My First Day
Encyclopedia
"My First Day" is the pilot episode
of the American
comedy-drama
Scrubs
. It originally aired on October 2, 2001 on NBC
. The episode was written by series creator Bill Lawrence
and directed by Adam Bernstein
.
Like nearly all other episodes in the series, the title begins with "My". It is narrated by main character John "J.D." Dorian.
, setting the tone and style of the series while introducing the main characters. J.D.'s life slowly unfolds to the audience, showing flashbacks to illustrate J.D.'s strong friendship with Chris Turk
. They soon meet Elliot Reid
, J.D.'s recurring love interest throughout the series, as well as a number of other key characters in the series. A flashback to the previous day's orientation shows hospital lawyer Ted Buckland
advising the doctors on malpractice
. Following Ted's presentation, Chief of Medicine Dr. Bob Kelso
introduces himself as the new doctor's "safety net." A rivalry is exemplified between the medical and surgical interns as they partake in different activities around the hospital.
As J.D.'s day continues, he is thrust into the fray, but freezes up and relies on Nurse Carla Espinosa to carry out a routine IV
placement. This scene marks the first appearance of Doctor Percival "Perry" Cox, J.D.'s reluctant mentor. The first interaction between the two — with Cox mercilessly belittling J.D. — sets up their future relationship.
J.D.'s first movement towards Elliot occurs during rounds with Dr. Kelso, in which J.D. gives Elliot an answer when she appears to be struggling. He then asks her out to dinner. Later, when she refuses to help J.D., he rescinds his invitation. J.D. wonders if Turk is having the same difficulties as he is. After a short conversation, it becomes apparent that Turk is enjoying being a surgical intern. J.D. is introduced to Todd Quinlan, who gives J.D. one of his signature high-fives.
On his second day, J.D., while waiting for Elliot, encounters the hospital's janitor
repairing an automatic door. J.D. innocently speculates that the cause of the problem is a maybe a penny
is stuck in the door. The suspicious janitor swears vengeance on J.D. if this proves to be the problem. J.D. receives his first code page, he hides in a medical supply closet and discovers Elliot hiding as well. J.D. furiously states how she betrayed him and asks why she did it. She claims he just wants to sleep with her. J.D. says he wanted more, but is no longer interested. Dr. Cox finds them hiding and is unfazed. J.D. is later seen on the floor, hurting after being kicked in the stomach by Elliot while attempting to lock her in. Turk and Carla's relationship becomes sexual during an encounter in the on-call room. Later on, when Elliot mentions this to Carla, Carla gives Elliot a long speech about judging others, leaving Elliot dumbfounded.
During J.D.'s first night on call, he has the nurses do a number of his procedures. J.D.'s first interaction with nurse Laverne Roberts is shown in a deceased patient's room, the first patient to die on his watch. Shortly after this, J.D. runs into Turk who admits that he, too, is scared of the new hospital environment, and that he has already moved his things into J.D.'s apartment, after having told J.D. that he was not planning on living in the apartment.
Dr. Kelso shows his dark side, revealing that he only cares about patients who have the necessary health insurance
, disproving J.D.'s previous conception of Dr. Kelso as his "safety net". Dr. Kelso admits that he only carries a chart with him everywhere so that he can pretend to remember the new intern's names. J.D. eventually overcomes his fears and, with Dr. Cox's encouragement, successfully inserts a chest tube
. Elliot comes to tell J.D. she talked to the family of his patient which was pronounced dead, as an apology. She then kisses J.D. on the cheek. Happy to have gone through his first three days "without looking like a complete idiot", he leaves and runs into a glass door.
. This includes the scene where an attempted paracentesis
results in a jet of fluid, and another where J.D. hides to avoid being the first on the scene of an emergency, although both of these scenes are exaggerated.
