- “I think what Garfunkel here is trying to say is that you should all take a second, think seriously about what's really bothering you, and then have a big group unbunching of your panties.”— Dr. Kelso
"My Tormented Mentor" is the fifteenth episode of Scrubs' third season. Dr. Kelso gets complaints from the nurses that male staff are making sexually-harrasing comments. Dr. Cox is finding it hard to cope with Ben's death, and having Jordan's friends still around makes it worse. Finally Dr. Grace Miller (Bellamy Young) is the new female surgeon, who is strong and self-confident, which was the complete opposite of what the other surgeons were wanting and expecting.
Synopsis
Two weeks after the death of Ben Sullivan, Dr. Cox is still having a hard time getting over it. Jordan seems fine and tries to get him to clean up. Her best friends came for the funeral and still haven't left. Jordan brings her friends to the hospital and Dr. Cox sends them off to the bar. J.D. mentions Jordan is doing OK. Perry himself is being quiet about the Ben situation. J.D. stalks Dr. Cox to talk about his feelings regarding the death of Ben. He mentions he is more annoyed that Jordan's friends are still around. J.D. walks in on Jordan's friend's changing and tells them they should leave. They say he just wants to kiss Perry's ass. Jordan catches J.D. kicking out her friends and isn't too happy about it. Dr. Cox tells J.D. not to stick his head into his affairs anymore and J.D. says he won't do it anymore as he is guilty of writing four complaints about calling male residents girl's names, thus Dr. Cox has to sit through Carla's sexual harassment seminar. Dr. Cox takes J.D. to Jordan to tell her it was J.D.'s own doing. Dr. Cox tells Jordan that he doesn't like her friend's sticking around and it makes her worried.
Dr. Kelso gets complaints from the nurses that they are sexually harassed by comments from other people around them. But he tells them to "unbunch" their panties and not make a big deal out of it. Ted researched the hospital's library liability concerning sexual harassment so Dr. Kelso admits to Carla that they need to do something about it. He decides that Carla needs to run a sexual harassment seminar, mandatory to anyone who gets more than three complains in the complaint box. When the box is checked, Todd gets 37 complains about sexual harassment, and Dr. Kelso also has five.
Turk has a new attendant surgeon, Dr. Grace Miller and he is really excited. She introduces herself and makes sure everyone knows she is very self-confident. The surgeons are shocked as they expected an innocent helpless woman. At the cafeteria, Dr. Miller mentions Turk and Todd surprised her by not sucking, but she is concerned Todd is degrading women. Turk tells Todd to lay off Dr. Miller, as it's hard for Dr. Miller as a female surgeon. She overhears their conversation and kicks him off the surgical team. Turk listens to music in the O.R. and Dr. Miller stops the sound system. She says it is worst to pride oneself thinking she is just a little girl and needs to defend her. Turk says he has nothing to apologize for. Later, Elliot chats with Dr. Miller. She is impressed by her emotional strength but tries to persuade her that Turk is not sexist. It doesn't work and actually makes Elliot think about some stuff herself. Elliot tells Turk she loves Dr. Miller and would do anything to have an attendant like her who doesn't hold her back by the fact she is a woman. She asks Turk who he thinks makes the better surgeon, male or female? He smiles, knowing all too well what the answer is for him.
Sexual harassment seminar
At the sexual harassment seminar, Dr. Cox explains how Dr. Kelso is just a man of a different era, Todd's behavior must come down to his childhood and that in general it is really hard what is kosher. Carla says they should step into their shoes one day and think about how they would feel. Dr. Cox realizes why Jordan's friends are still around. He goes home and asks if it's because he has been in self-pity and didn't think about how she would feel. She says she misses Ben and cries. Her friends are still around so she won't feel so bad about the loss, however. Turk apologizes to Dr. Miller and she tells him to scrub up because he is a decent surgeon after all. Dr. Kelso teaches Todd how to look but not to touch.
Recurring Themes
More: Fantasies • Flashbacks • J.D.'s girl names • Janitor's pranks and lies
Jordan's friends are vampires
Fantasies
- The surgeons imagine that Dr. Miller is Marilyn Monroe.
- J.D. imagines that Jordan's friends are vampires.
Flashbacks
Janitor story
- Janitor speaks Korean to Ted while holding a young lady in his arms.
- Janitor pops out off nowhere clotheslining J.D. who is running from Dr. Cox, just after J.D. realizes he hasn't seen the Janitor all day.
J.D.'s Girls Name
- Sally, used by Jordan Sullivan J.D. tries to sympathize with Dr. Cox.
- Annika, used by Dr. Cox.
- Judy, used by Dr. Cox.
- “May I ask you something there, Judy? Do you have any idea what it's like to have three angry, underfed, women tear you a new one for a full hour?”— Dr. Cox
Guest Stars
- Bellamy Young as Dr. Grace Miller
- Carter Jenkins as Young Todd Quinlan
- Julie Warner as Allison
- Embeth Davidtz as Maddie
- Lawrence H. Toffler as Todd's father
Music
♫ List of music featured in Scrubs
- "Roc Ya Body, Mic Check 1, 2" by M.V.P. featuring Stagga Lee
- "Here Comes the Hammer" originally by Hammer, performed by Donald Faison
- "Can't Erase It" by Lena Anderssen
- "I'm with you (Damn cold night) " by Avril Lavigne
Quotes
- “ I'm Dr. Miller. A few quick things: Don't talk while I'm talking, never utter the phrase "It's Miller time", and I don't like the smell of cologne in my operating room. Now, I'd like to take a minute to listen to any questions or comments that any of you might have, and then after this minute I never want to hear from any of you -- ever, ever, ever again. Anyone?”— Grace Miller
- “Um... I'm allergic to shellfish?”— Turk
- “Um... I'm allergic to shellfish?”— Turk
- “Here's the tour: This is where the patients enter, upstairs is where they go to die, and down in the basement is where we slide their cold, dead bodies into the wall. Oh, and that's the gift shop.”— Dr. Cox
- “Elliot, this woman doesn't like me. It could keep me from becoming the youngest chief of surgery in history, which could keep me from curing paralysis, which could keep me from having my birthday be a national holiday! And everyone knows I hate to work on my birthday!”— Turk
- “I hate to quote my mother, but Dr. Miller is so uptight she could use a pitcher of martinis and an afternoon on top of a smooth-chested pool-boy.”— Elliot
- “Remember, we look, but we don't touch.”— Dr. Kelso
Trivia
- Janitor mentioned him having a wife in previous episodes, yet he went to singles night. Though, he could have just went for fun.
- In Dr. Kelso's flashback he stands admiring a passing nurse and smacks her bottom with his clipboard saying "Foxy, Enid! Hot mama." In earlier episodes it had been established that his wife's name is Enid, so this is apparently her.
- The title of the episode may be a reference to the early Season One episode "My Mentor", the first episode in which J.D. attempts to console Perry at his apartment.
- The character of Dr Miller was intended to be a female Dr Cox.
Images
