‘Scrubs’ Season 9 Already Explained the Janitor’s Absence From the Revival

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While Neil Flynn’s return as the Janitor in the Scrubs revival hasn’t been officially confirmed, there’s a good reason why. He and Ken Jenkins (Bob Kelso) are the only two original main cast members not yet announced to be returning. Similar to how Dr. Kelso’s retirement explains his absence, the show has already established a believable reason for why the Janitor wouldn’t be working at Sacred Heart in 2026.

As a huge Scrubs fan, I always loved the running gag with the Janitor popping up in every season. But things get a little weird with Season 9, which was originally called Scrubs: Med School. Basically, they’ve decided that season doesn’t really happen anymore – it’s like an alternate timeline. So, if you’re watching the revival, you can stop after the end of Season 8’s finale. It’s a shame, though, because the Janitor did have a cameo in Med School that explained why he wasn’t around anymore, and honestly, it was a really good scene – they’ve said it’s just too well done to undo!

A Version of the Janitor’s ‘Scrubs: Med School’ Exit Almost Definitely Still Happened After Season 8


NBC

Removing the ‘Med School’ season from the main ‘Scrubs’ storyline creates some inconsistencies. For instance, JD and Elliot aren’t a couple in the new season, even though they were married and expecting a child in the original plan. Also, the original Sacred Heart Hospital wasn’t demolished, because that season now takes place in a different reality. Most of the events from ‘Med School’ can be explained away as happening in this alternate timeline, but the Janitor’s departure remains a bit of a mystery.

In the very first episode of Scrubs, JD asks Turk why the Janitor didn’t continue working at the new Sacred Heart hospital. Turk explains that the Janitor left because JD wasn’t returning, meaning he’d lose his favorite person to playfully torment. This playful, often frustrating, relationship between JD and the Janitor became a long-running joke throughout all eight seasons of Scrubs. The Janitor would spend a surprising amount of time pranking JD, even though he should have been cleaning! This dynamic was established right away in the 2001 pilot and became a key part of what made Scrubs so memorable.

The storyline about the Janitor attending medical school was mainly created to explain why Donald Faison’s character, Turk, left the show to star in The Middle. However, it also perfectly fits the Janitor’s personality. It completely makes sense that the Janitor stopped showing up at the hospital once JD left – without JD to playfully torment, he likely lost his motivation. The writers were fortunate this provided a believable reason for his absence within the show’s world. Because the Janitor’s reaction feels so true to the character, it can’t be ignored. This is likely why Donald Faison hasn’t been included in the cast of the Scrubs revival – his character left Sacred Heart immediately after JD did.

It’s Safe to Assume That the Janitor Will Eventually Appear in the ‘Scrubs’ Revival


NBC

While the Janitor isn’t currently featured in the planned storyline for the Scrubs revival, hints suggest he may reappear. After Zach Braff shared a teaser for the revival on Instagram, fans flooded the comments asking about the Janitor’s absence. Braff’s cryptic response – “Allow the story to unfold…” – doesn’t guarantee a return for Neil Flynn, but it offers hope. Many fans agree the show wouldn’t feel complete without his character.

Zach Braff addressed the question of Donald F. Flynn’s (the Janitor and Dr. Kelso) return during an interview with Esquire. He offered a hopeful but uncertain answer, saying that if the show gets a second season, a return is “absolutely” possible. Regarding the current first season, he admitted they weren’t yet certain. This suggests that while the Janitor might still appear in Season 1 of the Scrubs revival, it’s more likely he’ll be back if ABC renews the show for another season.

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Zach Braff made a good point in a recent interview: the new season of Scrubs is only nine episodes, and it won’t be extended unless it gets renewed for a second season. The original series usually had over twenty episodes per season, allowing for thorough development of storylines for both the main characters and guest stars. With so few episodes this time around, it makes sense that not everyone could return immediately. Trying to include everyone would only allow for a quick overview of what they’ve been doing for the past sixteen years. Fortunately, the way the Janitor’s character was written off in Season 9 actually gives the writers more flexibility now.

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2026-01-26 18:33