Rating: 
Country: USA
Release Date: November 15, 2005
Distributor: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Cast:
· Zach Braff
· Sarah Chalke
· Donald Faison
· Neil Flynn
· Ken Jenkins
· John C. McGinley
· Judy Reyes
Related Sites:
· Season 3 DVD Review
· Season 4 DVD Review
· Season 5 DVD Review
Grade: A+
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DVD Review: Scrubs - The Complete Second Season
by Raul Burriel
Published: December 2, 2005
Scrubs is one of those series that's so good, and you love so much, you're shocked to learn that it's actually been renewed. The first season of Scrubs was a pleasant surprise. I expected too much drama and not enough comedy but decided to tune in anyway and found that the mix of serious and funny was just right and the single-camera/no studio audience/no laugh track production was a welcome change from the usual stuff churned out by Hollywood.
In its second season, Scrubs, like the characters on the show, matured and came into its own. No longer trying hard to find its place and nail down an audience, Scrubs became familiar. That pit in my stomach I got watching the first season - fully expecting it to get cancelled at any moment - was gone. Now I could sit back and enjoy, and Scrubs delivered.
In the second season of Scrubs, we get more of the same that we saw in the first season, just a lot more of it. We see Turk (Donald Faison) and Carla's (Judy Reyes) relationship blosom as J.D. (Zach Braff) and Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley) grow increasingly at odds (it doesn't help J.D. slept with Cox's ex-wife, Jordan, played by Christa Miller, wife of series creator Bill Lawrence). The goofy sound effects are gone for the most part, but the evil janitor (Neil Flynn) is still around to haunt J.D., and so are the wild fantasy sequences (Dr. Kelso (Ken Jenkins) rampaging down a hallway is the highlight of the season) and Elliot's (Sarah Chalke) breasts (Chalke appears in a bra in a majority of episodes this season... woohoo!) And we've got guest stars galore. Some of the highlights are Men at Work's Colin Hay in the season premiere providing a soundtrack for the episode, Tom Cavanaugh (Ed) as J.D.'s brother, John Ritter as J.D.'s dad, Tara Reid as Jordan's even sexier sister, and Heather Locklear as a pharmaceutical rep.
Bonus Features
Where this set really shines (if it's at all possible to outshine the episodes) is in the bonus material. Like last season, we get commentary on six episodes. It would have been nice to have had commentary on all the episodes, but then the DVD would have to come with a warning. If the episodes are funny, the commentaries are dangerously hilarious. Series creator shares each commentary with a different member of the cast, and everyone gets a chance to comment on Zach Braff's hair. Lawrence takes pleasure in repeatedly reminding us - and his fellow commentators - that Ken Jenkins doesn't get most of the jokes on the show, yet manages to deliver them with the best deadpan in the business. The commentaries are mostly an opportunity for the cast and crew to make snarky comments about each other, causing hysterical laughter on your part as well as on the part of the commentators.
The set also includes a collection of featurettes. "A Rare Condition" examines the look of the show, including costumes and the show's location, filmed entirely in an old, abandoned hospital. "Johnny C. Keeps Talking" is a look at John C. McGinley's role as Dr. Cox. "Musical Stylings" examines the music on the show (including lawyer Ted's (Sam Lloyd) a capella quartet). "Alternate Lines, A Second Opinion" looks at the janitor (Neil Flynn) who notoriously will go off script and make up his own lines. "Stunt Casting" examines the wealth of guest stars on the show. "Secrets and Lies" looks at the production of the show (with a particular focus on Donald Faison repeatedly missing a basketball shot). "Scrubbed Out" is a collection of deleted scenes while "Practice, Practice, Malpractice" is a quick blooper reel. "J.D.'s Mojo" is about J.D.'s love life and "Imagination Gone Wild" is about all the crazy fantasy sequences.
Even the main menu is special as we get to hear the full version of Lazlo Bane's "Superman" (the theme from Scrubs) while clips from the show cycle through.
The comedy in the second season of Scrubs is easily as smart as in the first season, which means that it won't appeal to everyone, especially those who need a laugh track to tell them when to laugh. But that's no concern of mine. Clearly, there's enough smart people out there to have earned Scrubs four season on TV. As season five inches closer, it's time to catch up on some of the best comedy of recent years. Do yourself a favor and put the second season of Scrubs on your Christmas list.
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CD Giveaway - Paper Bird, "Rooms"
Ends May 28, 2013
Drifting ever so slightly away from traditional folk music, this Colorado band delivers harmony and energy aplenty. |
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