Scrubs: The Complete Third Season

The 2003-04 third season of this semi-surreal, semi-sincere, proudly silly hospital comedy takes a long time to find its rhythm, with early episodes not only more mean than funny, but also burdened by a heavy dollop of romantic sap, gimmicky slow-mo montages, and self-indulgent musical sequences. In fact, the only out-loud laughs in the first five half-hours come from snarky harp seals and killer whales at Sea World, where a recurring character works as a trainer. But after setting up its clunky seasonal story arcs, lightning strikes again, and the gut-busting, out-of-left-field creativity comes roaring back. Featuing the show's trademark inner monologues and fantasy sequences of nervous, narrating dorky third-year doctor J.D. (Zach Braff), this season finds J.D. pining for neurotic co-worker Elliot (Sarah Chalke), while spicy nurse Carla (Judy Reyes) plans her wedding to charmingly cocky young surgeon Turk (Donald Faison). The one big albatross here—the romantic subplot between J.D. and Elliot is driven by tiresome emotional immaturity that see-saws laboriously through all 24 episodes—is something that even the show's creators acknowledge as overkill on the set's lackluster extras, which include two snooze-worthy commentary tracks and some third-rate featurettes (six minutes on cast pet dogs—are you kidding?). Still, in the long run, the great laughs here outnumber the plot gaffes, making this a treat for any fan of the show. Recommended. (R. Blackwelder)