John C. McGinley has addressed one of the Scrubs revival’s most anticipated developments ahead of the season finale. The actor broke down what Dr. Cox‘s unexpected return to Sacred Heart means for the character’s future.
John C. McGinley breaks down Dr. Cox’s shocking diagnosis
John C. McGinley has opened up about Dr. Cox’s surprise diagnosis in the Scrubs revival. In the April 8 episode, the character faints in the hallway at Sacred Heart after spending suspicious amounts of time at the hospital. J.D. (Zach Braff) subsequently takes over as his primary caregiver, despite Cox’s reluctance.
McGinley described Cox’s illness as essential jeopardy for the show’s protagonist. “The protagonist needs a threat,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “There has to be jeopardy. And right now, the threat is his interns not learning the way they should. But he also needs personal threat.”
The episode also features a heartfelt scene between Cox and Dr. Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke). Cox apologizes and admits he could have scared her away from medicine. McGinley told Variety the diagnosis prompts Cox to reconcile past relationships.
When asked whether the diagnosis humbles Cox, McGinley was direct. “I wouldn’t bet on humbled,” he told Variety. He also called the episode “one of the best half hours of TV” since the Brendan Fraser episode in Season 3.
McGinley also addressed Cox’s longstanding resistance to vulnerability. “Perry Cox is a profoundly damaged guy,” he told THR. He credited the writers for ensuring Cox never becomes “a redundant exercise in revisiting the same conflicts” across the show’s run.
McGinley confirmed that Bill Lawrence is scheduling around his HBO Max comedy Rooster. He hopes Cox appears significantly more in a potential Season 2. “I think, God willing, for Season 2 on both of them, schedules will line up so that Dr. Cox can be around Scrubs quite a bit more,” he told Variety.
