Just like with Better Off Ted, there doesn’t seem to be any sign that the final two episodes of Scrubs are going to air any time soon. One was supposed to air tonight, but got yanked. One might air next Wednesday, but evidence is conflicting.

If this is the last episode we see, then, that’ll be a shame, because this was the best one of the season. We saw a lot of growth by all the characters, even the ones that we’ve seen on our screens for nine years. But mostly, we saw exactly what the new Scrubs could be if given time: a great ensemble comedy that brings the funny on a consistent basis.

What did I like about the episode?

– Drew asserting himself as a true leader, with Cox’s help. It really looks like Cox is taking a shine to his number one, to the extent that he’s giving Drew lessons that go beyond medicine. We’re seeing a new side of Cox, too, one that doles out compliments along with his patented shaming method of leadership. Also, we know what makes him smile: the prospect of putting his students through Hell Week.

– Lucy getting a spine. Sure, she picked on Trang, the smallest one in the group, but she had to assert herself somewhere. “It’s getting froggy in here. Want to jump?” was one of the funniest lines I’ve ever heard her utter. Now if they just got rid of her narration (it’s almost gone), we’d be in good shape.

– Turk can be humbled. We’ve seen it before, of course, but as chief of surgery, we knew that we were going to see his ego go out of control at some point. Sure, as Kelso mentioned, Dr. Dennis is a “douche,” but sometimes you need to suck up to help the greater good. It was also fun to see Turk try to break out his dance moves and pull a muscle. Those days of busting a move to Bel Biv Devoe’s “Poison” are long gone, aren’t they?

– Denise being human and Denise, all at the same time. While she was trying to help Turk get back his dignity with the whole Dennis argument — she called him a “little girl bitch” — she was dealing with her feelings for Drew. Now, I wonder if the writers wrote about how Denise’s throat would close when stressed to explain whatever hoarseness Eliza Coupe showed up with that week, or if it was just a coincidence. But it was interesting to see her own Hell Week psychotic break in a flashback.

– The Trang / Maya pairing has a history: Maya’s mom dated tennis champ Michael Chang. That family seems to be drawn to overachieving Asian men, don’t they?

– The Todd wanting scrubs that hugged his privates better. Always good to hear from The Todd.

What didn’t I like? Not much. Cole was Cole. He’s OK when treated mostly like he was in this episode, where he was mostly just comic relief. As others have mentioned, it seems like this role would have gone to Aziz Ansari if he didn’t take Parks and Recreation last season, since Cole seems to be almost the exact same character as Ed, only Aziz did a better job with it. So Ed would maybe be an intern all over again and Cole would have morphed into someone else. Not sure.

To see the show improve every week at this point is encouraging and disheartening all at once, but it also proves once again that, in the right hands, many comedies will improve from a shaky start. Not sure if ABC will give this version of Scrubs a chance, but if they don’t, at least we’re ending on a high note.

Watch “Our Dear Leaders” Episode Online

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