Dr. John[1] (or Jonathan)[2] Michael[3] "J.D." Dorian is a fictional character played by Zach Braff in the American sitcom Scrubs.
J.D. is the affably nerdy narrator and main character — he provides the overall narration in the show with the voice-overs linking the two to three story arcs in each episode. He is quite a geek, but knowingly so and manages nonetheless to have romantic liaisons with some attractive women, although having suffered from a "dry spell" for most of the third season. During the show's fifth season,[4] he celebrated his 30th birthday, which would place his birth date sometime in 1975. It has also been revealed that his was a premature birth. In the season five finale, "My Transition", it was revealed that his left testicle is significantly smaller than his right, and it was also revealed that J.D.'s girlfriend, Dr. Kim Briggs is pregnant. J.D.'s overall appearance consists of having dark brown hair that's waxed up in a spiked manner.
[edit] Family history
J.D. is the younger son of Sam and Barbara Dorian née Hobbs(although in My Hero, the janitor, after secretly reading J.D's diary is able to tell him "your mother's maiden name is Turner"). He has one older brother, named Dan, played by Tom Cavanagh. In My Office, it was revealed that J.D. had grown up in Trotwood, Ohio. John Ritter played his father, who died in the series [5] as a tribute to Ritter's death. It is tradition in J.D.'s family to bring cake while bearing bad news. Sam was an office supplies salesman, J.D. describing him as a 'bad one.' He did manage to provide for the family, giving J.D. one bike part per year as a birthday present. Sam and Barbara got divorced when J.D. was seven, so Sam left home. Barbara then got remarried 6 times. She lives with her new fiancée, who kicked Dan out. [6]
In My Own Private Practice Guy, J.D. stated that he had a Grandma who was still alive, although he claimed that he would feel awful if she did die when he lied about her death as an excuse. We also saw his Grandma in a flashback in My Bed Banter & Beyond. But as of My Advice to You, Grandma Dorian had died. In the same episode, J.D. also mentioned Nana Hobbs. He claimed that she was 'an eensy bit racist', a claim backed up by J.D.'s best friend, Turk, because she attacked him believing he was robbing her house.
In My Quarantine he says that he had an uncle Carltin who had red eyes because he was allergic to perservatives but still spread them on everything.
Currently, his newly re-instated girlfriend Dr. Kim Briggs is pregnant with his son, Sam Perry Gilligan Dorian. Sam being for his late father, Perry because he "likes the ring to it" (Perhaps as a tribute to Dr. Perry Cox), and Gilligan because he lost a bet to Turk.
[edit] Career
At Sacred Heart, J.D. was initially an intern (Season 1), later a resident (Season 2 - 4) and currently an attending physician in internal medicine. He served as Chief Resident with Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke) for his fourth year at Sacred Heart, until the Janitor (Neil Flynn) convinced everyone to call him Co-Chief, which he initially rejected but later accepted in deference to Elliot's desire for recognition and support. He took a job as staff internist at the end of the fourth season, a post he still holds at present. Additionally, he has recently been seen pondering about his specialty, trying to decide between Oncology and Radiology.
J.D., Elliot, Turk, and Turk's fiancée (and eventual wife) Carla Espinosa (Judy Reyes) all work together, and have all learned to depend upon each other as colleagues as well as best friends. Throughout the series, he has also had an unorthodox relationship with chief attending physician Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley). Cox regularly berates and humiliates him, going so far as to address him as "newbie" or by a succession of girls' names; in rare moments, however, Cox has shown a genuine concern and respect for him, and so J.D. thinks of him as a mentor. He has fantasized about taking up a private practice with Dr. Cox in Jacksonville, Florida.
