Victoria Tennant (Maggie), Mircea Monroe (Heather), Nicole Sullivan (Jill Tracy), George Wallace (Minister), Troy Kotsur (Mr. Frances), Ned Bellamy (Dr. Green), Leon Simmons Jr. (Old Young MC)

Running Time: 487 Minutes (22 episodes) / Rating: TV-14
1.33:1 Fullscreen (Original Broadcast Ratio)
Dolby Digital 5.1 (English), Dolby Digital Stereo (French, Spanish)
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; Closed Captioned
DVD Release Date: October 30, 2007
Season 6 Airdates: November 30, 2006 - May 17, 2007
Three single-sided, dual-layered discs (DVD-9); Suggested Retail Price: $39.99
Six-sided fold-out Digipak with cardboard slipcover

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Page 1: Show and Season 6 Discussion, Disc 1, and Disc 2
Page 2: Disc 3, Video/Audio, Bonus Features, Menus & Packaging, and Closing Thoughts
In sports broadcaster mode, Turk highlights the strong points of Elliot's college friend Melody O'Harra (Keri Russell) for J.D. in "My Turf War", her first of two appearances. J.D. and Turk encounter Dr. Kelso at a medical convention. "Scrubs" left viewers mulling over this closing image during the summer break. Though the third season seemed to resolve the J.D./Elliot question "will they or won't they" with the latter, fans of the couple have new reason to hope.
Disc 3
18. My Turf War (21:36) (Originally aired April 26, 2007)
Bothered by the lack of friendship time he's had with Elliot, J.D. creates a rift between her and her college friend Melody (guest Keri Russell).

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Back at the hospital, Turk and Dr. Cox have fun finding reasons to refer suspected hypochondriac Lloyd the Delivery Guy back to each other, until one takes it too far.
19. My Cold Shower (22:50) (Originally aired May 3, 2007)
As Elliot accepts Keith's proposal, her co-workers imagine what it would be like to be married to her. J.D. tries to get serious with Melody in violation of her policies, Carla and Elliot are stumped by two elderly patients' symptoms, and Turk wishes to get romantic with Carla again.
20. My Conventional Wisdom (25:36) (Originally aired May 10, 2007)
J.D. and Turk attend a medical convention in Arizona where they see a new side to Dr. Kelso, meet Old Young MC, and see Kim who's been carrying a big secret. At Sacred Heart, while the Janitor plays Chief of Medicine, Elliot withholds her practice's spec camera from Dr. Cox unless he agrees to attend her wedding.
21. My Rabbit (21:29) (Originally aired May 17, 2007)
J.D.'s conscience (his high school gym teacher with a rabbit head) shows up from time to time as he deals with Kim and her pregnancy. Turk reconsiders surgical treatment for a patient he learns has a young daughter. As maid of honor, Carla is irritated by how little say she has in Elliot's wedding and bachelorette party planning.
22. My Point of No Return (22:27) (Originally aired May 17, 2007)
Dr. Cox tries bargaining with J.D. to get him to relinquish being godfather to his daughter. With help from his brain trust, the Janitor molds Keith into a suitable husband as a wedding gift for Elliot. The season ends on a cliffhanger with both Elliot and J.D. uncertain of the life-changing events in store and the relationships connected to them.
There's scheming behind the smile of Jordan Sullivan (Christa Miller), as she decides to keep Dr. Cox from learning the sex of their second child at the Ultrasound. The Janitor wrestles with the responsibility of watching J.D.'s fishbowl.
VIDEO and AUDIO
Remaining among the few network TV shows that haven't jumped to high-definition, "Scrubs" is still presented in the 1.33:1 fullscreen aspect ratio in which it is filmed and airs. Picture quality on this and other present-day TV series has so consistently been excellent that a few shortcomings here stand out. Certain episodes look as if they have compression artifacts; edges have rings around them and the visuals sometimes look a little splotchy, like low-grade digital video.

