I was a big fan of the previous Scrubs season finale “My Finale” when we all thought it was going to be the series finale. It wrapped up loose ends, it left many things open ended, and it brought together eight years of great television for one final farewell. Then a 9th season was confirmed, and my heart filled with dispair. Why create a post-script season for a series that many thought should have quit while it was ahead several years ago? The more I heard about the new format of the series, the more I became sure this was going to tarnish the legacy of a great sitcom. Which is why after I experenced an hour of fantastic television, I was never more happy to be wrong since I saw Where the Wild Things Are and loved that too.

The show picks up one year later with Sacred Heart Hospital destroyed, and replaced with a huge medical school, where most of the original series principal characters were now teachers at the new school. I understood Dr. Cox and Turk taking up this mantle, but the return of J.D to the area kinda left me jarred for a minute. During the time skip, J.D and Eliott tied the knot, and are now happily expecting. That’s fine and dandy and all, but J.D left Sacred Heart to spend time with his already born son. The fact that they didn’t address this point at all was a tad weird. The complete absence of Carla was the other major issue I had with the two episode premiere.

The rest… was surprisingly brilliant.

For the returning leads, nothing has changed. Cox still horrifies the new interns without remorse, J.D and Turk are still Heterosexual Life Partners, and Dr. Kelso is still a wise, yet revoltingly dirty old man. All of the characters felt completely familiar, as if it was just another day at Sacred Heart. A new character from Season Eight, Denise, gained a more prompt role as a T.A for J.D and the others. I liked her character last season, and I love the character this season. She’s witty, scary, and all out sexy, and the character development she’s gone through in the first two episodes alone make her one to watch as the season goes on.

The new main character comes in the form of Lucy, who I took one good look at and thought I would loathe, instantly changed my opinion of her when her first narration celebrated the fact that she can finally look left. Over the first two episodes, she shows a blending of the original three main characters, JD, Elliott and Turk, that is both familiar and very fresh. Her fantasy scenes are just as funny as what JD could cook up. Not much is funnier than a send up to the Lifetime Movie Special, and Zach Braff showing off his Fabio impression is Laugh-Out-Loud funny.

The other new characters, namely Drew and Cole, were… ok. Drew looks like he has a lot of room to grow as a character, and there’s going to be a lot of pressure on him, how that Perry’s got his eye on him 24/7… almost literally. Cole is an ass. I hope something comes along to mess with his cocky attitude, and quick. Preferably by means of Denise. Now wouldn’t that be awesome.

My fear that the show may reuse plots from former seasons somewhat came true in the second episode, where Lucy tries to help a drunk get enough money to check into rehab, only for Cox to correctly predict he wouldn’t change at all. Elliott went through the same song and dance seasons ago, and it all felt like retreaded ground, even though it helped set up JD to become Lucy’s mentor. I hope the show doesn’t fall back to this often, but I assume only time will tell.

All and all, I liked this new Scrubs. A lot. I laughed hard and often, the characters are as fun as ever, and while there’s still a lot to answer, there is a lot here to love. From the exit of the Janitor to the hot Australian Med Student to the Todd being… well, the Todd. Scrubs is what Scrubs always was, and hopefully till continue to be. Brilliant Television that brings as much drama as it does to it’s comedy.