My Growing Pains
Encyclopedia
"My Growing Pains" is the fifth episode of season seven and the 144th episode of the American sitcom Scrubs
. It aired on November 29, 2007 on NBC
.
. At the same time, Dr. Cox tries to make Jack grow up by refusing to talk to him in a "funny voice" that entertains him. Meanwhile, Dr. Cox has an 11-year-old patient, Josh, who is diagnosed with leukemia
. He has to deal with the child's parents, who want to keep the condition a secret from Josh. Dr. Cox tells Josh without his parents' consent. Carla
, who was against the decision, warns that the parents might take legal action against him. But when Josh explains that he already knew something was wrong even before Dr. Cox told him so, Dr. Cox announces his deed triumphantly to Carla, she insists that he "just doesn't get it". At the same time, Turk tortures J.D. by trying to get him to play some of their childish games, like Hide the Saltine.
Dr. Kelso
, whose birthday arrives, insists that he is turning 58; however, when Carla reveals that he's been saying the same thing for years, Elliot
enlists the Janitor
and Ted
's help to find out Kelso's real age. They find out that he is in fact 65, and throw him a surprise birthday party. However, the reason that Kelso never mentioned his real age was because he knew that when he turned 65, he would have to step down as chief of medicine. Sure enough, a board member later approaches Kelso in his office and informs Kelso that during the upcoming months they would be searching for his replacement. Kelso reluctantly agrees, asking only that the fact that he was retiring be kept a secret.
At the end of the episode, J.D. and Dr. Cox confront Turk and Carla in a "tag team" battle. Carla says that Dr. Cox has no right to deny Josh his childhood by forcing him to deal with such a terrible disease, saying that Dr. Cox's own unhappy childhood is not a justifiable excuse. Turk also makes J.D. realize that his new responsibilities do not necessarily preclude his individual expression; according to Turk, there is no reason for J.D. to "change who he is." The episode ends with J.D. and Turk playing at "World's Most Giant Black Doctor", asking people to sign a petition to make the hospital more giant-accessible, while Dr. Cox talks to Jack using the "funny voice" over a webcam
.
of TV Squad said that this episode is "yet another example of how the writers have made the show funnier by making things less wacky. In fact, the lack of wackiness parallels how both Turk and J.D. are becoming more like real adults than either of them want to be."
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 aired on November 29, 2007 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...
.
Plot
When J.D. and Turk take a trip down memory lane to their first prank together while planning another, Dr. Cox tells J.D. that he has to "grow up" due to his new responsibilities of fatherhood. J.D. tells Turk that they need to act their age, and Turk tries to convince J.D. that he doesn't need to completely lose his inner childInner child
Inner child is a concept used in popular psychology and Analytical psychology to denote the childlike aspect of a person's psyche, especially when viewed as an independent entity. Frequently, the term is used to address subjective childhood experiences and the remaining effects of one's childhood...
. At the same time, Dr. Cox tries to make Jack grow up by refusing to talk to him in a "funny voice" that entertains him. Meanwhile, Dr. Cox has an 11-year-old patient, Josh, who is diagnosed with leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
. He has to deal with the child's parents, who want to keep the condition a secret from Josh. Dr. Cox tells Josh without his parents' consent. Carla
Carla Espinosa
Carla Espinosa, RN is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama Scrubs, portrayed by Judy Reyes.Carla has appeared in every episode during the first eight seasons except three Season 8 episodes, "My Happy Place", "My Cookie Pants" and "My Full Moon"...
, who was against the decision, warns that the parents might take legal action against him. But when Josh explains that he already knew something was wrong even before Dr. Cox told him so, Dr. Cox announces his deed triumphantly to Carla, she insists that he "just doesn't get it". At the same time, Turk tortures J.D. by trying to get him to play some of their childish games, like Hide the Saltine.
Dr. Kelso
Bob Kelso
Robert "Bob" Kelso, M.D. , is a fictional character played by Ken Jenkins in the American comedy-drama Scrubs....
, whose birthday arrives, insists that he is turning 58; however, when Carla reveals that he's been saying the same thing for years, Elliot
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"....
enlists the 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...
and Ted
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...
's help to find out Kelso's real age. They find out that he is in fact 65, and throw him a surprise birthday party. However, the reason that Kelso never mentioned his real age was because he knew that when he turned 65, he would have to step down as chief of medicine. Sure enough, a board member later approaches Kelso in his office and informs Kelso that during the upcoming months they would be searching for his replacement. Kelso reluctantly agrees, asking only that the fact that he was retiring be kept a secret.
At the end of the episode, J.D. and Dr. Cox confront Turk and Carla in a "tag team" battle. Carla says that Dr. Cox has no right to deny Josh his childhood by forcing him to deal with such a terrible disease, saying that Dr. Cox's own unhappy childhood is not a justifiable excuse. Turk also makes J.D. realize that his new responsibilities do not necessarily preclude his individual expression; according to Turk, there is no reason for J.D. to "change who he is." The episode ends with J.D. and Turk playing at "World's Most Giant Black Doctor", asking people to sign a petition to make the hospital more giant-accessible, while Dr. Cox talks to Jack using the "funny voice" over a webcam
Webcam
A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera...
.
Reception
Joel KellerJoel Keller
Joel Keller is a Bay Area Rapid Transit Board of Directors member, representing District 2. He was elected to that position in 1994. He has served as both President and Vice President of the board...
of TV Squad said that this episode is "yet another example of how the writers have made the show funnier by making things less wacky. In fact, the lack of wackiness parallels how both Turk and J.D. are becoming more like real adults than either of them want to be."
Continuity
- Dr. Kelso has reached the hospital's retirement age, 65, and the board is actively searching for his replacement.
- Hooch may have been fired after attacking a group of interns that J.D. and Turk told to follow him all day. He apparently held them in a hostage situation.
- It is revealed that there was once a Caramel Bear, a Hispanic friend of J.D. ("Vanilla Bear") and Turk ("Chocolate Bear") named Ricky (played by Efren RamirezEfren Ramirez-Early life:Ramirez was born in Los Angeles, California of Spanish and Salvadoran descent. He has three brothers, one of whom is his identical twin. Ramirez bought his parents a house with his payment from Napoleon Dynamite .-Career:...
) that they met on their first day of college together. On their second day as "bears for life", he joined J.D and Turk as they prank someone by leaving a flaming bag of dog feces on their porch. He was caught while J.D and Turk ran away. J.D assumes that Ricky died during the prank, since his parents came and packed up his belongings, as well as the fact his roommate got straight A's for the semester, even though he didn't go to class (see Pass by catastrophePass by catastrophePass by catastrophe refers to any number of popular urban legends in academia claiming that if some particular catastrophic event occurs, students whose performance could have been affected by the event are automatically awarded passing grades on the grounds that there would then be no way to...
).