Despite his numerous flaws, quirks and personal insecurities, J.D. is shown throughout the series to be a very competent doctor. While he doesn't possess as much technical knowledge about medicine as Elliot, he is described by Carla and Dr. Cox as having "very good instincts" and a lot of determination and enthusiasm for his job. His gentle bedside manner is contrasted with Elliot's, which is described as "too cold and machine-like", and he often manages to win over a patient's confidence with his affable personality. He tends to worry quite a bit about his patients, and will often seek to treat them no matter the cost. As Dr. Cox says to the hospital board of directors in My Fifteen Minutes, "He cares. Probably cares too much, but he's definitely somebody you don't wanna lose." Since the episode My Lunch he is the only doctor (except perhaps the inteRns) who hasnt killed somebody[citation needed].
[edit] Quirks
He is afraid of sharks, hot air balloons, escalators, and dragonflies; acts strangely around pennies (possibly due to an event in the pilot episode that makes the Janitor dislike him); has referred to cream cheese as "cow fudge" and pancakes as "devil cakes;"(due to them not being served in heaven during one of his many fantasies) collects scarves, loves candy bracelets and he believes in karma, although did not originally on the show. J.D. has on some occasions indicated that he is a Christian, having an imaginary conversation with Jesus over the option of abortion and taking Jesus' ultimatum of "no abortions!" seriously, although he originally professed no religious affiliation. In one episode J.D. became a devotee of Krishna chanting the mantra, Hare Krishna, in another he planned on converting to Buddhism and on a few occasions has made random references to other religions ("Holy Vishnu", "form of an ice menorah!", as a wonder twin). He is on a kite-flying team (with Turk) that goes by the name of 'The Mighty Kites'. He also has a tendency to trip and fall. Furthermore, women wearing wedding rings are invisible to him (although this was played in comical manner for a one-time gag and is not consistently in the show). He soul searches using a stuffed unicorn named Justin, Justin is currently helping him choose a specialty between Oncology and Radiology.
J.D. knows nothing about politics, once referring to Dick Cheney as the "bald assistant president who has all the heart attacks" and does not know the difference between a Senator and a Congressman. He is also clueless about sports and thinks Arnold Palmer gets too much adulation for someone whose only accomplishment is inventing the Arnold Palmer drink.He often says the word 'eagle' (usually in a high pitched voice) when he usually soars or above ground, (such as the time when J.D. attempted to jump from his sofa to the table, which failed). The subject that he knows the least about is Geography. His favorite drink is the Appletini, which is consistently made fun of on the show (though he does consider a Peach-tini to be too foofy).. Also, he has a strong relationship with a taxidermied Labrador Retriever, Rowdy (bought from a garage sale from a man who used to keep him in a box with old hats), yet it is revealed that later the dog is replaced with "Steven" because Rowdy was lost. When Rowdy is later recovered from the Janitor, J.D. opts to keep Steven as they had grown close (being able to tell the two nearly identical dogs apart via genital analysis); Turk keeps Rowdy. He loves to play the game "toe or finger" with Turk, which involves running a toe or a finger underneath the other's nose while the other has to figure out which of the two it is. J.D. and Turk also play a game called "Find the Saltine", involving hidden crackers on their person.
He often adds "-sie" to the end of words. For example calling it "foursies" when him and three others ride on a ferris wheel together.
He loves to laugh at his own jokes, even if nobody else laughs ("My Right of Passage," shows him realizing his interns are laughing at his jokes just because he is the attending). Some of his sexual quirks include his enjoyment of being spanked and ringing a "sex gong," after coitus. His self-described "sexiest move" involves him yelling "Bombs Away!", which perhaps replaced his old "Ice Tongue" maneuver. He loves Harry Potter so much he sometimes wishes he was a wizard, and has the talent to name films in which famous 90's actresses were partially or completely nude. He attended theater camp as a child (it is here that he developed both his ability to spit Watermelon seeds like bullets and the John Dorian 3-Step Seduction technique), and also participates in an Improv comedy class that meets in the back of a local pie shop. He was a gymnast in high school. His dream job is to be the "Chocolate King" in which his entire world would be made out of chocolate, including Turk (with "Candy Man" playing in the background). He also loves pirates and wrote a screen play about a vampire doctor called Dr. Acula. One of his dreams is to see medicine advanced to the point that his disembodied head can fly throughout the hospital. "Floating Head Doctor" can also call for his headless body when needed, but as the body has no eyes, it often injures itself. If this can't be done he would settle for Chest Hands.
