More continuity issues with later season of Scrubs

I remember when Scrubs was first released and how much of a hit it was. I also consider it to be one of my favorite comedy series of all time. When I decided to revisit the series I found myself getting hooked just like I did when I was watching it the first time but since I am watching it on streaming and not on DVD's or just network TV, I am noticing things that didn't stand out to me before.

I just finished season 7 and noticed earlier how they just kind of forgot that Dr Cox got a haircut in one episode but then had all of his hair back in the next, and then he shaved it for the first time in a later episode. They also had someone who had previously die in an episode and then reappear for a scene in a later one.

Toward the end of Season 7 it starts to look like perhaps there was some internal problems with the show, because it looks like they kind of stopped caring about the story and continuity.

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For one thing, season 7 was only half as long as the previous seasons and I can't find out why that was. I'm going to guess that it had something to do with the fact that the show changed from NBC where it began, to ABC in season 8.

So the continuity problem in later season 7 isn't limited to hair or the screw up with the dead person appearing again but with a major part of the overall story. Bob Kelso, the mostly not nice chief of medicine, is a central character in this season as it is revealed that he has been lying about his age in order to not get dismissed from his position.

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They dedicated 3 episodes to this build up and how the characters who previously loathed him, started to feel like they would really miss him if he was gone and it was kind of touching to see them connect that way. Eventually his job is spared because of outpouring of support only to have him quit anyway. It wasn't that he wanted to keep his job, he just wanted to leave on his own terms. So he leaves and Dr. Cox takes over his position and then another episode happens and boom! Bob Kelso is just magically back as head of medicine. No explanation of any sort is offered. This is also when they have a very bizarre and not very good "fairy tale" episode.

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Ok, I accidentally figured out why the season was cut short and why it seems to have very lazy writing: There was a Writers Guild of America strike in 2007 and the season was rushed and cut short because of it. It does still seem very strange that they would just "forget" that Laverne was dead, Dr Cox already shaved his head, and that Bob Kelso retired though.

One other very minor continuity issue is that in the season finale "fairy tale" episode JD is riding a donkey and refers to it as "Sasha" which was the name of his scooter which in real life he no longer has as his brother had bought him a car. I guess they forgot about that as well.

I have read some fan theories that the final episode was never meant to be the final episode but their hand was forced by the writer's strike and that episode was actually meant to take place before the Kelso retiring character arc even happened.

It is worth noting that in the year it aired originally, it was losing viewers very rapidly and had sunk from 14th place overall to 115th.

I honestly don't remember what happened in season 8 and 9 from the first time of watching it - some of it such as the inevitable reunion of JD and "Barbie" is obvious - but I'm thinking that it probably wasn't very good because the show was totally cancelled after a mere two seasons on ABC.

I do recall that they experimented with guest stars such as Courtney Cox ironically butting heads with the show's Dr. Cox and that was funny for about a second and a half.

All good things have to come to an end though, and I will likely finish up all of the available episodes in the next day or so.