My Long Goodbye
Encyclopedia
"My Long Goodbye" is the 15th episode of season six of the American
comedy-drama
Scrubs
. It was written by Dave Tennant and directed by Victor Nelli, Jr.
. It is noteworthy for being the last episode featuring Aloma Wright
as Laverne Roberts, a regular recurring character since the pilot episode
.
It is a direct sequel to "My No Good Reason": Laverne is still in a non-responsive coma
due to injuries she sustained in a car accident, and hospital's staff worry she will never wake up. The title of the episode refers to Carla Espinosa
's (Judy Reyes
) reaction to Laverne situation, and to her refusal to make farewells to her. Despite her character's situation, Laverne's character appears to Carla as a "ghost".
The episode has been received well, with critics praised Reyes's performance and the emotional, more drama-oriented aspect of the story. The episode won the Humanitas Prize
, for the second time in the series history.
tells everyone that Laverne could still pull through. In deep denial
, Carla hallucinates that she sees Laverne's spirit following her around and talking to her.
The whole staff is heart-broken when Laverne's latest CT scans
arrive; she's brain dead
. Laverne's family decides to take her off life support
, and one by one the main characters say their own goodbyes to Laverne. Carla, in the end, learns from Laverne's spirit that she must say goodbye to the people she cares for before she loses her chance, and says her own tearful goodbye to Laverne. As Carla walks out of the room and collapses in tears in Turk's arms, Laverne finally dies and her spirit passes away.
Meanwhile, Dr. Cox
confides in J.D.
that he doesn't want people to know of his daughter's birth because it will be associated with Laverne's death, but still tells Jordan that he has told others. Jordan becomes suspicious because no one has come to congratulate her other than J.D. Even when Laverne passes away, Jordan still does not get admirers, and in desperation she declares an ecstatic J.D. the child's godfather and agrees to name her baby Jennifer Dylan (J.D.).
Everyone except J.D., who is with Jordan (who accept him to be her daughter's godfather), goes to the bar to deal with their grief
and toast Laverne.
gave the episode a very positive score of 8.5 out of 10, and praising Laverne's death scene, mainly for Judy Reyes
performance and for Carla's final goodbye, stating that is "a moment both emotional and funny, but always honest". However, he regrets that Wright
"doesn't get anything as juicy for herself"
AOL TV
's reviewer gave "My Long Goodbye" a positive review. He praised the character's farewells, especially from Elliot, Carla and the Janitor, and also J.D's inner monologues. He stated "All and all, a good, solid episode and a nice good-bye to Laverne, one of the unsung players on this program."
's last regular appearance as Laverne Roberts, she returned in the Season 7 episode "My Hard Labor
" as Nurse Shirley, whose similarities to Laverne go unnoticed by all except J.D., although he doesn't make the connection between the two characters right away. Early reports stated that Aloma Wright would return as Laverne's single, alcoholic skeptical twin sister. Wright would reprise her role as Laverne in a flashback in the Season 8 episode "My Comedy Show" and in the season eight finale "My Finale
".
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 was written by Dave Tennant and directed by Victor Nelli, Jr.
Victor Nelli, Jr.
Victor Nelli, Jr. is an American television director and producer.He began his professional career at Viacom, Inc. working as a cinematographer on the MTV and Comedy Central series The Real World House of Style, Mr. Show with Bob and David and number of other series. He eventually made his...
. It is noteworthy for being the last episode featuring Aloma Wright
Aloma Wright
Aloma Wright is an American actress. She was born in New York and raised in California.- Career :Wright was cast as Laverne Roberts for Scrubs. After six seasons, her character was killed off in My Long Goodbye. She returned in season seven playing a new character, Nurse Shirley...
as Laverne Roberts, a regular recurring character since the pilot episode
My First Day
"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....
.
It is a direct sequel to "My No Good Reason": Laverne is still in a non-responsive coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
due to injuries she sustained in a car accident, and hospital's staff worry she will never wake up. The title of the episode refers to Carla Espinosa
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"...
's (Judy Reyes
Judy Reyes
Judy Reyes is an American actress of Dominican heritage. She is best known for her portrayal of nurse Carla Espinosa on the TV comedy Scrubs.-Early life:...
) reaction to Laverne situation, and to her refusal to make farewells to her. Despite her character's situation, Laverne's character appears to Carla as a "ghost".
The episode has been received well, with critics praised Reyes's performance and the emotional, more drama-oriented aspect of the story. The episode won the Humanitas Prize
Humanitas Prize
The Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing intended to promote human dignity, meaning, and freedom. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser — also the founder of Paulist Productions — but is generally not seen as specifically directed toward religious...
, for the second time in the series history.
Plot
Eventually, some members of staff start saying goodbye to her, but Carla EspinosaCarla 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"...
tells everyone that Laverne could still pull through. In deep denial
Denial
Denial is a defense mechanism postulated by Sigmund Freud, in which a person is faced with a fact that is too uncomfortable to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence.The subject may use:* simple denial: deny the reality of the...