[edit] Transportation
His main mode of transportation is his blue TN'G Venice[7] scooter "Sasha", which he bought in the episode My Old Friend's New Friend, though he often manages to crash, fly, bang, or ride it into something (on one occasion, it was shot by police due to a holdup); he also has a blue bicycle as a backup. The bicycle was destroyed by the Janitor and Troy after he gave them the nickel riddle (two coins add up to thirty cents, and one is not a nickel, to which the Janitor responds, "two guys smashed your bike with a crow bar and a bat. One of them wasn't me.")[8] J.D. gets a new bike, but it was similarly destroyed in "My Déjà vu, My Déjà vu" for pretty much the same thing. On each of them he likes to wear his "hairmet", an elongated helmet which he says prevents him from getting helmet-hair. His first vehicle was a brown Volvo sedan named Malik, which was later replaced by Sasha after Malik combusted under Turk's care.[9] He drove a dashing Porsche with an included scarf, gloves and driving sock in one episode, however, he didn't realize it until the owner caught up with J.D., demanding his driving glasses, scarf, gloves, and "driving sock", which is situated in the crotch.[10]
[edit] Musical preferences
J.D. is an avid Journey fan, though he pretends he isn't. He suggested that the Lovin' Touchin' Squeezins', a Journey cover band, sing at Turk and Carla's wedding reception. He is also a fan of Pat Benatar, Billy Joel, Dido, Men at Work, George Michael, U2, Alanis Morissette, Toto, and Billy Ocean (whom he describes as his "favorite ocean after the Arctic and the Pacific"). He describes his taste in music as "acoustic alternative", as he is a sensi ("sensitive guy"), all of whom share such a preference. In the first episode it is suggested he is "down with the rap thing" although this has only been confirmed by his use of the Sugarhill Gang alarm clock and a rare arguing about rap with Turk.
Furthermore, in the episode "My Night to Remember", J.D. makes a reference to how songs by The Fray always play when he reminisces.
[edit] Relationships with other characters
[edit] Chris Turk
Turk is J.D.'s "best friend for life," and has a long history with Turk as they were college roommates (at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia), and the pair continued to be roommates even as they progressed to become interns and residents.[11] They are frequently seen engaging in childishly entertaining antics, including wearing watchie-talkies, playing hide and seek with a locating device, engaging in stupid competitions (Steak, Ankles etc), which all invariably end with J.D. losing or playing random games such as Toe or Finger and Find the Saltine. The two also form a joint entity they call "Multi-Ethnic Siamese Doctor" (with a "joint colon" and coordinated movements), a transformation which takes them all of two seconds to complete. On occasion, they have been known to steal the 7 plus foot long labcoat of a doctor named Chet, which they use to play "World's Most Giant Doctor." J.D. is always on top, as he said that when Turk was on top, people ran from the "giant black man." J.D. has said that he once had "Turk fever," which, according to Turk, affects many women. The pair "would make a good couple," as Colin Farrell's character notes in "My Lucky Charm." They are so close they once had a gong that they sounded after having sex which the other could somehow hear from any distance. However, they were separated on Carla's insistence when she married Turk, and J.D. has since lived in a hotel, in the old apartment (secretly, without Carla's knowledge), and in a new apartment (with the also recently-dispossessed Elliot). J.D. has tended to overcompensate for this by intruding on "Turk Time"; i.e., going out with Turk whenever possible and even switching duties to do so. They have a stuffed dog named Rowdy, which Carla promised to throw out once she got married but never did; instead, she supposedly lost him whilst getting him cleaned and then replaced him with a replica. The original Rowdy, in actuality taken by the Janitor, was returned to Turk, while J.D. kept the replica, Steven.
