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I'm not sure. I don't know what confidence feels like.Ted

"My Brother, Where Art Thou?" is the fifth episode of Scrubs' third season. J.D.'s brother, Dan, visits again, and Dan thinks that the hospital has changed J.D.'s attitude for the worse. Carla and Elliot get in trouble for moonlighting despite Dr. Kelso banning it.

Synopsis[]

J.D. and Dan[]

3x5 Carla Elliot moonlighting

Carla and Elliot moonlighting

J.D.'s patient Mr. Bober suffers from dementia and can only say "pickles". J.D. callously yet unmaliciously mocks this quirk while Dr. Cox expresses frustration that that him nursing home has yet again sent him to Sacred Heart to absolve themselves of any responsibility. J.D., still angry about Elliot being in love with Sean, calls his brother Dan who decides to visit.

J.D. brings Dan to work where he meets Dr. Cox and becomes fascinated with the dynamics between his brother and his reluctant mentor. When the doctors express frustration that the "gomer" Mr. Bober is back at Sacred Heart Dan becomes appalled at how insensitive his brother has become. Dr. Cox attempts to explain that this indifference is a necessary coping mechanism of working in medicine.

Dan extends his trip because he is angry about J.D.'s attitude and wants to help him reconnect with his former kindhearted ethos. Dan's efforts beget a fight and J.D. makes some regrettable statements about Dan's lifestyle. Always a wise friend, Turk tells J.D. that he ought to apologize to Dan before he leaves town. J.D. apologizes to Dan.

While leaving, Dan stops to talk to Dr. Cox and stands up for his little brother, asking Dr. Cox to take the responsibility of being J.D.'s mentor more seriously. Dr. Cox agrees with Dan and they shake hands. And inevitably, Mr. Bober comes back to the hospital.

Elliot & Carla moonlighting[]

Sean is working in New Zealand so Carla asks Elliot if she's tried phone sex. Elliot claims her walls are too thin so tries to have phone sex in the woods but is disrupted by a Boy Scout troop on a camping trip. A revved-up Elliot asks Carla how to make money quick to go see Sean. Serendipitous Dr. Kelso suspends a nurse for moonlighting which only raises Elliot's curiosity in a new revenue stream.

Carla takes Elliot to her moonlight at the animal hospital which works flawless for a few nights until Dr. Kelso brings his dog Baxter and catches them. The next day at the hospital Elliot and Carla plead to Ted not to be suspended, explaining that Elliot needs the money to visit Sean and Carla needs the money for her wedding. Kelso changes his mind about suspending Elliot and Carla and they continue to moonlight.


Recurring Themes[]

     More: FantasiesFlashbacksJ.D.'s girl namesJanitor's pranks and lies

3x5 Baxter

Dr. Kelso holds Baxter

3x5 fart show

Traveling fart show

Fantasies[]

  • J.D., Turk, and Dan are dressed in old time clothes performing a synchronized fart show in front of an audience of people who have their shirts pulled up over their noses or wearing gasmasks.

Janitor story[]

The Janitor thinks that J.D. is using Dan to do his "dirty work" after Dan slams a board down onto the Janitor's fingers.

Guest Stars[]

3x5 JD Dan

Tom Cavanagh as Dan Dorian

Music[]

     List of music featured in Scrubs

  • "Nothing Left of Me" by Joanna De Seyne

Quotes[]

3x5 JD tshirt

"Black by popular demand"

Me neither! And you know what, J.D.? I'm worried, 'cause I think this marriage might actually stick. ...Unlike Mom and Dad, who tried to solve everything with sex.Dan Dorian

They did?J.D.
Oh, yeah, yeah. Matter of fact, the only reason you were born is 'cause Mom bounced a check at the market.

Oh, that's great! I--I guess you're only here because Mom wrecked the car?
No, they wanted me.


I have dreams where I staple your fingers to your face.J.D.


[into phone] Darling, I wanna say something. For the past 25 years, we've been going through the motions -- once every couple of weeks we have sex, and then we have breakfast without saying a word. Well, tonight, I want you to put on a nice dress, because I'm gonna take you to dinner and I'm gonna start telling you all the things I haven't taken the time to say all these years. ... I love you, too.Dr. Kelso

That was...beautiful, sir!Ted
Thanks, Ted. Call my wife, tell her I won't be home tonight.


Hey, listen, Dr. Cox. No offense. I'm a big fan of the tough guy act. But let me tell you what I really think. I think you love the fact that these kids idolize you. Johnny does! Johnny was always the one in the family we knew was going someplace. Sweet kid, smart kid. Becoming a doctor? This is all he ever wanted. And yet somehow, you found a way to beat that out of him, haven't you? Turned him into some kind of cynical guy, who seems to despise what he does. Dr. Cox... Johnny's never gonna look up to me. Ever. But he hangs on your every word. So, I'm asking... I'm telling you: Take that responsibility seriously; stop being such a hard ass. Otherwise, you're gonna have to answer to me.Dan Dorian


Well, Mr. Pickles, welcome back.Dr. Cox

Here we go with this guy again.J.D.
Yep. Still, it sure is nice to be doing something you love. I wouldn't trade it. How 'bout you?

No...
Don't forget that.

Pickles.Mr. Bober
Damn right, sir. Damn right.

Trivia[]

  • This episode has a much shorter opening introduction to allow for a slightly longer scene within the fixed network runtime.
  • The word "gomer" is a real life medical term from the novel The House of God written by Samuel Shem (a pseudonym of the psychiatrist Stephen Bergman) and means "Get Out of My Emergency Room".
  • In this episode, Carla states that she has been working at Sacred Heart for over 10 years.
  • When Dan tackled J.D. to the ground, the front door is open. However, in the next shot, when Turk joins the dogpile, the door is closed.
  • Mr. Bober, a patient from "My Last Day", reappears.
  • The title is a reference to the 2000 movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?, in which three escaped convicts search for hidden treasure while a relentless lawman pursues them.
  • In this episode it is revealed that one of the doctors names is "Dr. Brogen" who was caught for moonlighting. In "My White Whale" he was called Seth which means his name is Seth Brogen most likely due to his resemblance to Seth Rogen.
  • Considering that Janitor has worked at the hospital longer than J.D., he should know where the emergency room is, yet he still asks J.D.
  • Elliot claims that all cats hate her, yet in earlier episodes she says she has a cat (which sometimes responds to her in her mother's voice). Which would imply that mean her cat hates her.


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