Change Your Image
alywelch
Reviews
Scrubs: His Story IV (2007)
An episode not on politics but on the way in which politics come between family, friends and coworkers
I know I'm a little late to the party, but I feel a need to chime in because a lot of reviews, positive and negative, missed the point of this episode, and especially Kelso's character.
I suppose it helps that I discovered this episode in syndication at a time when I was becoming increasingly frustrated with liberal vs. conservative debates. The show didn't present a viewpoint on whether or not they agreed with the war because that's not what the episode was about. No, the message of the episode is that people shouldn't let political differences interfere with their friendships or their jobs.
Now Kelso has always been the embodiment of heartless bureaucracy on the show but throughout the seasons we learn that it's the nature of the job not necessarily the man. He keeps his political opinions to himself because his responsibility is to the patients first and foremost. His staff has lost sight of their personal responsibilities so once again he has to play the villain, not because that's who he is, but because that's who he needs to be to keep the hospital running.
In one particular brilliant scene that's easily dismissed as silly, the staff square off in the coffee shop, each stating increasingly boisterous and dehumanizing political jargon until the janitor chimes in with complete gibberish. Sure, it's hilarious but it also holds a mirror up to how idiotic they all sound regardless of which side they take. It's not about what you believe so much as how you express those beliefs and relate to others with differing beliefs.
Ultimately, it's not the job of the show to pick a side any more than it was the job of the characters to. If you ever watch the commentary, they also mention how diverse the cast and crew is. The difference is that they, unlike the fictional staff of their show in this particular episode, don't let it come between them or interfere with their ability to put on a funny show.
For me, the viewing experience was cathartic. It's nice knowing there are others who find the endless bickering as tiresome as I do, especially when it comes between people who should be working together for the same goal.
The episode also enabled me to laugh off my frustrations.