As J.D.’s weekly narration in “My Blind Date” emphasizes the importance of taking chances, it’s clear that the episode is truly about the concept of control. By setting the story in a hospital, Scrubs creates a natural environment for this theme to unfold. Halfway through the show’s first season, this episode serves as a marker for the characters’ journeys and, despite some off-putting behavior from J.D., it works. “My Blind Date” is a prime example of how a strong thematic core can override almost any character flaw on Scrubs (something the show would often find itself doing with J.D., Cox, and even Kelso).
Control and the Perfect Game
Centered around Dr. Cox’s attempt to throw a perfect game (i.e., go a 24-hour shift without losing anyone in intensive care), “My Blind Date” uses this metaphor as a foundation for the other stories in the episode. At their core, all of the various character interactions come down to this theme of control. Like a pitcher on the mound, everyone from J.D. to Kelso is trying to manipulate the odds in their favor to solve whatever conflict they’re facing in their lives. Some of these are simple, visual cues like Turk struggling to get Mr. Davis’ arm back in the socket; others are more overt, like Elliot’s attempts to get the world to “laugh with her tonight” by trying to preserve Dr. Cox’s perfect game after a patient dies on his watch (at 11:55, five minutes before it ends). But they’re all about the same thing; they’re about our attempts, as humans, to control our emotions and life circumstances. It’s one of life’s many contradictions; we try to exert dominance over our own affairs, even though they’re all byproducts of random moments in life, be they inspiration, intuition, or simple human connection.
The Beating Heart of “My Blind Date”
The idea that the more characters try to take control of their lives and situations, the more they find themselves at the whims of the world around them, is the beating heart of “My Blind Date”. Turk and his feelings, Dr. Cox and his perfect game, Elliot and her self-worth as a doctor; these are things characters try to explicitly (or in the case of not mentioning the ‘perfect game’, implicitly) guide in this episode with their own perception of how things should be, or would be in a perfect world. All three stories are ultimately reminders that we don’t have control (as Cox barks out to Barbie in the episode’s darkest moment); sometimes, that even extends to who we’re attracted to, a story “My Blind Date” explores in less than desirable ways.
J.D.’s Story: The Blemish on the Episode
J.D.’s story is really the one blemish on the episode; even Carla and Turk’s frustrations work in the context of the episode’s morality, leaving J.D. out in the cold as the selfish one. This wouldn’t be the first nor the last time Scrubs wasn’t afraid to show us J.D.’s petulant, self-serving side, and this is one of them – it’s not that J.D. wants to hesitate dating the doctor until he sees her (because so many of us are that shallow), it’s how dismissive of her he is until he decides that he’s not a shallow guy. The sparks we’re shown that he feels aren’t enough? We really have to spend ten minutes watching J.D. contemplate dating a girl that might be ugly? It’s a bit of a preposterous storyline, and doesn’t bode well for “My Blind Date” and its personification of J.D.’s attempt to control his own feelings. The foundation for a better story is there, but “My Blind Date” takes the easier route to its conclusion, which makes for a disappointing meet-cute story between him and Alex (whose exit from the show would be even uglier, but we’ll get to that one).
Great Side Stories to Pick Up the Slack
Thankfully, “My Blind Date” has two great side stories to pick up the slack; Elliot’s night alone with Cox at the hospital is worth the other two stories alone. It’s a great tale that continues to flesh out one of the show’s best secondary relationships, with the ever-annoyed Cox pushing Elliot to face her worst self, improving her as a doctor and a human being with an even rougher rapport than that he has with J.D. Anchored by this, it’s hard for “My Blind Date” to stray too far from its narrative parallels, even when J.D. is expressing his overwhelmingly superficial traits. There are a number of other episodes that fail to maintain this balance, and “My Blind Date” is an early example of it (mostly) nailing it.
Other Thoughts and Observations
– “Help me to help you, Barbie. Help me to help you, help me to help you, help me to help you, help me to help you.” Cox is in classic form throughout the entire episode.
– Ted, to Alex: “We could run away together.”
– Dougie makes his second appearance, as the “nervous guy” who doesn’t want to give Cox the bad toxicology results. That poor kid is just getting started.
– Elliot doesn’t get the concept of a perfect game?
– “Girl, you know I can’t have French fries.”
– Nurse Roberts makes terrible coffee, apparently.
– Death selling Girl Scout cookies is a great cutaway, as is Elliot trying to play catcher for Dr. Cox.
– Elliot reading the chart might be the most over-the-top slow-motion shot I’ve ever seen on Scrubs. Never has so little felt like it meant so much.
– “Better get ready; new game starts in four minutes.”
[Photo via NBC]
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