‘Scrubs’ Season 9 Retcon Affects Ted’s ‘Cougar Town’ Appearances

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The ninth season of Scrubs is now considered separate from the main storyline, according to recent hints and a statement from Donald Faison, who played Turk. In an interview with Esquire about the upcoming revival, Faison suggested fans view Season 9 as taking place in an alternate reality – like an ‘Elseworld’ or a different universe. The 13 episodes of Med School still happened, but in a reality separate from the one experienced by the characters after Season 8. This major change to the Scrubs timeline isn’t just significant for the show itself; it also affects another television series.

When Scrubs returns, one major change is a new showrunner. While the show’s creator, Bill Lawrence, will still be involved, Aseem Batra, who previously worked on Scrubs, will now oversee the day-to-day production. Lawrence has been very busy with other successful comedies like Ted Lasso, Shrinking, and Bad Monkey on Apple TV, as well as his six-season run with Cougar Town immediately after Scrubs ended. Interestingly, the decision to disregard Season 9 of Scrubs also has implications for Cougar Town.

Ted’s ‘Cougar Town’ Appearances Are Affected by the ‘Scrubs’ Revival’s Season 9 Retcon


ABC

Sam Lloyd was known for his role as Ted Buckland on all nine seasons of Scrubs, including the later Med School episodes. Although Scrubs ended in 2010 when ABC cancelled it, Lloyd continued to play Ted on Cougar Town in three episodes between 2011 and 2012, essentially continuing the character’s story in a way that felt official. The show even playfully acknowledged the fact that other actors from Scrubs also appeared on Cougar Town playing different roles, creating a fun, self-aware moment.

Revival Retcon’s Impact on the Scrubs/Cougar Town Timeline
Before the Retcon After the Retcon
Scrubs Seasons 1-8 Scrubs Seasons 1-8
Scrubs: Med School 16 years of off-screen events
Cougar Town Scrubs Revival

Everyone initially thought Ted’s appearances on Cougar Town happened after the ninth season of Scrubs because there wasn’t any evidence to suggest otherwise. But, since the Med School episodes now seem to take place in a separate timeline, it’s likely Cougar Town‘s story also splits off after the eighth season of Scrubs, instead of continuing as part of the revised Scrubs story. This means Ted’s experiences on Scrubs after season eight probably won’t line up with what we see on Cougar Town.

Banishing ‘Cougar Town’ to the ‘Med School’ Timeline Sets Up a Better Ending For Ted


NBC/ABC

In the ninth season of Scrubs, Ted went on a tour of America with his girlfriend, Gooch. We never actually see the tour, but Cougar Town reveals that things didn’t go well. Ted ends up in Florida, saying Gooch left him for Hooch – a character who will also be in the Scrubs revival. While Ted’s always been unlucky, his time in med school left him feeling optimistic, but Cougar Town undid that positive ending, mostly for a laugh. It felt a little harsh, though.

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Now that the Scrubs revival has altered the show’s timeline, Ted could finally get a happier ending after his original storyline left fans wanting more. It’s sad that Sam Lloyd, who played Ted, passed away in 2020 and won’t appear in the revival. However, the writers could easily create a story where Ted is mentioned or his life has progressed positively off-screen, offering a better outcome than what happened to him on Cougar Town. Zach Braff, who played JD, has shared that a location in the revival will be named Lloyd’s Tavern as a tribute to Sam Lloyd, but the show’s return might have even bigger plans to honor his character.

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2026-01-18 02:11