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
of the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedy-drama
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
. It originally aired on October 2, 2001 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. The episode was written by series creator Bill Lawrence
Bill Lawrence (producer)
William Van Duzer Lawrence IV is an American screenwriter, producer, and director best known as the creator of Scrubs and co-creator of Cougar Town. Lawrence is married to the actress Christa Miller whom he cast in both television series; they have three children together...
and directed by Adam Bernstein
Adam Bernstein
Adam Bernstein is an American film, music video and television director and screenwriter. He was born in Princeton, New Jersey...
.
Like nearly all other episodes in the series, the title begins with "My". It is narrated by main character John "J.D." Dorian.
Plot
J.D.'s story begins with a first-person narrativeFirst-person narrative
First-person point of view is a narrative mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. First-person narrative may be singular, plural or multiple as well as being an authoritative, reliable or deceptive "voice" and represents point of view in the...
, setting the tone and style of the series while introducing the main characters. J.D.'s life slowly unfolds to the audience, showing flashbacks to illustrate J.D.'s strong friendship with Chris Turk
Christopher Turk
Christopher Duncan Turk, M.D., is a fictional character played by Donald Faison on the American comedy-drama Scrubs. Turk has appeared in every episode except three Season 8 episodes, "My Saving Grace", "My New Role" and "My Lawyer's in Love". Donald Faison is the only original cast member,...
. They soon meet Elliot Reid
Elliot Reid
Dr. Elliot Reid is a fictional character played by Sarah Chalke in the American comedy-drama Scrubs. She has appeared in every episode during the first eight seasons except two Season 8 episodes, "My Last Words" and "My Lawyer's in Love"....
, J.D.'s recurring love interest throughout the series, as well as a number of other key characters in the series. A flashback to the previous day's orientation shows hospital lawyer Ted Buckland
Ted Buckland
Theodore "Ted" Buckland, Esq., most commonly referred to as Ted Buckland , is a fictional character played by Sam Lloyd in Bill Lawrence series Scrubs and Cougar Town, and the only character to appears in both series.Created for Scrubs, Ted is the depressive, suicidal and incompetent lawyer of the...
advising the doctors on malpractice
Medical malpractice
Medical malpractice is professional negligence by act or omission by a health care provider in which the treatment provided falls below the accepted standard of practice in the medical community and causes injury or death to the patient, with most cases involving medical error. Standards and...
. Following Ted's presentation, Chief of Medicine Dr. Bob Kelso
Bob Kelso
Robert "Bob" Kelso, M.D. , is a fictional character played by Ken Jenkins in the American comedy-drama Scrubs....
introduces himself as the new doctor's "safety net." A rivalry is exemplified between the medical and surgical interns as they partake in different activities around the hospital.
As J.D.'s day continues, he is thrust into the fray, but freezes up and relies on Nurse Carla Espinosa to carry out a routine IV
Intravenous therapy
Intravenous therapy or IV therapy is the infusion of liquid substances directly into a vein. The word intravenous simply means "within a vein". Therapies administered intravenously are often called specialty pharmaceuticals...
placement. This scene marks the first appearance of Doctor Percival "Perry" Cox, J.D.'s reluctant mentor. The first interaction between the two — with Cox mercilessly belittling J.D. — sets up their future relationship.
J.D.'s first movement towards Elliot occurs during rounds with Dr. Kelso, in which J.D. gives Elliot an answer when she appears to be struggling. He then asks her out to dinner. Later, when she refuses to help J.D., he rescinds his invitation. J.D. wonders if Turk is having the same difficulties as he is. After a short conversation, it becomes apparent that Turk is enjoying being a surgical intern. J.D. is introduced to Todd Quinlan, who gives J.D. one of his signature high-fives.
