Scrub in again

“Scrubs” has taken a really weird path over the years.

The show started off as a ratings-juggernaut for NBC and a critical darling during its initial two years, but then it seemed to drop off the mainstream map.

Over the past four years, it has constantly dodged cancellation, garnered a huge cult following among college students and arguably become more enjoyable. And when NBC declined to pick it up for season eight, ABC gave it new life by ordering 18 more episodes that will air in 2009.

Although the writer’s strike and NBC’s idiocy shortened season seven of “Scrubs” to only 11 episodes, the show still delivered laughs and legitimate character arcs where season six didn’t. The short season brought back the more serious tone it lacked since the early years and dialed back the broad strokes that had become the norm.

The best arcs of the season brought back some older ideas – like a possible J.D. and Elliot romance – while introducing newer plot points that allowed some of the show’s underrated characters get time in the spotlight – such as Dr. Kelso’s battle with the hospital’s board over possible retirement.

But most of the stories were left dangling because NBC decided to cut everything post-writer’s strike. The bastard network even had the stones to air the episodes out of order and not even really mention that it was the show’s possible series finale. The forced non-cliffhanger cliffhangers really make it hard to enjoy the season.

However, the features here are a solid replacement for the lack of episodic content. Every episode has a commentary, and there are two solid featurettes on Dr. Kelso himself Ken Jenkins and on the ambitious episode “My Princess.”

Though short, season seven of “Scrubs” was a renaissance for the show. With probably one year to go, “Scrubs” seems destined to go down as one of the most hotly loved sitcoms of all time.