As of the episode ("My Cake,The episode where J.D.'s Dad (Sam Dorian, played by John Ritter who died a few months before the episode was made) dies] Turk finds out that he has diabetes, and J.D. believes that Turk having diabetes will out-do his Dad dying. J.D. is often shown to have a codependent fixation on Turk, regularly going through steep depression whenever he can't be with him, and feeling completely lost whenever Turk seems to be spending more time with anyone else. In the first episode, when Turk suggests the two of them seek separate apartments to "branch out," J.D.'s inner monologue tells himself to "Say it's a stupid idea. Tell him you need him." Later in the first season, Turk begins to spend more time with Carla, much to J.D.'s chagrin. At one point, right before Turk leaves the room, J.D. says, "I miss you so much, it hurts sometimes."
J.D. and Turk were once referred to as "an adorable interracial gay couple" after Denise the Paramedic (Molly Shannon) observes them running down the street. Carla has complained that J.D. and Turk "are more of a couple than [she and Turk] are," and once lamented, "Maybe someday [Turk]'ll love me like that." J.D. often refers to Turk by any one of four different pet names: Brown Bear, Mocha Bear, Chocolate Bear, and Super Chocolate Bear (S.C.B). He once referred to Turk as "the only man who's ever been inside of me." (Turk removed J.D.'s appendix.) In a later episode, J.D. actually accidentally fantasies about kissing Turk, right after the fantasy in which he almost kisses Molly Clock.[5] It is implied in the episode "My Cabbage" that J.D. and Turk had drunkenly kissed each other as college students over 12 years ago. J.D. did kiss Turk once in the episode My Big Move, only to show him what the kiss he shared with Carla was like. Despite this and other indications, J.D. claims not to have "Gay Jungle Fever."
It was also revealed in the episode "My Fishbowl" that while in college Turk had sex with J.D.'s girlfriend and lied about it by saying they had a water balloon fight and wrapped themselves in the covers to warm up.
J.D and Turk also share similar interests in sitcoms, and admit on many occasions that Sanford & Son is their favorite show.
[edit] Elliot Reid
J.D. and Elliot have been friends since the beginning of the show, along with having romantic feelings for each other. In seasons 1 to 3, a running joke in the series was that J.D. would sleep with Elliot at least once in each season, although the show's producers have indicated that this ended to prevent the characters' development being constrained by clichés. In season 3, when it is found that they have had sex again, Carla remarks, "Is it that time of year again?"
In the pilot episode [12] it is revealed that J.D. is extremely attracted to Elliot. However, her excessively competitive attitude prevents them from forming a relationship at this point. In "My Best Friend's Mistake", after they are interrupted during a developing romantic moment, J.D. fails to "get the kiss" from Elliot within the designated 48 hours before she overthinks the moment, and thus J.D. is caught "in the friend zone." However, in "My Drug Buddy", after J.D. breaks up with new girlfriend, Alex, upon learning that she is a drug addict, Elliot attributes her cold attitude towards them to jealousy, as J.D. had suggested previously, and the two begin a romantic relationship.
"My Bed Banter & Beyond" shows the new couple waking up together awkwardly and, after eventually rejecting their initial proposals of returning to friendship, spending a sex filled day in bed together. However, during the course of the episode, they begin to argue, becoming increasingly violent. They gradually realize that they do not work as a couple - J.D. remarks that "things that didn't bother you a week ago in a friendship become so incredibly important when sex is involved." Dr. Cox summarizes remarking that "relationships don't work the way they do on TV." The two break up, but become friends again in "My Heavy Meddle" with Turk's involvement. However, it is eventually revealed by Jordan in the season finale that Elliot still harbors feelings for J.D. In "My Overkill" J.D. rather tactlessly acknowledges this, resulting in further discomfort between the two.
In "My Monster", when Elliot is evicted from her home, she reluctantly accepts J.D.'s help and agrees to move in with him and Turk. J.D. previously had trouble in intimate situations with his date Lisa, the gift shop girl, due to disturbing memories of the hospital. He realizes suddenly that he has feelings for Elliot, and they have sex. In order to avoid the disaster of their previous relationship, they decide to become sex buddies. [13] They both soon realize that they are unable to keep this up. J.D. wishes to start a real relationship, but Elliot wants to break it off. J.D. accepts this without telling her of his feelings, presumably wanting to preserve their friendship. After an initial period of some awkwardness and even hostility, J.D. decides that since he really cares about Elliot, he'll continue to be her friend, and therefore he comforts her when her possessions are stolen.