On his second day, J.D., while waiting for Elliot, encounters the hospital's janitor
Janitor (Scrubs)
The Janitor is a fictional character, played by actor Neil Flynn in the American comedy-drama Scrubs.Neil Flynn was originally billed as a recurring guest star throughout Season 1, although he appeared in all 24 episodes of that season. He was promoted to a series regular beginning with Season 2...
repairing an automatic door. J.D. innocently speculates that the cause of the problem is a maybe a penny
Penny
A penny is a coin or a type of currency used in several English-speaking countries. It is often the smallest denomination within a currency system.-Etymology:...
is stuck in the door. The suspicious janitor swears vengeance on J.D. if this proves to be the problem. J.D. receives his first code page, he hides in a medical supply closet and discovers Elliot hiding as well. J.D. furiously states how she betrayed him and asks why she did it. She claims he just wants to sleep with her. J.D. says he wanted more, but is no longer interested. Dr. Cox finds them hiding and is unfazed. J.D. is later seen on the floor, hurting after being kicked in the stomach by Elliot while attempting to lock her in. Turk and Carla's relationship becomes sexual during an encounter in the on-call room. Later on, when Elliot mentions this to Carla, Carla gives Elliot a long speech about judging others, leaving Elliot dumbfounded.
During J.D.'s first night on call, he has the nurses do a number of his procedures. J.D.'s first interaction with nurse Laverne Roberts is shown in a deceased patient's room, the first patient to die on his watch. Shortly after this, J.D. runs into Turk who admits that he, too, is scared of the new hospital environment, and that he has already moved his things into J.D.'s apartment, after having told J.D. that he was not planning on living in the apartment.
Dr. Kelso shows his dark side, revealing that he only cares about patients who have the necessary health insurance
Health insurance
Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
, disproving J.D.'s previous conception of Dr. Kelso as his "safety net". Dr. Kelso admits that he only carries a chart with him everywhere so that he can pretend to remember the new intern's names. J.D. eventually overcomes his fears and, with Dr. Cox's encouragement, successfully inserts a chest tube
Chest tube
A chest tube is a flexible plastic tube that is inserted through the side of the chest into the pleural space. It is used to remove air or fluid , or pus from the intrathoracic space...
. Elliot comes to tell J.D. she talked to the family of his patient which was pronounced dead, as an apology. She then kisses J.D. on the cheek. Happy to have gone through his first three days "without looking like a complete idiot", he leaves and runs into a glass door.
Cultural references
- In the first scene, as J.D. rises out of the bed, he is wearing a Clone HighClone HighClone High is a Canadian-American animated television series that aired for one season on MTV and Teletoon....
T-shirt. Clone High was also created by Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence. Clone High didn't premiere until 2002. - The medical interns are shown playing a Pacman arcade machine.
Production details
Several of the scenes from this episode are based on the real-life experiences of medical adviser Jon Doris, a close friend of director Bill LawrenceBill Lawrence (producer)
William Van Duzer Lawrence IV is an American screenwriter, producer, and director best known as the creator of Scrubs and co-creator of Cougar Town. Lawrence is married to the actress Christa Miller whom he cast in both television series; they have three children together...
. This includes the scene where an attempted paracentesis
Paracentesis
Paracentesis is a medical procedure involving needle drainage of fluid from a body cavity, most commonly the peritoneal cavity in the abdomen.A related procedure is thoracocentesis, which is needle drainage of the chest cavity...
results in a jet of fluid, and another where J.D. hides to avoid being the first on the scene of an emergency, although both of these scenes are exaggerated.
- The set for J.D.'s sitcom fantasy is that of My Wife And KidsMy Wife and KidsMy Wife and Kids is an American television family sitcom that ran on ABC from March 28, 2001 until May 17, 2005. Produced by Touchstone Television , it starred Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell-Martin, and centers on the character of Michael Kyle, a loving husband and modern-day patriarch who rules...
. - Footage from this episode was later re-used in "My Urologist", with Dr. Kim Briggs digitally worked into it to make it look like she was there on J.D.'s first day.
- This was the only episode of the first eight seasons of Scrubs not shot at the former North Hollywood Medical CenterNorth Hollywood Medical CenterNorth Hollywood Medical Center was a hospital in the community of North Hollywood, California, demolished in mid 2011. It was located at 12629 Riverside Drive in North Hollywood in the San Fernando Valley, north of Los Angeles...
. Instead, it was filmed at another hospital in Glendale, CaliforniaGlendale, CaliforniaGlendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
. This hospital has since been torn down.