According to Deadline, it seems that Dr. Kelso will not be returning to the second season of the ABC Scrubs revival. When the network announced the second season and how it will include more of the original cast, Ken Jenkins (Cougar Town, Matewan), who plays Dr. Kelso, was not among the names.
“Dr. Kelso will be back next year,” creator Bill Lawrence told Deadline in February, ahead of the Season 1 premiere. “It just didn’t work out this year but it will next year.”
As per Deadline, during an interview with the three main stars of the series, Zach Braff (Chicken Little, Garden State), Sarah Chalke (The Wrong Missy, Rick and Morty), and Donald Faison (The Exes, Next Day Air), Braff provided an update on the status of Jenkins’ potential return.
“The fans want this so much, and I so respect that, we do too, but I think we just also need to be respectful of his age,” he said via Deadline. “I’ll keep trying, but I think, for currently where he’s at, it’s a bit of a big ask, I’ll just say that.”
Deadline reports that while Jenkins might not be able to make it for the second season, some of the original cast will be making an appearance. This includes John C. McGinley (Stan Against Evil, Nothing to Lose) as Dr. Cox and Judy Reyes (High Potential, Claws) as Carla, along with Neil Flynn (Rookie of the Year, The Middle) as The Janitor, Christa Miller (Clone High, The Drew Carey Show) as Jordan, Robert Maschio (A Holiday Heist, Lethal Seduction) as The Todd and Scott Foley (Scandal, Felicity) as Sean. McGinley’s Dr. Cox is front and center in the opening episodes of Season 2 as his former pupils rally to find treatment for his autoimmune disease.
“We all find the story of all of his mentees rallying around to cure and and treat him really interesting and something we want to continue,” Braff said via Deadline. “We want to keep Dr. Cox, Johnny C around, and we’ll continue to do that in different ways because the audience loves him, and we love him, and he’s such a valuable part of the show.”
“We’ll have to navigate all that but I think this season is about us navigating being teachers, being the leads of the hospital, and and passing down our knowledge,” Braff said via Deadline. “We’re navigating dating new people while being co-workers, and Turk’s battling some struggles with his mental health, we introduced that in the pilot. Having J.D. come back was certainly a temporary cure for that, but I think that what we’re going to start to explore is how that doesn’t just take away your melancholia. That there’s more work to do than just have your friend come back to town.”
Will set up Turk for a more dramatic arc this season?
“Absolutely,” Faison said. “I think that monologue in the pilot surprised not only myself but a lot of people. And it’s something worth, let’s explore it and find out how far the rabbit hole goes.”
Scrubs is available to stream on Hulu.
