Zach Braff says heartbreaking JD scene was scrapped from Hulu’s Scrubs revival

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Hulu’s revival of the comedy Scrubs is back, and Zach Braff shared a sad scene involving his character, JD, that didn’t make it into the first episode. The new season explores a fresh direction for the beloved doctor. Be warned – spoilers follow!

The popular sitcom concluded its nine-season run 16 years ago, but many viewers feel the eighth season finale was the true ending. Now, the beloved characters JD, Turk, Elliot, and Carla are back on screen.

Fans can look forward to Neil Flynn returning as the Janitor to playfully bother JD, and some believe they spotted him subtly hidden in the trailer.

The original Scrubs series showed JD ending up happily married to Elliot, but the new revival on Hulu takes a different path – they’re divorced but working together to raise their children. Zach Braff recently revealed a sad scene they had to cut from the first episode of the revival.

First episode of Scrubs revival would’ve shown a depressed JD post-divorce

Zach Braff revealed that the planned Scrubs revival on Hulu considered depicting JD struggling with depression and loneliness as a result of his divorce from Elliot.

In an early version of the show, there was a scene showing Elliot leaving his son with his ex-partner for their scheduled time together. The actress playing his ex saw him through the window, noticed how upset he was sitting alone, and it made a strong impression on her, according to an interview with Collider.

When he opened the door, he immediately put on a happy face, trying to pretend everything was okay. It really revealed a lot about what was going on. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to show it all, but it was a significant moment.

As a huge fan, I was really heartbroken to hear about J.D. and Elliot’s split, but the star and producer explained it made sense. Apparently, they always had this push-and-pull thing, even after getting married! J.D. was still trying to fix things, suggesting couples counseling and everything, but Elliot finally decided she couldn’t keep going. It sounds like J.D. gets it, even though he’s understandably upset.

Because they work together at Sacred Heart, the divorce will likely make things difficult for the couple. Braff explained that JD will have to get used to seeing his ex-wife with other men, like when she flirts with an attractive doctor.

Scrubs fans are distraught by JD and Elliot’s divorce

After the first episodes of the new Scrubs revival on Hulu were released, fans immediately expressed sadness online about JD and Elliot’s divorce. Many viewers consider the Season 8 finale to be the show’s true ending, as it showed JD and Elliot happily married, set to Peter Gabriel’s “Book of Love.”

One person posted on X, upset about the recent Scrubs revival breaking up the characters JD and Elliot – even though they’d already split up before! They maintain that the original series finale from Season 8 is the only true ending for them.

One commenter expressed disappointment with a recent storyline, questioning why the show would jeopardize the relationship between characters JD and Elliot after everything they’d been through to reach a happy ending. They hope the characters will reconcile, stating the current situation is unacceptable.

Many upset fans shared similar feelings, saying they were genuinely saddened by the revelation about JD and Elliot, even though it was just a storyline in a TV show.

Hey everyone, thanks for checking out the show if you did! Just wanted to address a few things. Yes, that character will be back in a lot more episodes. And both of those people you were wondering about? They’ll pop up again too. Look, I know some of you might be a little bummed about how things played out, but not every single one of JD’s hopes and dreams can magically come true, you know?

— Bill Lawrence (@VDOOZER) February 26, 2026

Bill Lawrence, the creator of Scrubs, thanked viewers for their support and jokingly apologized if the ending wasn’t what everyone hoped for, saying, “Not every dream can come true for JD.”

Whether JD and Elliot will end up together is still unknown, but fans clearly want them to reconcile, and the show shouldn’t disappoint them.

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2026-02-26 15:19