Although the first season of Scrubs in over 15 years only just dropped earlier this year, the revival’s second run of episodes is just a matter of weeks away. The beloved medical sitcom recently revealed a comeback date of Sept. 30, and D23 just provided some important information about what to expect from Season 2. The new trailer confirms what everyone had hoped, which is that a particular character from the original series will once more rear his head when Scrubs returns this fall. While the OG Scrubs character confirmed for Season 2 isn’t Ken Jenkins’ Dr. Bob Kelso, Sacred Heart’s former Chief of Medicine is generally expected to show up soon as well.
However, a recent teaser has finally solidified the much-anticipated scenario of Scott Foley reprising his role as Sean Kelly. Despite appearing in just 12 episodes of Scrubs when it was originally on the air, Foley’s character quickly earned a spot in the heart of the show’s fans thanks to Zach Braff’s infamous delivery of the line “Nobody cares, Sean,” as the incredibly jealous Dr. John “JD” Dorian. Sean’s return, at least in the abstract, is fantastic news. On the other hand, in context, it’s cause for concern. Especially for those who still aren’t over the Scrubs revival’s huge JD change.
Sean’s ‘Scrubs’ Comeback Makes a JD & Elliot Reunion Even Less Likely
I was among the enraged throng when the Scrubs revival revealed that JD’s marriage to Elliot (Sarah Chalke) hadn’t survived the period that separates the classic era and the new episodes. I initially assumed this was just a stunt to recreate the will-they/won’t-they dynamic that existed between the two characters in the original series, but as the revival progresses, I become far less sure of this. The former husband and wife seem happier with their marriage dissolved, despite the subtle clues that JD wants Elliot back. The ongoing tease of their romantic reunion doesn’t seem to be enough, though, as Scrubs has already introduced new love interests for both of them.
Season 2 has just proven that the contest for Elliot’s affections recently became even busier. Sean and Elliot were a near-perfect match when they were initially together, and Elliot only left him when JD finally professed his love for her. When it turned out that JD simply wanted what he thought he couldn’t have, the damage had been done, and the dynamic between Sean and Elliot had been shattered. Last we saw Sean, he was with Kim (Elizabeth Banks), the mother of JD’s son Sam, and it was implied they were on the cusp of a happy ending. However, Sean’s presence in the next run of Scrubs episodes hasn’t just been confirmed, but he’s also been revealed to be a love interest for Elliot. I guess Kim is out of the picture.
Despite dating Wes (Andy Riding) at the end of Season 1, Elliot’s lingering feelings for Sean are obvious in the recent Season 2 trailer, so I would imagine that the nice-but-dull Wes will be broken up with in the very near future. What’s concerning here is that Sean and Elliot were very clearly portrayed as having great romantic chemistry before JD selfishly intervened back in the day. If they end up together again in Season 2, what does that mean for JD and Elliot’s chances of a shot at reconciliation? I’d say pretty low. Enough time has probably passed for Sean to forgive Elliot for leaving him in the dust. At least Season 2 ended with JD about to embark on a relationship with an equally great romantic match in Charlie (Rachel Bilson).
Does Sean’s ‘Scrubs’ Return Mean Kim Will Also Be Back in Season 2?
A big part of what has made the Scrubs revival such a success so far is the focus on reuniting as much of the original cast as possible. Season 1 made an impressive dent in this respect, but Season 2 has already proven that the mission statement of tasteful nostalgia remains intact. Showrunner Aseem Batra has already discussed her intention to continue bringing back original-era characters, and Kim is at the top of a lot of fans’ lists in this respect. As the mother of JD’s oldest son, it would make perfect sense for Kim to receive some screen time during Season 2’s inevitable focus on JD’s life as a father.
Pair this with the implication that Kim is now single (if we assume her split from Sean is relatively recent), and the knee-jerk response is for her to return and be paired with JD once more. The thing is, Season 1 has already set up Charlie to be a really good romantic match for JD, so it would be a shame to throw that away too quickly. All of this is to say that I wouldn’t be surprised if Kim showed up in Scrubs Season 2, but I think she’s far more likely to return in her capacity as Sam’s mother rather than as a renewed love interest for JD. That being said, the upcoming run of episodes is topping its predecessor by a total of just 1 additional installment. 10 episodes might sound like a lot on paper, but Sean’s return is already a landmark occasion, so Scrubs would probably struggle to also give a Kim comeback the attention it deserves.
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Scrubs
- Release Date
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February 25, 2026
- Network
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ABC
- Writers
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Aaron Lee, Amy Pocha, Aseem Batra, Mathew Harawitz, Michael Hobert, Seth Cohen, Tim Hobert
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Scrubs
- Release Date
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2001 – 2010-00-00
- Network
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ABC, NBC
- Directors
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Michael Spiller, Chris Koch, Ken Whittingham, Adam Bernstein, Gail Mancuso, Marc Buckland, John Inwood, John Putch, Will Mackenzie, Victor Nelli Jr., Craig Zisk, Lawrence Trilling, Linda Mendoza, Michael McDonald, John Michel, Rick Blue, Richard Alexander Wells, Henry Chan, Joanna Kerns, Mark Stegemann, Matthew Diamond, Peter Lauer, Elodie Keene, Jason Ensler
