Second Look: Scrubs Season 1, Episode 10 – “My Nickname”

Scrubs Season 1, Episode 10 “My Nickname”
Written by Bill Lawrence
Directed by Matthew Diamond
Aired November 27, 2001 on NBC

There are few things more exciting than seeing a young series when it has become confident with its voice, characters, and established rhythms – and then begins to challenge and evolve them. “My Nickname”, Scrubs‘s tenth episode, takes this approach in a few different ways, exploring how J.D. and Carla’s relationship has changed since the opening moments of “My First Day” – and with other characters, uses newer dynamics (like Turk and Kelso, and to a lesser degree, Elliot and Dr. Cox) as an assessment of sorts to see how these characters have been defined over the show’s first handful of episodes. Those moments are enjoyable enough, and make “My Nickname” an interesting, meta reflective episode of sorts – but what makes “My Nickname” one of season one’s more interesting (if imperfect) entries, comes from the brewing conflict between J.D. and Carla at the heart of the episode, which takes an unexpectedly somber tone in a surprisingly nuanced third act.

J.D. and Carla’s first conflict is an interesting one – both in the context of its first season, and where it sits in retrospective of the show’s entire run. There really aren’t a ton of episodes like “My Nickname”, because historically, most of their conflicts are derived from Turk-centric stories. Here, when J.D. begins to feel smarter than Carla after having a few months of experience at Sacred Heart, it offers the series a bit of a different opportunity, to examine their relationship. After Cox dresses down J.D. yet again, Carla gets into an argument with Perry, defending J.D. – which ends up making J.D. mad, not having an opportunity to defend himself in front of his boss and mentor, leaving himself open to the very jokes Cox and staff begin making about Carla being his “work mommy” and fighting his battles for him.

Predictably, this story ends up being about J.D.’s insecurities, which surface in much more indirect, personal ways then we’ve seen when he was struggling with patients in “My Mentor” or “My Old Lady”. But more interestingly, it’s an episode about the insecurities of its other characters as well; Turk when it comes to speaking truth to power (following his previous attempts to stand up to Kelso in “My Fifteen Minutes”), Elliot seeing herself reflected in Jill Tracy’s manic behavior – and of course, Carla, whose lack of education and economic status rise to the forefront for the first, and one of the only, times in the series.

Carla’s lack of formal education is never something the show would spend much time on; nowhere near as much time as it would on J.D.’s inability to define himself outside of his job, or Carla’s feelings of inadequacy that occasionally spring from being around doctors who assume they’re her intellectual superiors (thus explaining her need to constantly point out to them how they’re living their lives like idiots). Combining those two to drive a wedge between Carla and J.D. makes for an interesting stress point – and a fantastic moment of dramatic performance from Judy Reyes, as her and J.D. argue in the rain. Though it is a move that feels out of place for Scrubs, there’s no denying the effect of seeing J.D.’s condescending ways manifest in front of Carla, telling her she’s a “good nurse”, and later, when he tries to reconcile with her by asking for information she knows he already has.

Carla’s speech acknowledging just how selfish J.D. is, makes for a really powerful moment, one that propels “My Nickname” from a decent episode to a good one – a distinction that may not seem important ten episodes in, but stands out as a singular moment for her character when reflecting on the 182 episodes Scrubs would air in total. Of the main cast members, Carla is given the least amount of time to shine in later seasons, which makes it even more fun to watch Judy Reyes chew up dialogue like she does when she dresses down J.D. in the rain, in one of the show’s most beautiful, honest moments ever: “Never, in my nine years working as a nurse, have I ever felt bad about what I do. And then I met you.”

To Scrubs‘ credit, “My Nickname” doesn’t back away from the severity of that moment, eventually hinting at reconciliation rather than offering it, smartly giving nuance to the resolution of the story where its most dramatic moments ring much louder. Where it lands is interesting; although Carla indirectly forgives him later on, it’s clear something about their working relationship has fundamentally changed forever, and not necessarily for the better (though at least this time, Carla might let down the defenses built from hundreds of interns leaving her behind if J.D. grows up). Balance like that is important, and Scrubs recognizes the value of letting the conflict linger a little bit longer than most shows would; it’s one of the many real life touches the surrealist comedy used to create such a strong bond with the audience, and “My Nickname” shows a writing staff in full control of it.

Sure, nothing in “My Nickname” is as bold as numerous other episodes in this first season, but creating such a huge moment between Carla and J.D. is a daring thing to do. Without the right balance, that moment would quickly topple over into parody, something “My Nickname” is desperately trying to avoid; this is the show’s biggest emotional leap since “My Old Lady” – and coming in an episode that features Elliot basically befriending herself, and Turk fighting over a chair with Kelso, its effectiveness is outsized, because appears out of nowhere, moments after a mislead where it seems Carla has resolved her dispute with J.D.

“My Nickname” also marks the first appearance of Nicole Sullivan as Jill, who is Elliot’s peek into an alternate reality where everything has gone horribly wrong. Completely overwhelmed by her job and self-sabotaging life plans, Jill is Elliot’s energy and neuroses cranked up to 11, which throws them both into direct conflict with Dr. Cox (who basically gives Elliot the J.D treatment through the episode, though falling short of calling her boy names). Sullivan’s first appearance is certainly the most impactful of Jill’s numerous Scrubs appearances, but “My Nickname” takes advantage of showing Elliot’s dark side without having to attach those traits to Elliot herself, instead more as a funhouse reflection of what a worse-off version of herself might look like. Watching her work around her worst compulsions and fears, rather than be consumed by them, is a new wrinkle for Elliot, and a rare, early example of her retaining control over a situation, even while Dr. Cox is putting in his best effort to ruin it.

However, “My Nickname” will always be remembered for J.D. and Carla’s conversation in the rain; it may be Carla’s single strongest moment, exposing J.D.’s biggest vulnerability in a way usually only reserved for Dr. Cox (and with a severely different tone than most of Cox/J.D. scenes would have, even the most meaningful ones). It’s a spot of darkness on the collage of goofiness that defines the rest of the episode, a half hour that may not stick out as essential in the minds of long time Scrubs fans, but remains a strong reminder of what a powerful presence Carla could be when Scrubs would let her.

Grade: B+

Other thoughts/observations:

• Turk and Kelso’s fight feels incredibly incidental and wasted, but it’s actually another good, if much lighter, litmus test of the character. Turk is confident in the work he does, but he’s still trying to find the balance between asserting himself and “playing the game” Jordan mentioned a few episodes earlier.
  
• Janitor works on new nicknames for J.D.: Whiny Face, Whiny Britches, and Whiny Dancer, before settling on Scooter. Why? “Because I hate Scooter Pies).
  
• Carla gives Turk the short on her plans with J.D.: “Black and white photography, artsy-fartsy, no boobies.”
  
• “My Nickname” contains the first mention of Kelso’s wife; he mentions her egg salad and tomato sandwiches while arguing with Turk.
  
• The infamous piano riff makes an appearance!
  
• Official High Five Count: What an episode for high fives! Todd gets two high fives AND a head five (counting that as half a high-five), bringing the Todd Total to 9. There is also an additional high five that takes place between Cox and a nurse, which brings the official Season Total to 11.
  
• Up next: J.D. gets behind the camera in “My Own Personal Jesus”.