Scrubs – The Complete Third Season

Get ready for one wacky house call with the hilarious third season of SCRUBS. It's a whole new year for the staff of Sacred Heart as Elliot undergoes a complete makeover in an attempt to change her luck, and the residents discover the incredible healing powers of an epiphany toilet. Joining J.D. and the gang are a host of hysterical guest stars, including Tom Cavanagh (ED), Tara Reid (AMERICAN PIE), and the legendary Michael J. Fox -- "One of our all-time favorite comedy actors returns to the small screen ... on one of our all-time favorite shows," raves Entertainment Weekly. Bursting with highly contagious bonus features and featuring the show's original unedited music in 5.1 Surround Sound, SCRUBS' complete third season is just what the doctor ordered. Amazon.com Not content to rest on the solid pratfalls that made it famous, Scrubs stretched its legs in season three to give deeper insight into its characters. With Turk and Carla (Donald Faison and Judy Reyes) planning their season-finale wedding, J.D. (Zach Braff) once again wrestles with his feelings for fellow resident Elliot (Sarah Chalke), but her reciprocity leads to a startling revelation. Scrubs also lent numerous guest stars to its cause, including former Spin City castmates Richard Kind as a hypochondriac, Barry Bostwick as a cancer patient, and Michael J. Fox in a hilarious return to television as an obsessive-compulsive visiting surgeon. Scott Foley (Felicity) plays Elliot's devoted suitor, and Tara Reid's turn as Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley)'s sister-in-law starts out daffy and decomposes into parody. (Producers admit in episode commentary that they tried to cast Reid against type, then gave up a few episodes later and told her to just be her wild, party-going self.) But it's two returning guest stars that pack the most emotional wallop: Mad TV's Nicole Sullivan as a chirpy patient whose barely masked troubles are ignored by her doctors; and Brendan Fraser as Dr. Cox's cancer-stricken brother-in-law, Ben. Fraser's episode, entitled "My Screw Up," does a masterful job turning from comedy to tearjerker on a dime in one half-hour. It's one of the best episodes of the show's entire run, and a crime that McGinley wasn't recognized for his brilliant work. Two episode commentaries, featuring producers, writers, and Faison, aren't as fun as in past seasons (though referring to Braff as "Chicken Little," the character he voiced in Disney's much-maligned animated film, is a notable jab). But the DVD set stuffs in way too many featurettes, including one just devoted to the stars' dogs. One complaint: The animated navigation menu takes way too long getting to the special features, it's tempting to skip them altogether. Better to just hit "play" and re-watch the episodes again. --Ellen A. Kim