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09th Sep 2015

What a character: Why Turk from Scrubs is a TV great

'That's what I'm talkin' bout'

Paul Moore

 ‘That’s what I’m talkin’ bout’

There are certain characters that become so ingrained in pop-culture that they seem to take on a life of their own.

This week, I’m focusing on a character that’s as good a dancer as he is sports obsessed – it’s just a shame that Carla will never love him the way that J.D does – choco-bear himself and an integral part of Siamese/world’s most giant doctor, Chris Turk.

In three words, he’s: Loyal, cocky, lovable.

Turk Scrubs

Why he’s a TV great: Any man that names a stuffed Labrador as his first child’s godfather is worthy of greatness but there’s so much more to love about Turk than just Rowdy.

Much like Friends, Scrubs was a phenomenon in Ireland because the show was so widely embraced that even one of its stars was amazed at the passion, love and devotion that it garnered on these shores.

I remember seeing John C McGinley (Dr Cox) giving a talk during my college years and he was genuinely amazed at our levels of fandom – but in my opinion, Turk was always the unsung hero of the show.

Turk Dancing

J.D could be very funny but there were times when his self-loathing and goofy schtick was dangerously close to bordering on self-parody; Turk, on the other hand, just played it cool throughout.

In the earlier episodes, it’s clear that he’s cocky, brash but still very funny – Carla’s refusal to date him because of his ‘surgeon God complex’ and his pursuit of her shows this – but the character’s journey was one of the real pleasures in the show.

He was always a man’s man in the sense that he loves sport, hip-hop, air-banding, dancing and he really didn’t give a feck about what anyone else thought.

Who can forget his code that “if you haven’t had sex in six months, you’re not accountable for who you sleep with”?

Or Turkleton losing his mind after meeting Lando Calrissian? Can you imagine what he would be like if he met Tyra Banks?

Turk Sugar

This being said, there was always much more depth to Turk than most of the people around him, especially when you compare him to some of the other surgeons like The Todd (that dude is a warped hero by the way).

The episode when Turk’s deeply religious beliefs get tested after a series of awful injuries and patients arrive into his surgery on Christmas Eve is one of those moments when Scrubs really pulls at your heartstrings. It should also be noted that the episode when Izzy is born strikes a wonderful balance between drama and comedy.

Who else could get their hands stuck in a vending machine but love their wife so much that they’re prepared to drag the machine into the operating theater just to be with her.

Turk advice

All this without mention his dance moves, he has so many dance moves.

His best quote: After defeating Carla in arm wrestling – DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU GET, CARLA?! DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU MESS WITH THE WARRIOR?!

If we could put him in any other show: We can’t separate him from J.D, they might break down and cry if we did so Turk has to stay put. We will always dial the K on CALL-TUR (225-5887).

Turk Hug

His best scene: So many but I’ve opted for this, it’s the best way to win any argument.

Ah I can’t leave this article without mentioning the greatest airband of all. Bell Biv DeVoe never had moves like this.

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