Since you asked, no.
No, we’re not prepared in the least to discuss the possible, severe, fall from grace of one of our longtime favorite athletes. Someone we’ve watched since high school. Someone in whom we were so confident, we encouraged a college roommate to draft the rookie, sight unseen, for fantasy football our freshman year. (Note: Roommate won.)
Someone we’ve championed as the 1-a greatest receiver, ever. Someone who seemed refreshingly restrained among typical, outlandish receiving divas, and someone who seemed tangible. We’re not so Pollyannaish to assume all pro, college, or even high school athletes are beyond reproach. We’re not that innocent, but we’re also hoping we don’t have to discuss it any further. Here’s hoping our No. 8 Syracuse jersey doesn’t have to remain in the closet.
We also aren’t fully prepared to discuss NBC’s billed “Finale” of Scrubs.
No. 1 – Mister Faded Glory is swamped at his phony real job, and we saw nary a promo for the show. No. 2 – this caught us off-guard, aren’t we only nine episodes into the season? Didn’t they finish a reported 12 before NBC pulled the plug? No. 3 – Scrubs now cannot end fully on its terms – jerked around by NBC at the last minute; the show appears ready for a full-fledged season on ABC next year. Which we’re ambivalent about.
One on hand, it’s nice to have another year of an old friend you assumed would depart. On the other – and, sadly, the more apropos hand – it’s probably going to be painful. In fact, tonight’s episode (“My Princess”) was easily the series’ worst. It must have been in the can early in the year, because Keith was in it, Kelso was still chief, and it didn’t fit into any current story arcs. Should have been shelved until the Season 7 DVD release. Or burned. NBC’s airing tonight simply served as the Peacock’s final screw-you to a show that deserved better, after remaining a critical and cultish fave for the network during its near-decade downturn. Whatever.
Not that I’m in the business of telling a successful executive producer what to do with one of the best sitcoms ever. But why not cut the final episodes simply for the DVD of season 7? NBC is surely finished with the show with likely no re-airings over summer (It would get in the way of America’s Got Talent). Doesn’t that make it possible for the 7 billion stations currently rotating syndicated Scrubs to air the final 6? What’s contractually in the way?
It’s too bad, because if the last few weeks of Scrubs were an indication, as Alan Sepinwall notes, the writers were building toward a strong series culmination. During the last four solid episodes the plot careened toward the career pinnacle of Dr. Cox, the second child for Turk and Carla, and, presumably, a final, introspective resolution for J.D.
Instead, however, the show lurhces on, with tonight’s phony finale leaving a sour aftertaste. Zach Braff will continue to age in dog years, minor characters will play larger roles (Floyd?), tongue-in-cheek guest stars will show up (think Private Dancer) and we’ll be treated to a full-fledged Night Court-esque phoned-in final season, replete with more unwatchable episodes like tonight’s painful homage to The Princess Bride (Ugh. Don’t start, geeks.).
Still.
Sigh.
We’ll take it.
