Culture of Pop

31 Days of Halloween Episodes: My Big Brother (Scrubs)

Here at Pop Culture Spin we refuse to accept that Halloween is only one day. We’re going to be celebrating Halloween all month, by highlighting one of our favorite Halloween episodes every day. Today’s we’re looking at the Scrubs episode “My Big Brother.”

Basic Info

Directed by: Michael Spiller

Written by: Tim Hobert

Episode Number: Season 2, Episode 6

Where to Watch It: Netflix

Why It’s Great

JD’s charming brother Dan (perfectly cast guest star Tom Cavanaugh) comes to town and starts flirting with Elliot. JD feels like his old jealousy towards his brother is coming back, but when he continually feels the need to defend everything about Dan’s life, he starts to realize that over the years he’s actually become ashamed of his brother because he never had the same career success that JD did. It captures the disillusionment of growing up and how family relationships evolve very well.

Things are left unresolved with them. JD tells Dan that he can tell Dan wishes he was more successful and then Dan drives away. There’s not a lot of dialogue letting us know how the relationship between them will change from here on out, all we know for sure is that JD’s perception of his big brother has changed and he’s ready to admit it.

Meanwhile, Dr. Cox gives Turk a harsh lesson in why you can’t grieve over every patient, showing him that there are very real reasons he’s decided to be cold and distant at work.

Why It’s Full of Halloween Spirit

Early in the episode, JD and Turk worry that they’ve become old. This point is accentuated by the fact that their only Halloween plans are staying in and watching TV. In the end, they realize the importance of keeping your inner child alive and decide to go out.

Costume Count

Carla is a cat

Laverne is Raggedy Anne

JD and Turk are pigs

Dr. Kelso is a gorilla

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

To Top