, Carla hallucinates that she sees Laverne's spirit following her around and talking to her.
The whole staff is heart-broken when Laverne's latest CT scans
Computed tomography
X-ray computed tomography or Computer tomography , is a medical imaging method employing tomography created by computer processing...
arrive; she's brain dead
Brain death
Brain death is the irreversible end of all brain activity due to total necrosis of the cerebral neurons following loss of brain oxygenation. It should not be confused with a persistent vegetative state...
. Laverne's family decides to take her off life support
Life support
Life support, in medicine is a broad term that applies to any therapy used to sustain a patient's life while they are critically ill or injured. There are many therapies and techniques that may be used by clinicians to achieve the goal of sustaining life...
, and one by one the main characters say their own goodbyes to Laverne. Carla, in the end, learns from Laverne's spirit that she must say goodbye to the people she cares for before she loses her chance, and says her own tearful goodbye to Laverne. As Carla walks out of the room and collapses in tears in Turk's arms, Laverne finally dies and her spirit passes away.
Meanwhile, Dr. Cox
Dr. Cox
Percival "Perry" Ulysses Cox, M.D. , is a fictional character played by John C. McGinley on the American television comedy-drama Scrubs....
confides in J.D.
John Dorian
John Michael "J.D." Dorian, M.D. is a fictional character on the American comedy-drama Scrubs, played by Zach Braff. He is the narrator and main character of the series. He provides voice-over to the series which fills the roles of his internal thoughts and an overall narration in the show, often...
that he doesn't want people to know of his daughter's birth because it will be associated with Laverne's death, but still tells Jordan that he has told others. Jordan becomes suspicious because no one has come to congratulate her other than J.D. Even when Laverne passes away, Jordan still does not get admirers, and in desperation she declares an ecstatic J.D. the child's godfather and agrees to name her baby Jennifer Dylan (J.D.).
Everyone except J.D., who is with Jordan (who accept him to be her daughter's godfather), goes to the bar to deal with their grief
Grief
Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something to which a bond was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions...
and toast Laverne.
Reception
"My Long Goodbye" received very positive reviews from critics. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the episode a very positive score of 8.5 out of 10, and praising Laverne's death scene, mainly for Judy Reyes
Judy Reyes
Judy Reyes is an American actress of Dominican heritage. She is best known for her portrayal of nurse Carla Espinosa on the TV comedy Scrubs.-Early life:...
performance and for Carla's final goodbye, stating that is "a moment both emotional and funny, but always honest". However, he regrets that Wright
Aloma Wright
Aloma Wright is an American actress. She was born in New York and raised in California.- Career :Wright was cast as Laverne Roberts for Scrubs. After six seasons, her character was killed off in My Long Goodbye. She returned in season seven playing a new character, Nurse Shirley...
"doesn't get anything as juicy for herself"
AOL TV
AOL TV
AOL TV was the name of both a thin client which uses a television for display , and the online service that supports it, both of which were launched in June 2000 to compete with WebTV....
's reviewer gave "My Long Goodbye" a positive review. He praised the character's farewells, especially from Elliot, Carla and the Janitor, and also J.D's inner monologues. He stated "All and all, a good, solid episode and a nice good-bye to Laverne, one of the unsung players on this program."
Aftermath
Although this is Aloma WrightAloma Wright
Aloma Wright is an American actress. She was born in New York and raised in California.- Career :Wright was cast as Laverne Roberts for Scrubs. After six seasons, her character was killed off in My Long Goodbye. She returned in season seven playing a new character, Nurse Shirley...
's last regular appearance as Laverne Roberts, she returned in the Season 7 episode "My Hard Labor
My Hard Labor
"My Hard Labor" is the second episode of season seven and 141st episode of the American sitcom Scrubs. It aired on November 1, 2007 on NBC.-Plot:...
" as Nurse Shirley, whose similarities to Laverne go unnoticed by all except J.D., although he doesn't make the connection between the two characters right away. Early reports stated that Aloma Wright would return as Laverne's single, alcoholic skeptical twin sister. Wright would reprise her role as Laverne in a flashback in the Season 8 episode "My Comedy Show" and in the season eight finale "My Finale
My Finale
"My Finale" is the hour-long season finale for season eight of the American sitcom Scrubs. It was originally broadcast as episode 18 of season eight on May 6, 2009, and was intended to be the series finale. However, the show unexpectedly returned for a ninth season...
".
Featured music
- "A Bad DreamA Bad DreamYou might also be looking for Nightmare."A Bad Dream", often mistitled as "Bad Dream", is a song by English piano rock band Keane appearing as the fifth track on their second album, Under the Iron Sea. It was released on 22 January 2007 as the sixth and final single from the album...
" by Keane - The song that plays in the delivery truck while Cox's son is being driven by Lloyd is "Driving Down the Darkness" by DevilDriverDevilDriverDevilDriver is an American heavy metal band from Santa Barbara, California, formed in 2002. The band was originally named Deathride, however, due to copyright issues and the name being taken by several bands, Deathride changed its name to DevilDriver, which refers to bells Italian witches used to...
.