I certainly don't remember the show airing this way nor have past seasons' DVDs suffered in these ways, so I'm at a loss to figure out what explains it. Don't let me overstate the severity; many viewers may not even notice the imperfections. Still, the issues should stand out for those with big screen displays and an eye for picture quality.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is less riddled, but it's not the most forceful. The mix of dialogue, music, and the rare sound effect is perfectly satisfactory, but not particularly active or imaginative. Not to completely overlook the issue ("Scrubs"' lone 2007 Emmy was for sound mixing), do people really watch for "Scrubs" for the aural thrills?
BONUS FEATURES
"Audio Commentaries and more" is the last thing mentioned on the box and in the set's press release, so one would expect 2 or 3 episode tracks as found on the previous three seasons. One will be shocked, then, because every single Season 6 show is accompanied by an audio commentary! These are the same ones that appeared on NBC's website and as an iTunes podcast throughout the season, so if you went through the trouble of downloading them and trying to coordinate them with DVR playback, you have already heard it all. DVD nonetheless provides a much easier way to enjoy these tracks.
No comprehensive list of speakers is provided in the case or in the menus, so here it goes:
DISC 1:
* 1. actor Neil Flynn: "My Mirror Image"
2. producer/writers Garrett Donovan and Neil Goldman: "My Best Friend's Baby's Baby and My Baby's Baby"
*3. director/editor Rick Blue and production designer Cabot McMullen: "My Coffee"
4. actor Ken Jenkins and prop master John Ornelas: "My House"
5. actor Neil Flynn and director/editor John Michel: "My Friend with Money"
* 6. actress Sarah Chalke and writer Debra Fordham: "My Musical"
* 7. actor Ken Jenkins and writer Mike Schwartz: "His Story IV"
* 8. writer Mark Stegemann and actor Sam Lloyd: "My Road to Nowhere"
DISC 2:
9. writer Angela Nissel and make-up department head Phyllis Williams: "My Perspective"
10. writer Aseem Batra and set dresser Patrick Bolton: "My Therapeutic Month"
11. producer Randall Winston and writer's assistant Melody Derloshon: "My Night to Remember"
12. actor Neil Flynn and script coordinator Sean Russell: "My Fishbowl"
13. actor Ken Jenkins and writer Clarence Livingston: "My Scrubs"
14. writer Janae Bakken, production coordinator Hillary Hirsch, and actor Rob Maschio: "My No Good Reason"
* 15. actress Aloma Wright and writer Dave Tennant: "My Long Goodbye"
16. actor Neil Flynn and writer Eric Weinberg: "My Words of Wisdom"
* 17. actor Rob Maschio and writer Andy Schwartz: "Their Story"
DISC 3:
18. writer Sean Russell and producer/actor Mike Schwartz: "My Turf War"
19. actress Sarah Chalke and writer Janae Bakken: "My Cold Shower"
20. writer Bill Callahan and director Mike McDonald: "My Conventional Wisdom"
*21. writers Garret Donovan, Aseem Batra, and Neil Goldman: "My Rabbit"
*22. writers Garret Donovan, Aseem Batra, and Neil Goldman: "My Point of No Return"
I listened to nine of the 22 episode commentaries and found them to be insightful and fun. The diverse collection of speakers allows for various perspectives and for first-time commentators like Aloma Wright to tell how they got involved on "Scrubs." It is strange that with all the people here, Bill Lawrence and Zach Braff are both absent, but considering the tracks were recorded during the busyness of production season, the no-shows are forgiven. Few of the observations qualify as groundbreaking, but they're easy to listen to, screen-specific, and a major enhancer of replay value. Each speaker tends to focus on his or her area of expertise; actors discuss appearance, writers point out dialogue, the production designer discusses the set dressing, producers are generally informative, and so on. It's worth noting that brand names and curses are bleeped out.
Donald Faison shows his support for George Lucas's space saga while recording songs in a sound studio for the musical episode of "Scrubs". Judy Reyes becomes the first female cast member allowed to "Keep Talking" for the DVDs' recurring series of extended cast interviews. Dr. Kelso, Kim, and J.D. look towards disaster in a deleted scene involving Doug, a corpse, and an unstable floor/ceiling.
Disc 3 holds all six of the video-based supplements.
"My Making of: 'My Musical'" (11:20) focuses on the unique creation of Season 6's musical episode. We hear much from the "Avenue Q" writers brought in to pen tunes and work with the stars, whose recording sessions and choreography rehearsals are seen.
Continuing the tradition of one extended cast member interview per set is "Judy Reyes Keeps Talking" (6:45), which allows the actress to discuss the show, her character, and Season 6 in an intelligent fashion.
Next are twelve Deleted Scenes (15:50), which each play immediately after the aired version for sufficient comparative context. Though they're mostly minor extensions and alternate edits, there are a few funny moments to make the section worth watching with the "Play All" function.
Zach Braff comes up with a variety of ways to brush off the doctor Melody thinks looks like him in the Alternate Lines section. Doctors Mickhead (Frank Encarnacao) and Beardface (Geoff Stevenson) are among the minor characters celebrated in "The 'Third Tier'." Writer Debra Fordham and one-time guest Stephanie D'Abruzzo (of Broadway's "Avenue Q") discuss "My Musical" in a 7-minute featurette.
On thirteen Season 6 exchanges, a series of Alternate Lines (14:10) are provided. In addition to showcasing the improvisational talents of Zach Braff, Neil Flynn, and others, this material also includes outtakes and the sounds of cracked-up crew members. (Though announced in the press release, a blooper reel is nowhere to be found.)
"The 'Third Tier'" (7:50) turns the spotlight on minor joke characters including hook-handed security guard Leonard (producer Randall Winston), elderly intern Gloria (Christina Miles),

