This article mentions suicide.

Despite boasting a sitcom label, Scrubs has many episodes and key moments intended to instill emotions other than joy, so there are plenty of tear-jerking installments. It may seem counterintuitive to upset a sitcom audience, but it heightens the show's comedic moments, and the sadder scenes make the funnier parts even better. Creator Bill Lawrence wasn't the first person to abide by this blended formula, but he certainly helped popularize it and has continued to do so in subsequent projects like Ted Lasso and Shrinking.

With a All nine seasons of Scrubs currently available have moments that can turn viewers into a blubbering mess, but some are far more focused on negative emotions than others - even if they come from a good place.

A hospital is an incredibly emotional setting, and not just because of the constant risk of death going on within its walls. Every doctor in Scrubs has a unique relationship with their chosen profession, but also with all of their colleagues. The characters become an extended found family, and sometimes even short-stay guest stars get folded into that dynamic. So there is no shortage of Scrubs scenarios that can illicit sadness for various reasons.

My Best Laid Plans

Season 4, Episode 19

The main theme of "My Best Laid Plans" is that romantic relationships at all stages can falter or fail. For instance, Donald Faison's Turk is speaking to an old girlfriend, and Carla (Judy Reyes), is made even more furious by the revelation that he hasn't told said ex he's married. Zach Braff's JD is dealing with his desires for Heather Graham's Molly Clock while also being in the early stages of a relationship with Kylie (Chrystee Pharris) - when ends. While the episode itself is pretty depressing, Neil Flynn's Janitor and his obvious feelings for Elliot (Sarah Chalke) make it devastating.

The Janitor is rarely more than a walking joke machine in Scrubs, and Flynn shines as the show's most irreverently hilarious character. So, it's all the more heartbreaking when he bares his soul, and even more so when said vulnerability fails to get him what he wants. Although the bet with Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley) that the Janitor can't get a date with Elliot is mostly played for laughs, the episode makes it clear Flynn has real feelings for Elliot. They ultimately part as friends, but seeing the Janitor so exposed is incredibly upsetting.

My Long Goodbye

Season 6, Episode 15

Because Scrubs wasn't a consistent ratings hit, it was always unclear whether it would be renewed. Near the end of Scrubs season 6, showrunner Bill Lawrence was convinced the show would be canceled, so he wanted to go out with a big character death. Aloma Wright's Nurse Laverne Roberts was chosen as the unlucky character. The impact of the episode in which everyone enters her room to say goodbye to her unconscious form is beautiful in a bittersweet way.

Laverne is the most prominent Scrubs side character to die in the show.

Unfortunately, "My Long Goodbye" loses points for the fact that Scrubs season 7 did happen, and Lawrence felt bad for writing Wright out of the show. So, he gave her a new character called Shirley, who was pretty much identical to Laverne in every way that mattered. The meta recasting was played for laughs, and although it was funny, it still undercut Wright's heartbreaking exit in season 6.

My Cabbage

Season 5, Episode 12

Shaughn Buchholz appeared in just 8 episodes of Scrubs as Jason "Cabbage" Cabbagio, but he certainly left his mark on the show. He's quickly chosen as JD's favorite intern, but it becomes clear that the lovable doctor just isn't cut out for a career in medicine. Not only does the episode highlight JD's failings as a teaching doctor, but it's also very difficult to watch him eventually work up the courage to let Cabbage go. Seeing such a likable character make his exit is hard in isolation, but it gets worse.

Cabbage later returns to Sacred Heart to work at the coffee shop.

When leaving Sacred Heart, Cabbage's failings as a doctor hurt one last patient on his way out. The unfortunate figure in question is Michael Learned's Mrs. Wilk. After being nursed back to health, the highly-popular Mrs. Milk is finally being sent home, which everyone in the building is ecstatic about. Unfortunately for Mrs. Wilk, she also made an impression on Cabbage, and he decides to shake her hand in a gesture of farewell, giving her an infection after not washing his hands. This marks the beginning of the end of Learned's Scrubs character.

My Old Lady

Season 1, Episode 4

Scrubs made it clear very early on that it wouldn't shy away from the complex difficulties of working as a doctor. In "My Old Lady," JD is faced with a dilemma when his elderly patient, Kathryn Joosten's Mrs. Tanner, refuses treatment that would prolong her life. Instead, she says she's ready to die, and Braff's character has a very difficult time accepting that decision. He bonds with her and tries to convince her she has a lot to live for, but it's clear that JD is scared of losing her, which he later its while being comforted by Mrs. Tanner.

Turk and Elliot's respective storylines both tease happier endings, but they ultimately turn out to be just as sad as JD's. They each reach out to their patients in ways they wouldn't ordinarily do, but despite their best efforts, all three patients die by the end of the episode. It's a solid 20 minutes of storytelling, but one that it's tricky to come away from with dry eyes - despite the many jokes.

My Five Stages

Season 5, Episode 13

Although the B- and C-stories of Ted (Sam Lloyd) trying to get a win with Dr. Kelso (Ken Jenkins), and Elliot's love life taking an unexpected turn, are very funny, the central story of Mrs. Wilk ing away only gets even sadder by comparison. After picking up an infection from the careless Cabbage, Mrs. Wilk goes through the five stages of grief as she starts to slip away, which JD and Dr. Cox also experience as a result of their strong bond with her.

