The TV Do-Over Blog Hop

This week and next author, Caroline Fardig is steering her blog in the direction of some other talented voices and I feel pretty honored to have been asked to participate. Contrary to what the frequency of my posts might make you think, I really do love writing and the topic she has chosen for us all to take on is one of universal interest: TV Do-Overs.  We each get a chance to take that one story line that just gets under our skin and...fix it. *Insert evil laugh and hand wringing here* Don't worry, I'll try not to get drunk with this newfound power.

So, let's take a little trip back in time. It's the spring of 2004.  It's Thursday night.  You're wearing a red Kabbalah bracelet and kicking back with your Atkins and/or South Beach approved snack as you decide to turn on NBC.  Wedged right between the "Must See TV" bookends, Friends and Will & Grace, is a fun little romp called Scrubs.

You've watched eagerly for three seasons as the main character, J.D., bumbles his way through his medical internship and attempts to win the affections of Elliot Reid.  You're nearing the end of the season and things aren't looking very hopeful.  Well that's not entirely accurate. Things actually do look good for about a minute. Elliot's boyfriend, is out of the country and she and J.D. do get dangerously close (okay, they sleep together). Fidelity issues aside, I suppose this could look like a victory for J.D....right up until the boyfriend walks back into the picture. No literally, he shows up at J.D.'s apartment and just walks right in the door.  What the Hell, Sean? Too busy holding sea creatures captive to knock?

(Ha-Ha! In 2004 we thought being a trainer at Sea World was a noble profession!)

Okay, so NOW things aren't looking very hopeful. Elliot is so sure she wants to make things work with Sean that she asks him to move in with her.  That's pretty serious.  Naturally, J.D. is a little mopey, but somehow, he actually plucks up the courage to tell Elliot how he really feels. It's a great speech, like the TV equivalent of the When Harry Met Sally New Year's Eve Speech.

"Words...words...words...Pizza...Bad TV...words...words...words...I'd choose you...words...tears."

And it works! It finally works!  Holy crap it works! She drops the seal trainer and shows up unannounced at J.D.'s apartment with a pizza. (Okay, maybe nobody knocks in the Scrubs universe.)  They're together at last and everything seems to be perfect.

"You finally have me, Dr. Dorian."

Ah. That's nice. You probably want to just sit back for a moment and take it all in.

But nope. No. You don't get to. Because J.-fricken-D. decides at that exact moment that he doesn't want Elliot.

WHAT?!?

Of all the whiny, ridiculous, senseless, crap...

*deep cleansing breaths*

Okay.  Time for a re-write.

Let's go back to that sweet moment on the couch. Elliot tells J.D. he finally has her and instead of making a really big

he simply takes stock of the moment in his mind. He realizes he's finally happy. He appreciates the gravity of the risk Elliot has taken to be with him. He's ready to be in love. Aaaaaand scene.

Well that was easy.

No really, that was so very easy.

If the writers were so desperate to throw conflict into the final few episodes of the season, they should have had J.D. steal Carla and Turk's thunder by proposing to Elliot at their rehearsal dinner.  Most of the other characters would have still been angry with him, but it would have been for a reason the viewers could actually get behind.  And we might not have had to wait 9 seasons finally to see this:

SPOILER ALERT!

Be sure to check out the next stop on Caroline's Blog Hop tomorrow to see what Lilian Roberts has to say about her favorite shows.