Scrubs: 5 Times We Felt Bad For Elliot (& 5 Times We Hated Her)

Nearly every sitcom out there has an on/off relationship that usually involves the central character of the show, with Scrubs being no different, pairing J.D. with his dream girl Elliot Reid. Elliot is an absolute mess, but usually has the right intentions with what she does, even if most of the time she comes out looking pretty bad.

By the end of the series, she has grown a lot. Nevertheless, there are numerous times throughout the show where she manages to draw a lot of hate from fans but, on the flip side, also uses her good side to draw sympathy.

10 Felt Bad – When Molly Leaves

Molly Clock, played by Heather Graham, seemed to be a beacon of light in Elliot’s life when she thought everything was going wrong.

After only a few short episodes at Sacred Heart, though, Molly revealed that she was moving to Milwaukee. It was not played as that massive of a deal, with the focus more on J.D.’s desire to sleep with her, but Elliot losing her was still sad.

9 Hated – The Whole Co-Resident Debacle

When Dr. Cox announces both J.D. and Elliot as Chief Residents, it kicks off one of the most irritating stories in all of Scrubs.

J.D. gets called co-resident, diminishing his authority, reducing his pay, making nobody respect him, and instead of ending that, Elliot decided to rub it in his face because he apparently deserved it for being a good doctor?

8 Felt Bad – When She Feels Like She Has Lost Her Friends

Right before Molly arrived on the scene, everything had gone down with J.D. at Turk and Carla’s rehearsal dinner and wedding, and times are tough for her.

She felt as though she had lost her friends, with J.D. getting custody of them. While this is fair in the sense that they are more J.D.’s friends than hers, it is unfair that she felt so down and left out without friends.

7 Hated – When She Complains About Getting Cut-Off

When she flips at her dad for him trying to force her into being an OB-GYN, Elliot’s dad decides to cut her off, not paying for her rent or general living anymore.

Elliot then goes on to complain to J.D. and Carla that they do not understand how hard it is to have had everything. This is pretty infuriating, with most people being in crippling student debt and having to moonlight to get by, while Elliot has had everything from medical school to a high-end apartment paid for,

6 Felt Bad – When Nobody Needs Her Help

Just before her makeover in “My Own American Girl,” Elliot is in a severe personal rut of which she is struggling to get out.

Due to this, when J.D., Turk, and Carla are trying to figure out what is wrong with a troublesome patient, Elliot is completely ignored, with none of her friends needing her help.

5 Hated – When She Tells J.D. He Is Supposed To Be Her Friend

Following Elliot sleeping with J.D. and getting back with Sean instantly, J.D. is understandably upset.

Instead of consoling J.D. or trying to make things right or even admitting fault, Elliot spins it around on J.D., making him out to be the bad guy for being upset, telling him that she thought they were supposed to be friends.

4 Felt Bad – When She Feels Dr. Kelso Is Sexist & Cox Tells Her To Suck It Up

It is established early on that Dr. Kelso can be a pretty evil guy who has come from an older era. As such, he calls the guys ‘sport’ and the girls ‘sweetheart.’

Elliot takes issue with this, seeing it as offensive and sexist. When she goes to Dr. Cox for help, he tells her to suck it up, not exactly an appropriate response when a co-worker feels uncomfortable.

3 Hated – When She Sleeps With Dan & Acts Like It Is No Problem

Another genuinely awful thing Elliot does is when she sleeps with J.D.’s brother Dan. Not only that, when J.D. asks them to stop, but they also lie and continue to do so.

The icing on the cake of the whole thing is when Elliot says she did not think she was doing anything wrong or that it was a problem. In what world is sleeping with your ex’s/best friend’s brother, not a problem?

2 Felt Bad – When J.D. Does Not Love Her

Probably the singular moment most fans point to when asked about J.D.’s worst moments is that when he realizes he does not actually want Elliot.

After months of pining over her, he finally got her, only to realize he does not love her, telling her so at Carla and Turk’s rehearsal dinner after making her throw her life with Sean away.

1 Hated – When She Cheats On Sean With J.D.

Going back to when Elliot tells J.D. she thought they were friends, that all came about after Elliot slept with J.D.

While Sean was in New Zealand, Elliot basically used J.D., and when Sean turned up at the door, moments after they had sex, she jumps in his arms, and off they went.