The five stages of grief

• Denial
• Anger
• Bargaining
• Depression
• Acceptance

A big part of what makes "My Five Stages" so sad is how frustratingly avoidable Mrs. Wilk's death is. It's tricky to watch without constantly flashing back to the final moments of the previous episode, seeing Cabbage infect Learned's character while trying to do something as innocent as saying goodbye. Plus, most episodes of Scrubs revolve around a patient in need who can ultimately be saved, and this isn't the case for Mrs. Wilk.

My Finale

Season 8, Episodes 18 & 19

Although JD's famous hallway scene doesn't happen until the second part of the "My Finale" two-parter, it's impossible not to consider both episodes as one installment. The story isn't sad in the same way as other Scrubs episodes, but it still does bring more than a few tears to the eye for what it represents. "My Finale" serves as JD's goodbye to Sacred Heart, and it takes pretty much the entirety of its extended runtime to make sure he gets to bid farewell to all the major players. After eight seasons of brilliant chemistry, it's tough to watch it end.

JD's fantasy about marrying Elliot in "My Finale" has come true by Scrubs season 9, but the real Dorian-Reid wedding is never shown.

Of course, Scrubs season 9 ruined season 8's perfect ending by bringing the show back in a heavily reworked format. Softly rebranded as Scrubs: Med School, the sitcom's ninth run continues the story by handing the reins to a new set of main characters while retaining much of the original cast. It ultimately led to the show's cancelation, and made "My Finale" even sadder in retrospect, as it would have been the ideal place to end the sitcom.

My Fallen Idol

Season 5, Episode 21

Dr. Cox is portrayed throughout Scrubs as virtually indestructible. Although he's harboring a great deal of emotional trauma, he often manages to channel all of that pain into being the best doctor he can possibly be. So, when he makes a mistake in the previous installment, "My Fallen Idol" chronicles just how high he has set his own standards, and how deeply he feels what he perceives to be a huge failure.

For all the heartbreak of watching John C. McGinley playing such a broken version of Dr. Cox, at least there is some good that comes out of one of Scrubs' saddest episodes.

It's a tough watch, but it at least has the heartwarming edge of JD being the one to pull his mentor out of his slump. Plus, it acts as a pivotal moment in JD and Dr. Cox's ever-evolving father/son dynamic. So, for all the heartbreak of watching John C. McGinley playing such a broken version of Dr. Cox, at least there is some good that comes out of one of Scrubs' saddest episodes.

My Lunch

Season 5, Episode 20

"My Lunch" is initially dressed up as a classic Scrubs comedy caper, with JD's primary goal initially being to have lunch with Dr. Cox, It's a simple and amusing goal, but it also leads to him feeling guilty about being distracted when Nicole Sullivan returns as Jill Tracy. Despite being railroaded into having lunch with Jill instead, JD later curses himself when Jill is itted to the hospital following another suicide attempt, as he feels he failed to see the signs of Jill's cries for help.

The episode turns JD's goal on its head by making their lunch date a last-ditch attempt to stop Dr. Cox from spiraling.

JD eventually succeeds in buying lunch for himself and Dr. Cox, but it's not the satisfying occasion he initially wanted it to be. The episode turns JD's goal on its head by making their lunch date a last-ditch attempt to stop Dr. Cox from spiraling, as it's then John C. McGinley's character's turn to blame himself after unknowingly distributing Jill's rabies-infection organs among three waiting donors after her death. So, although "My Lunch" teases the best of a bad situation after Jill's ing, it actually doubles down on the sorrow by making Dr. Cox break down and walk out.

My Screwup

Season 3, Episode 14

"My Screwup" is a very secretly sad episode until the reveal at the end, when it becomes evident just how upsetting the installment has been. It brings back Brendan Fraser as Ben Sullivan - Dr. Cox's best friend and brother of Jordan (Christa Miller). For most of its runtime, "My Screwup" disguises itself as a fun reunion between Ben and Dr. Cox, but upon rewatching, it's easy to notice the moment when Fraser stops playing the real Ben and becomes a figment of Dr. Cox's grief-stricken imagination.

It's a gut punch of a twist that Ben has been dead for almost the entire installment.

Ben's funeral has become one of the most iconic Scrubs scenes of all time, and it boosts the entire episode in which it appears into the upper stratosphere of sadness. Dr. Cox rarely displays the level of affection he so openly shares with Ben, so seeing how poorly he copes with the loss of Fraser's character is a huge moment for understanding McGinley's character and how he plays him in previous and subsequent episodes. Plus, it's a gut punch of a twist that Ben has been dead for almost the entire installment.

My Last Words

Season 8, Episode 2

Most of Scrubs' saddest episodes focus on the main characters' turmoil, or at least the pain of a returning guest star. So, this puts "My Last Words" in the minority. Glynn Turman manages to swoop in for a single installment as George Valentine and make a huge impact in a story that yanks aggressively at the heartstrings. Knowing he's going to die very soon, George is terrified at the thought of going through it alone, as he has no family remaining. Turman offers a deeply emotional performance that also allows audiences to learn more about Turk and JD.

The show's best-friend duo change a lot throughout Scrubs, while also remaining the same in a lot of ways. In earlier seasons of Scrubs, Turk and JD would have been content leaving George in the care of inexperienced interns, but his upsetting situation is enough to remind them both that patients often have to come before their own needs. George manages to get everything off his chest before he es, which makes Turk and JD's abandoned Steak Night plans seem especially trivial in this Scrubs episode.