VANCOUVER — "Scrubs" Season 2 premiered on ABC on Wednesday night and will stream the next day on Hulu. The revival's second season drew 2.1 million viewers on ABC, marking a 12% increase from the previous season's debut, per Nielsen ratings.

The first episode of "Scrubs" Season 2 is titled "My First Time in a While." The second episode is titled My Mentee. In the new season, Dr. Cox has an autoimmune disease. Assem Batra is the executive producer and showrunner. We wanted to put our audience at ease that we aren’t in any way putting Dr. Cox in such jeopardy that he might not be with us," Batra said. This storyline follows a precedent set in Scrubs Season 7 (2009), when Dr. Cox was diagnosed with terminal cancer."

In Season 2, J.D. begins a relationship with a character named Charlie, played by Rachel Bilson. "I always call these post-divorce relationships the ‘first pancake’ relationships because it’s like you make that first pancake, it’s all weird, and not the most beautiful one, and then you try again," Batra said. J.D. and Elliot's child will appear in the season.

We will see their kid, he said. J.D. mentors an intern who is reluctant to be mentored. Dr. Cox tells him early in the season, I want you to pass down the knowledge that I gave to you, Braff said.

John C. McGinley appears in approximately four episodes due to scheduling conflicts with his role in Rooster. Judy Reyes appears as Carla in the opener despite her role in High Potential. Christa Miller appears as Jordan despite her role in Shrinking." Scott Foley returns as Sean. Neil Flynn returns as the Janitor. Robert Maschio returns as The Todd."

Joey Fatone appears in a cameo. John Higgins plays a new character named Grant. Keyla Monterroso Mejia plays a new character named Mimi. Ava Bunn plays the character Tosh and is a series regular in Season 2. "She's going to speak her mind a little more sometimes and then also withhold the truth when, you know, she's navigating the dynamics, and it's fun to see how she navigates all these different scenarios," Ava Bunn said.

Donald Faison is an executive producer on "Scrubs." "It's great. Some really talented young actors. It's gonna show this season because they've all got standout moments throughout the season," Faison said.

"We're sticking to the old formula but introducing so much. And so, I'm really excited for people to see it," he added. Faison's brother, Olamide Faison, is a musician. Braff was performing in Shakespeare in the Park when he and Faison became close friends. Faison was filming "Uptown Girls" at the time. "He was in town doing Shakespeare in the Park. I was doing Uptown Girls. The one thing I remember was one night, we're both in our underwear at our loft playing ping pong. And I was like, yay. I guess this is my best friend. This is.. this is best friend territory right here. Because I don't think I'd ever do that with any other person," he said. "It wasn't weird at all. But we were both in tighty whities playing ping pong, drunk after the club," he said. Braff is the godfather of two of Faison's six children. "I'm a 50-year-old man, and I still behave like I'm in my twenties," he said. "He's very responsible. I am not," he added. "Every role that I've ever wanted and didn’t get the movie sucks, so wouldn’t you like to know?" he said. "You up?" he asked. "I could stitch something up. The application of the stitches might hurt a lot, but you will be sewn together," he said. "We pick up where we left off," he said. "It definitely makes us all unsure about our decisions, you know. For the three of us, especially Zach's character J.D. it becomes a mission to still be a good doctor," he said. "Scrubs Season 2 is filmed in Vancouver. Mike Livanos is the line producer."

What's New

Later reporting provided additional details on the cast and production. It's great. Some really talented young actors. It's gonna show this season because they've all got standout moments throughout the season," he said."

The Scrubs revival's Season 2 premiere drew 2.1 million viewers on ABC, marking a 12% increase from the previous season's debut, per Nielsen ratings. In Scrubs Season 7 (2009), Dr. Cox was diagnosed with terminal cancer, a precedent for portraying severe health crises in the series.

Further insights into character development emerged from additional sources. J.D. mentors an intern in Scrubs Season 2 who is reluctant to be mentored. Ava Bunn is a series regular on Scrubs in Season 2.

Why It Matters

The return of Scrubs marks an event for fans of the original series, which established a precedent for portraying severe health crises through Dr. Cox's terminal cancer diagnosis in 2009. The 12% increase in viewership for the Season 2 premiere indicates sustained audience interest in the revival. The introduction of new characters and storylines, including Dr. Cox's autoimmune disease and J.D.'s mentorship role, expands the narrative scope while maintaining connections to the original formula.

Production choices, such as filming in Vancouver and managing the schedules of actors with other commitments like John C. McGinley, Judy Reyes, and Christa Miller, reflect the logistical complexities of reviving a long-running series. The involvement of original cast members alongside new talent like Ava Bunn, John Higgins, and Keyla Monterroso Mejia aims to balance nostalgia with fresh perspectives. Executive producer Assem Batra's emphasis on reassuring audiences about Dr. Cox's health storyline reflects the care taken to manage viewer expectations regarding character jeopardy.