Bill Lawrence has made it clear he intends to bring the show back. So, while the reunion of the original Scrubs cast is an exciting prospect, it's important to season 9 as one of the biggest reasons that the comeback remains a probability.

Running between 2001 and 2010, all nine seasons of Scrubs starred Zach Braff as John "JD" Dorian, although not all of his costars returned for the final run. As a result, Scrubs season 9 had a very different feel, which was reinforced by the sitcom's new look, characters, and setting. It was a vast departure from what fans had come to expect of the sitcom, and the fact it led to the show's cancelation meant the show ended on an unsatisfying note. However, Scrubs' missteps in its final days laid the foundation for its eventual return.

Scrubs Season 10 Would Be Far Less Likely If Season 9 Hadn't Failed

Scrubs season 8's perfect ending would have been risky to revisit after so many years

The Scrubs season 8 two-part conclusion, "My Finale," served as a recognizable end to the sitcom's story. When Scrubs returned under the Med School banner, the changes made resulted in a poor reception that caused the show not to be renewed for a tenth season. With Scrubs season 10 finally on the prospective horizon, it's very possible that the revival wouldn't even be considered season 9 hadn't been made.

With the Scrubs: Med School concept failing so spectacularly, Bill Lawrence's show getting canceled in the dawn of its new era meant the season 8 finale was immediately undone.

With the Scrubs: Med School concept failing so spectacularly, Bill Lawrence's show getting canceled in the dawn of its new era meant the season 8 finale was immediately undone to make way for another run of episodes that seemed to sit alongside the main run rather than feeling like a true continuation. That being said, if "My Finale" had been left as the final Scrubs story, it would have been an enormous risk to consider resurrecting the sitcom. Instead, Scrubs season 9's mistakes make a revival more necessary, so the story can find a new end point.

Bill Lawrence's Original Scrubs Season 9 Could Have Protected The Original Run's Legacy

Scrubs: Med School was originally pitched as a spinoff show

Although ABC marketed the show's final season as Scrubs season 9, Bill Lawrence didn't agree with the studio's decision. Lawrence's intention was for the episode to begin a new age for the franchise, with Scrubs: Med School serving as a sanctioned spinoff. Unfortunately, ABC had only just acquired Scrubs ahead of season 8, and so there was some unease about moving on from such a recognizable title in favor of a "new" project.

If Lawrence had managed to win out and have Med School sit apart from Scrubs, there could have been a more recognizable divide between the two.

If Lawrence had managed to win out and have Med School sit apart from Scrubs, there could have been a more recognizable divide between the two. There's also the matter of the shared cast between Scrubs' original run and the Med School episodes. While it's understandable that Zach Braff temporarily remained to aid in the transition, it would have been easier to accept the soft reboot as its own entity if Braff wasn't present at all. Similarly, with Donald Faison and John C. McGinley staying on as part of the main cast, the lines were blurred even more.

Why Scrubs Season 8's Finale Was So Perfect

"My Finale" was emotional but promised nothing in the best possible way

"My Finale" revolved around JD's final day at Sacred Heart hospital, and his unknown future is at the heart of the story. While the Scrubs season 8 finale doesn't reveal what happens to JD after the events of the episode, the emotional montage of what Braff's character hopes for is more than effective enough. The optimistic promise of what could be in his immediate and distant future isn't solidified with anything as indisputable as a flashforward. However, the faith that JD would find the happy ending he's searched for throughout all eight seasons evokes some powerful feelings.

Although it's satisfying to see that JD is well on his way to what he wanted by the time of the Scrubs season premiere, seeing it onscreen removes a great deal of the poeticism that "My Finale" is built upon. Interestingly, by the time the show returns, it'll be set at a time much closer to the projected events shown in the montage of the season 8 finale, and seeing it realized will be far better than witnessing the first steps of JD's post-show journey that were glimpsed in Scrubs season 9.