Breathe, Scrubs Fans: The Showrunner Just Told Us If Dr. Cox Is Going To Be Okay (Plus: J.D. And Elliot's Kid Is Finally Coming)

SPOILER ALERT: this one digs into the first two episodes of Scrubs Season 2.

Sacred Heart is open again, and the only question anyone was asking was is Dr. Cox going to be okay? The showrunner has answered, and yes, you can finally exhale.

The Dr. Cox Situation

The Season 2 premiere aired Wednesday night on ABC as a two-episode event. Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley) and his autoimmune condition were front and center, and by the end of episode two he'd been admitted to Sacred Heart for treatment.

Showrunner Aseem Batra told Variety the opening stretch was designed to put viewers at ease. Fans had been asking in the comments whether he was going to die, and her answer was basically: this is a comedy.

The plan is to focus on finding the right treatment, not putting him in jeopardy. Batra did admit that "people do die on Scrubs" is technically still in the realm of possibility, but the vibe is clearly "the family is back together."

Don't expect him in every episode, though. According to Deadline, he returns for two more episodes this season, and Variety puts his total run at around four because of McGinley's schedule on his other show. Judy Reyes (Carla) will pop up in roughly five or six episodes around her High Potential commitments.

Meanwhile, Everyone Is Having A Midlife Crisis

The Hollywood Reporter sums up the season as being about how the three leads handle leadership, and the short version is that it's going to be a little messy.

• J.D. (Zach Braff) is in a "rompy" new romance with Charlie (Rachel Bilson) and wondering what comes next. Batra calls it his "first pancake" relationship, the slightly wonky one you make right after a big breakup.
• Elliot (Sarah Chalke) is asking "what now?" with her ex-husband running the hospital.
• Turk (Donald Faison) is losing confidence in his surgical skills, and the show is also revisiting the mental health thread from Season 1.

Yes, there's also a quartet of J.D.s in episode two. THR reports they perform the Law & Order theme, and Zach reportedly lobbied for a dad bod with the belly out. We are NOT okay (in a good way).

New Faces, Missing Faces

Here's the cast shake-up, per Deadline:

• Ava Bunn's Tosh is now a series regular.
• John Higgins joins as Grant, the new chief resident, who J.D. finds very frustrating to deal with.
• Keyla Monterroso Mejia arrives as surgical nurse Mimi.
• Tamera Mowry-Housley guest stars as pediatric doctor Dr. Steffie.
• Joel Kim Booster's Dr. Park is out (a creative decision), and X Mayo's Nurse Raymond is also gone because of scheduling, so Nurse Dubois flies solo for now.

The other interns will rotate in and out so each one gets an actual story instead of one line per episode.

What's Coming

Scott Foley is back as Sean in episode three. Batra says it felt like he'd never left, and Elliot is facing the classic "do we give it another shot?" question. Deadline also reports Johnny Kastl is set to return near the end of the season, and Variety says the Janitor (Neil Flynn) is on the way too.

And the one fans have been waiting for: we will finally see J.D. and Elliot's kid. Batra told Variety screen time is tight, but they'll sprinkle it in, even if it's just a mention.

The Tea ☕

• Dr. Cox is getting treatment, and the showrunner says he's going to be fine.
• Scott Foley returns in episode three, with more guest stars on the way.
• J.D. and Elliot's child will finally appear on screen.

So, fans: are you happy with the new-intern setup, or do you miss the full OG gang? And is J.D. and Charlie a rebound or the real thing? Sound off below.

Sources: Variety | Deadline | The Hollywood Reporter