Their Story

"Their Story"

"Their Story" is the 134th episode of the American situation comedy Scrubs. It was aired as episode 17 of season 6.

Plot

This episode is the first to include three narrators: Ted, Todd, and Jordan.

Ted is caught in the middle of a standoff between Dr. Kelso and the nursing staff, who demand a cost-of-living raise. When Kelso refuses, saying that the nurses would never strike because they care about the patients, the nurses initiate a slowdown of work. Kelso tells Ted that he will eventually give the nurses their raise--at the expense of firing three of them. Ted tries to urge the nursing staff to stop the slowdown, but to no avail. Eventually, Ted gives the nurses some leverage--he anonymously gives them an invoice for needles that reveals that Sacred Heart has been receiving $50,000 worth of needles for $50. The nurses blackmail Dr. Kelso, and he gives them their raise without firing anyone. Ted has a fantasy of having great hair, and he makes out with two women and accidentally causes his mother's death.

The Todd has a new profession, plastic surgery. One of The Todd's patients is a 16-year-old girl getting breast implants, and Turk takes moral offense to this. He takes it up with Todd's department head, who tells Turk to butt out and tells Todd that he will ruin Turk's career if he interferes any more. Todd tries to get Turk to stop his crusade to stop the surgery, but to no avail. Eventually, Todd finds someone that convinces Turk to allow the surgery--the 16-year-old girl herself. Todd has a fantasy of his son wearing a banana hammock.

Jordan decides to meddle in Elliot and Keith's relationship. She convinces Elliot to play mind games with Keith, but when Keith tells her that he just wishes the mind games would stop, Jordan feels guilty for once. She decides to talk to Elliot and tells her the best way to get the relationship back on track--ignore what Jordan says. Jordan has a fantasy of herself as a wacky talk show host.

In the end, the three narrators admit that they all have parts to play. Template:Endspoiler

Trivia

• This is the first episode with the title not beginning with either "My", "His", or "Her", although it continues the pattern of the first word being a Possessive determiner.
• This is the first episode where J.D.'s monologue doesn't have the last word.
• It is revealed that Snoop Dogg Resident's real name is Ronald.
• The Todd is now shown to have become a Plastic Surgeon.
• J.D. only appears three times in the entire episode.
• Unlike in other His/Her Story episodes there is no physical touch indicating the passing over of narration to another character and back.
• Todd seems to break the fourth wall to tell the viewer that he does not stuff his banana hammock, but is revealed to be talking to Snoop Dogg Resident (he responds "Maybe you should"). This gag was originally seen in My New Suit.
• In Todd's fantasy, his son's name, Rod, is probably named after another word for penis. Alternatively, it could be a reference to the Flanders children from The Simpsons, Rod and Todd, or merely a rhyming name.
• 5th speaking appearance of Snoop Dogg Resident (previously Snoop Dogg Intern).
• This is the first episode where J.D. goes into fantasy even though he isn't narrating the episode (we don't see the fantasy but we know it involves gnomes). This helps to better identify with the other characters, who never witness the fantasies and are always left bemused by J.D.'s comments as a result.
• We learn that the Janitor is a Muslim, and apparently is the only white guy in his mosque. Of course he could also be just telling another outrageous story, as two episodes prior, he said he had converted to the Norse religion (which also could have been a lie itself).
• When Turk's looking in at the 16 year old patient you see that he's talking to J.D. but when the camera changes back again he's talking to The Todd.
• This is the first time in 6 years that the Todd has been addressed by a surname "Quinlan". Many fans initially jumped on a prop name tag, assuming that Quinlan was in fact his last name, as told by Bill Lawrence on the DVD audio commentaries.
• Other audible speakers that occur in the final scene are Lloyd, the delivery guy (thinking about where to park his truck), Dr. Green, the head of cosmetic surgery (thinking about bees) and Dr. Mickhead (thinking "that nurse is hot").
• In Jordan's fantasy, the little girl she's dancing with is actually the real life daughter of her and Bill Lawrence, Charolet.
• Turk (for the first time in six years) is seen with some hair (excusing the recently grown moustache).
• This is the first time that we see Ted's mother in person (we can see a picture of her in Ted's office).

Quotes

• (After JD goes into a fantasy)

Todd (V.O.): Oh great. There he goes off into his fantasy world. Now I'm stuck here waiting until he snaps out of it with some weird comment.

(PAUSE)

JD: We'd have to find a whole lot of gnomes!

Todd: That's helpful.

• Dr. Kelso: You know what, I'll let the nurses have their raises, but I'll fire three of them - the ugly ones.

Ted (V.O.): Whatever you think is best, sir.

Ted: You're an ass!

Ted (V.O.): Ted, you idiot! You said the out loud thing in your head and the in your head thing out loud!

Featured music

• "The Stripper" by David Rose
• "Now That We Found Love" by Heavy D & The Boyz
• "Forever Lost" by The Magic Numbers

External links

• "Their Story" at IMDb