My Inconvenient Truth

"My Inconvenient Truth"
Scrubs episode
Episode no.	Season 7 Episode 3
Directed by	Bill Lawrence
Written by	Debra Fordham
Production code	703
Original air date	November 8, 2007
Episode chronology
← Previous "My Hard Labor" Next → "My Identity Crisis"
List of Scrubs episodes

"My Inconvenient Truth" is the 142nd episode of the American sitcom Scrubs. It aired as Episode 3 of Season 7 on November 8, 2007, during NBC's Go Green Week.

Plot

The hospital receives a new patient scale, which has all the female staff worrying about their weight. Elliot calls Dr. Cox a hypocrite because he berates Boon over a cup of coffee, but tells a patient to stop stressing over little things. She says, "Our patients shouldn't have to take advice that we can't follow ourselves." Elliot then receives Robyn(Corena Chase), a patient who passed out at work due to malnourishment. Elliot points out that Robyn is 5'9 and weighs 119 lbs. Dr. Cox, who has been creeping up on her, lifts her up and notes that Elliot is the same height as her patient. She realizes that Dr. Cox is making his way to the scale and frantically tries to free herself. Dr. Cox asks Boon to tell him what the scale says, while Elliot responds by exclaiming, "No Boon, I will kill your family!" A frightened Boon states that the scales reads "298 lbs." Dr. Cox subtracts his own weight, leaving Elliot's weight at 118 lbs., a full pound less than her malnourished patient. Dr. Cox points out that Elliot herself is a hypocrite. Upon realizing this, Elliot decides to gain some weight along with Robyn. Later, when Elliot is getting ready to eat a large lunch with several pieces of cake, Dr. Cox messes with her by stating how great she has been looking lately, and gets the entire cafeteria to agree, prompting her to stop eating.

Meanwhile, Ted chastises The Janitor for running his van's engine unnecessarily, and encourages him to watch An Inconvenient Truth. After watching, the Janitor is convinced that Sacred Heart has to become more environmentally friendly and takes it upon himself to become the Environmental Officer. He makes some changes such as making "Carpool Only" spaces in the parking lot. He also threatens, despite admitting he has no real power, to dole out appropriate punishments to the people who don't obey the new rules, such as trapping them in their car with a wasp nest, crushing soda cans on their forehead, forcing them to drink mop water out of his bucket, and giving them the choice to eat a lightbulb or lick a battery. After only two days though, the Janitor has lost his enthusiasm.

After getting a speech from Carla on human nature, both Elliot and the Janitor are inspired. When the Janitor sees that even Dr. Kelso is using the "Carpool Only" parking spaces, he realizes he was able to make a difference. Elliot comes to terms with her hypocrisy and when Robyn asks her if she has been eating, she says, "This isn't about me, I'm not the one fainting at the office so just do what I tell you to do."

Meanwhile, J.D.'s brother Dan (Tom Cavanagh) returns with the news that he has moved out of his mom's attic and found a job as a real estate agent. Dan knows J.D. is having a rough time in his life and surprises him with a new car. Dan explains how, with a car, J.D. will be able to actually bring Sam over. J.D. disdains the notion of Dan giving him a car and breaks the windshield, stating that Dan is supposed to be the family screw-up. Dan tells J.D. that he needs to "grow up," which is confirmed by everyone else J.D. later asks, including Turk. J.D. realizes that Dan is right and takes him to visit his new nephew, Sam. Driving back, Dan tells J.D. that Sam looks like their father.

Cultural references

• Dan's entrance shares similarities to the revelation of the Jigsaw Killer in Saw.

• Carla wants Turk to throw out his old face paint, which he used to paint glasses and a lighting-bolt scar on his forehead that "burns", a reference to J. K. Rowling's character Harry Potter.

• Dr. Cox refers to Elliot as "Hypocrite Barbie", "new from Mattel", the creator of the "Barbie" line of dolls.

Continuity

• J.D. calls The Janitor "Jolly Green" once again, in the scene where Carla is washing her hands, after a previous mention in the season 1 episode "My Drug Buddy".
• Elliot's patient references that Dr. Cox has crazy eyes, a fact mentioned in Season 1, Episode 6 by Carla.

Featured music

• "1812 Overture (Opus 49)" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
• "Friends & Family" by Trik Turner

External links

• "My Inconvenient Truth" at TV.com
• "My Inconvenient Truth" at the Internet Movie Database