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THE LONG-AWAITED Scrubs reboot landed on Disney+ today, but is it any good?
The revival was first announced in July last year and fans got a taste of it when the trailer dropped last November.
It’s been 16 years since the medical comedy aired its last episode but JD and his appletinis are finally back on our screens.
So what do critics make of it?
The general consensus so far seems to be that this reboot has captured the magic of the original, but can sometimes feel a bit too like the first run.
In its four-star review The Guardian said those who were fans of the original show will be pleased, and the show is “just as watchable as Scrubs ever was”.
Many of the original cast members have returned for this revamped version of the show.
Zach Braff returns to Sacred Heart hospital as Dr JD Dorian with Sarah Chalke and Donald Faison also reprising their roles as Dr Elliot Reid and Dr Christopher Turk respectively.
Other returning cast characters include Dr Perry Cox (John C McGinley) nurse Carla Espinosa (Judy Reyes), Neil Flynn as The Janitor and Robert Maschio as ‘The Todd’.
For now, it seems Ken Jenkins is not returning as Bob Kelso and because he passed away in 2020 viewers also won’t see Sam Lloyd as Ted.
Many of the reviews remark on how similar it is to its original run, with The Hollywood Reporter saying this is “for better or worse”.
“If you want Scrubs back, but want it back the way it existed through its first eight seasons — with acknowledgement of the passage of time, but no real maturation — then the first four episodes of the reboot deliver roughly what you want.”
Collider’s review is more positive, giving it an 8 out of 10. In the first four episodes, they said “the core characters remain as funny as ever”.
During it’s original run Scrubs became a cultural phenomenon averaging 15 million viewers per episode at its peak across the US.
The official synopsis for the reboot says we will see JD and Turk “scrub in together for the first time in a long time”.
“Medicine has changed, interns have changed, but their bromance has stood the test of time.”
The Financial Times review reckons the reboot takes a while to find its feet but encourages viewers to “stick with it”.
“It may take a minute to get there, but in the end, this reboot nails the brief: it is familiar, nostalgic and it is difficult to watch it with anything other than a great deal of fondness.”
Presenting Scrubs to audiences in 2026 comes with challenges, this is something that Collider acknowledge in their review particularly in the case of The Todd.
In its original run The Todd was known for his womanising behaviour, sexist jokes and signature high five. The reboot addresses some of the more problematic elements of the character according to Collider:
“When trying to preserve some of the ‘bro’ humour, they repeatedly point out, ‘We can’t say this any more’ — The Todd asks for a “Consent Five” and has been taking behavioural classes, for example.”
Several of the reviews, including Collider, acknowledge how the show handles modern problems in medicine: “Storylines reflect modern medical pressures, from patients rationing expensive medication to struggles with insurance coverage.”
Not all the reviews so far lean positive. Variety has labelled the show “millennial cringe” and questions why viewers would want to watch “a season that tries to stick as closely to the original as possible” when they can “just watch the original itself”.
USA Today went further on this line saying “Scrubs doesn’t belong in 2026″ and “some things can just stay dead”.
“Here lies Scrubs, killed twice, once in 2010 and once in 2026.”
Overall though, the reviews are leaning positive for the much-anticipated revival, even if they say it relies heavily on nostalgia to pull viewers in.
Irish viewers can stream the first two episodes on Disney+ now with episodes dropping weekly.
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