‘Scrubs’ John C. McGinley Weighs In on Whether Season 9 Is Canon [Exclusive]

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With the upcoming release of new Scrubs episodes after more than 16 years, many fans still talk about their disappointment with Season 9, which aired in 2009. Although it brought back Zach Braff and Donald Faison as their beloved characters, the season shifted its focus to a new group of people and moved away from the familiar Sacred Heart Hospital setting. Over time, fans and the show’s creators have shared more details about why Season 9 remains a sensitive topic for so many.

Now that Scrubs is returning for a new season, fans are still debating whether Season 9 is considered part of the show’s official storyline. John C. McGinley, who played Dr. Perry Cox, explained in an interview with MovieWeb‘s Joe Deckelmeier that the season didn’t feel like Scrubs because it was created after ABC requested additional episodes from the show’s team.

Since the show’s creator, Bill Lawrence, wasn’t heavily involved at the start of the new season, actor McGinley mentioned they all missed having his input. They were very excited when he returned with a bigger role.

Season 9 felt different from the original ‘Scrubs.’ It wasn’t even initially intended to be part of the show, and was named ‘Scrubs’ almost as an afterthought. It was created during the 2008-2009 recession, and importantly, it provided work for around 160 people. Bill Lawrence really stepped up to make it happen. ‘Scrubs’ had been definitively canceled, but ABC approached the creators looking for more content, and they decided to do another 16 or 17 episodes. It was a good way to keep the show going, and it gave opportunities to some talented new actors, like Dave Franco and Kerry Bishé.

We really missed Bill Lawrence’s involvement, and that was the main reason for my decision. I thought Season 9 had some excellent moments and the cast worked really well together. However, my biggest concern was that without Bill leading the creative direction, I didn’t want to participate. I made that clear from the start, and I believe Judy Reyes felt similarly. Bill is deeply involved and his influence is definitely noticeable.

How ‘Scrubs’ Season 10 Picks Up After the OG Series

Considering early looks at Scrubs Season 10, it seems Season 9 is no longer considered part of the main story. The show now treats Season 8 as the true finale, meaning J.D. and Elliot’s wedding and upcoming baby – hinted at in Season 9 and shown in trailers for Season 10 – never actually happened.

Based on what we’ve seen so far, J.D. and Elliot are no longer a couple, and J.D. is meeting up with his old coworkers from Sacred Heart for the first time in over ten years. It’s unclear if the new season will explain what happened during those missing years, but after a long wait, this season promises to give fans a lot of information about what’s going on now.

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Removing Season 9 will allow the story to flow more naturally into Season 10, as it seemed rushed even during its initial creation and release. The new season returns to Sacred Heart Hospital with most of the original cast, aiming to recapture the feel of the classic show, with a few updated elements. The first two episodes of Scrubs Season 10 will premiere on ABC on February 25, 2026.



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2026-02-20 20:03