delivery guy Lloyd (Mike Schwartz), Dr. Mickhead (Frank Cameron), bearded Colonel Doctor (Bob Bencomo), and Snoop Dogg ~~Intern~~ Resident (Manley Henry). It's pretty much a parade of show clips and interview sound bites from the actors who play the parts, but that's more than enough to make this a fun and interesting bonus.
Finally, "The Debra and Stephanie Show" (6:57) lets writer Debra Fordham and actress Stephanie D'Abruzzo chat about the musical episode that each had a hand in, with more footage from behind-the-scenes and recording sessions.
An Easter Egg found on the first Bonus Features page of Disc 3 provides a 90-second clip of creator Bill Lawrence revealing a number of things about the seventh season of "Scrubs." If you don't want to be spoiled, then don't watch this. If you do, then know that most of the things he says are not true.
Each disc's animated Main Menu places a montage of Season 6 clips inside a coffee cup at an animated rendering of the series' new Coffee Bucks locale. Disc 3's animated Bonus Features menus take us into the muffin shelf. This page is the site of the set's spoileriffic Easter Egg.
MENUS, PACKAGING and DESIGN
Consistent with past seasons, the menus offer a computer-animated tour of the hospital, before settling on a montage in a coffee cup (reflecting one of the season's new locations)

set to the full album version of theme song "Superman" by Lazlo Bane. Disc 3's Bonus Features menu takes us into an animated rendering of the muffin shelf. Also true to past seasons, the set arrives in a multi-sided Digipak which displays imagery of the cast and relevant items (i.e. hospital supplies and appletinis) against neon orange backdrops. The only thing found in the pocket for inserts is a double-sided ad for all "Scrubs" seasons' DVDs and "October Road."
Episodes are divided into four appropriate chapter stops.
Disc 1 opens with a promo for hour-long Touchstone series on DVD (that's been expanded to include Paramount-distributed "The Ghost Whisperer" and "Criminal Minds") plus theatrical trailers for National Treasure: Book of Secrets and Pixar's Wall-E. The trailers are also available on the same disc's Sneak Peeks menu, along with spots for "Ugly Betty" and recent/upcoming DVD releases of "What About Brian" and "Lost."
Sacred Heart's chief of medicine Dr. Bob Kelso illustrates his very limited knowledge of sign language. J.D. ends up in a land clearly inspired by Narnia in one of Season 6's fantasy sequences.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
In its penultimate season, "Scrubs" is a little shy of its creative best, but it still provides a highly entertaining experience. Though there are some kinks in the lacking middle, Season 6 starts and finishes strong, delivering crowd-pleasing hilarity, a bit of dramatic potency, and some clear-cut series highlights. Unexpectedly, Buena Vista's DVD release could use some improvement in the picture and sound departments. Supplementally, however, it packs another robust punch. While viewers may find it difficult to enjoy having an audio commentary on every single episode, their inclusion substantially increases the set's replay value. The video bonuses are fun as usual, too. In short, this is another fine set for "Scrubs" fans to add to their collection. Those who have avoided the series are encouraged both to start watching it and picking up past seasons' DVDs.
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