ScrubsMedSchool

(S09E13) Considering ABC decided to burn off the last two episodes of 'Scrubs' largely unannounced, and especially because they decided to lead off a night of reruns with the season finale, there isn't much hope that we're going to see another season.

That's too bad, since this new ensemble has come together quite nicely. Is 'Scrubs Med School' as gut-grabbing funny as the original series? Absolutely not. But what we ended up with are a group of likable characters and storylines that left viewers anxious to see more from. There still needed to be adjustments made, but the season (and probably series) finale showed me that they were on the way to addressing most of the issues.

(S09E11) Just like with Better Off Ted, there doesn't seem to be any sign that the final two episodes of Scrubs are going to air any time soon. One was supposed to air tonight, but got yanked. One might air next Wednesday, but evidence is conflicting.

If this is the last episode we see, then, that'll be a shame, because this was the best one of the season. We saw a lot of growth by all the characters, even the ones that we've seen on our screens for nine years. But mostly, we saw exactly what the new Scrubs could be if given time: a great ensemble comedy that brings the funny on a consistent basis.

(S09E10) After last week's seemingly out-of-order interlude with J.D. and Elliot, we're back to the purity of following the med students around, and I have to say, this was the best of those episodes to date.

Given the proper elbow room, you can see even some of the more one-note characters, like Lucy and Drew Cole, grow and change. And, given the fact that even Bill Lawrence thinks it's a 70/30 shot against renewal, it's a bit of a shame; episodes like this make me want to get to know these characters a little more and follow them through their med school trials and tribulations.

Again, the pacing of the episode was slower, and we didn't see as many flashbacks and fantasy sequences. Which is fine with me; I want to get to know these characters with regards to how they interact with each other, not how they fantasize.

(S09E06) Wow. Just wow.

I knew the first Zach Braff-free episode of this new version of Scrubs was going to be a bit of a bumpy ride, but I didn't think things would be this bad.

It's not just that the episode was lacking in funny. The established characters were mostly written wrong, exhibiting characteristics we've never really seen before. And the med students -- except for Drew -- were so broadly written that they could have been played by anybody.

No wonder why this episode was buried on New Year's Day.

What happened on this week's 'Scrubs' season 9 episodes 1 and 2 -- in 200 words or less.

Sacred Heart has been rebuilt on campus and Dr. Cox, Kelso, Turk and Dorian are all on staff. Denise is a T.A. and we're introduced to a whole new crop of med students.

Lucy is the new "voice" of the show, sharing the fantasies and voiceovers with J.D. for now. She's a little neurotic and a lot insecure, struggling to gain acceptance from Dr. Cox.

J.D. is trying to figure out what kind of teacher he wants to be, and desperately seeking that one student who might need him; it turns out to be Lucy.

If you're a regular reader of TV Squad, you probably already know what's going on with the unexpected ninth season of Scrubs. From Bill Lawrence's statement that the eighth season might not be the final one to his detailed descriptions of how the show was going to transition to its new med school setting, you've been given a good idea of how this shift was going to happen.

But one thing we didn't know was the biggest question of all: is it going to be funny?

The answer? A qualified yes. The two episodes ABC sent for review, which air back-to-back tomorrow at 9 PM ET, were definitely funny. But most of the humor came not from the new med students we're supposed to get to know, but from the characters we've known and laughed with for eight years. And for this ninth season to succeed, that ratio will have to even out, and quickly.