Scrubsseason 9 is viewed pretty much unanimously as the sitcom’s worst run by far, butthe overall show’s lowest-rated episode weirdly doesn’t come during theMed Schoolera. The ninth season of the medical sitcom underwent a thorough overhaul, almost making it unrecognizable when held up againstScrubsseasons 1-8. The new cast members, setting, and general aesthetic didn’t sit well with fans, leading to the show’s cancellation.
All nine seasons ofScrubsairedbetween 2001 and 2010, and although it didn’t perform quite as well as its contemporaries in terms of ratings and award nominations, the sitcom’s devoted following kept it going for the best part of a decade. With aScrubsrevivalseemingly on the horizon, showrunnerBill Lawrence and the original cast should soon be able to pick up the storyaround 15 years afterMed Schoolended. Hopefully,Scrubs' best episodesinfluence the show’s upcoming era more than the failed efforts.
Why Scrubs Season 6, Episode 11, “My Night To Remember” Is The Show’s Lowest-Rated
Scrubs' clip show episode is the only installment to fall below the Med School era
It would be reasonable to assume thatScrubsseason 9’s thirteen episodes would all be sitting at the bottom of the pile ofIMDb’s ranking system. However,aScrubsseason 6 episode boasts the unfortunate title of the sitcom’s worst effort.Scrubsseason 6, episode 11, “My Night to Remember,” is the show’s lowest-rated effort on IMDb, but a large part of the reason behind this is that it’s a clip show episode. As such, it’s largely a highlight reel of the sitcom’s best moments to that point, framed by only minimal new material.
168
8
11
7.5/10
169
9
1
6.5/10
170
2
171
4
172
173
3
6.4/10
174
10
6.3/10
175
7
176
5
6.2/10
177
13
6.1/10
178
6
179
12
6.0/10
180
5.9/10
181
5.8/10
182
“My Night to Remember”
5.3/10
Clip shows are often among the most disliked sitcom episodes, as they offer very little in terms of new content. That being said, “My Night To Remember” is very close to matching the rating ofScrubsseason 9, episode 11, “Our Dear Leaders,” with just 0.5 points separating the two installments. Therefore, a genuine episode that had real effort put into it is deemed barely better than a rehash of old clips shown out of context.TheMed Schoolpilot is the highest-rated season 9 episode, but even that only has a score of 6.5/10.
Scrubs Thankfully Only Did 1 Clipshow Episode (& It Came Weirdly Late)
“My Night to Remember” stood alone in its category throughout Scrubs’s run
Clip show episodes originated purely for budgetary reasons. They’re a cheap way to pad out a season as there is often very little new footage that needs to be shot, as the installment relies on clips that have already appeared in the show. Bottle episodes also exist to save on production costs, by limiting locations and therefore how much money is needed to shoot them. The difference is that bottle episodes can be incredible, whereas clip shows are always a letdown. Fortunately,“My Night to Remember” wasScrubs' only clip show episodemade throughout its nine-season run.
Scrubs Season 9 Immediately Ruined Season 8’s Perfect Final Line (But Season 10 Could Fix It)
One onscreen farewell was rendered meaningless once Scrubs returned under the Med School banner, but the coming revival can restore the emotion.
As well asScrubs' rare decision to only make just one clip show episode, its lone effort in the category came very deep into the sitcom’s run. Other sitcoms, especially ones made at the same time asScrubs, not only had multiple clip shows, but their first would often appear much earlier. For instance,Friendshad a whopping six clip show episodes, with its first in season 4, and then five more in consecutive seasons between seasons 6 and 10. Thankfully,Scrubswas much less willing to use the sitcom trope.
Scrubs
Cast
Scrubs is a Sitcom and Medical Comedy/Drama created by Bill Lawrence that follows a group of medical students throughout their daily lives at the Sacred Heart Teaching Hospital. The series stars Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, and Donald Faison, as they work their way up from Medical Interns while juggling all sorts of hospital shenanigans.