J.D. puts his feelings for Elliot to one side until season 3. In "My Own American Girl", he rediscovers them when Elliot has a makeover. However, Elliot sees her old flame Sean, and during most of season 3 J.D. keeps his feelings secret while Elliot's relationship with Sean blossoms. However, in "His Story II" Elliot's patient gives her some advice which makes her realize how good J.D. has been to her, and how much he means to her. In an emotionally charged moment in J.D.'s apartment, the two have sex. Moments afterward Sean returns, and Elliot gets back together with him instantly. J.D. is initially heartbroken and angry, but agrees eventually not to tell Sean about it for Elliot's sake, to preserve their relationship.
Nevertheless, in "My Fault," when Sean is about to move in with Elliot, J.D. finally declares his love for her, claiming, "It should be me", and she leaves Sean for him. In a dramatic twist, J.D. realizes that after chasing her for 3 years, he no longer wants to be with her. He puzzles about this in "My Self-Examination", coming to the conclusion that though Elliot is perfect for him on paper, he simply does not see in her what Turk sees in Carla. After resolving to stay with her for the rest of his life, he then changes his mind, and admits his feelings to her. A heartbroken Elliot is initially furious with J.D., and takes a long time to get over the rejection.
In "My Common Enemy", after their third failed relationship, they realize they had lost all romantic feelings for each other and decided to remain friends, although their friendship is still very close. In the episode My Day at the Races, J.D. moved into Elliot's apartment where they lived together until Elliot bought a house in My Musical and decided not to have J.D. move in with her. Their knowledge of each other's relationship patterns and shared experiences make each of them a very valuable friend to the other, and J.D. and Elliot can occasionally seem to be closer to each other than to Turk and Carla.
It is not until near the conclusion of season 6 that their relationship is rekindled. In "My Turf War", J.D. attempts to disrupt Elliot's relationship with her friend Melody (Keri Russell) in a jealous attack, realizing that he and Elliot had grown apart, and were no longer as close as they used to be. He explains his fear to her with the exclamation: "I just don't want to lose you". She is touched, and they resolve to make more of an effort for each other. This is abruptly interrupted, however, by Keith's proposal.
In the next episode, "My Cold Shower", Keith has proposed to Elliot. As she accepts, J.D. ignores the sympathies of his fellow hospital workers, claiming that he does not have a problem with their engagement. J.D. spends the rest of the episode unsuccessfully attempting to seduce Melody. At Keith and Elliot's proposal redo, Melody expresses surprise at his persistence, thinking it to be out of character for J.D. to be so relentless in pursuit of a woman. J.D. claims untruthfully that he doesn't know why he is acting in this way, but his narrative expresses otherwise - it is hinted that it is because of his feelings for Elliot. The episode features at various points the main characters of the show imagining what it would be like to be married to Elliot, with various absurd, unnatural and humorous results. However, J.D.'s fantasy, by contrast, is that of he and Elliot relaxing on the couch, embracing and commenting on how happy they are to be married to each other. The episode ends with J.D. taking a cold shower, thinking, (in a throwback to "My Fault") "It should have been me".
In the episode "My Conventional Wisdom", J.D. is seen struggling with his renewed feelings for Elliot, considering whether breaking up with her was the worst mistake of his life. His mind is temporarily distracted by the appearance of a still pregnant Kim. However, on returning to the hospital, he is confronted by Elliot. Elliot is having doubts about her relationship with Keith, trying to figure out if she really loves him, or just wants to get married. She asks for J.D.'s opinion on whether or not she is making a mistake. At this moment, Kim enters, demanding to know why he left her waiting after promising to talk to her about their unborn child. At the episode's conclusion, J.D. is seen to be in a considerable state of crisis.
At the end of the episode "My Point of No Return" Elliot and J.D. discuss their respective relationships, both panicking and having serious doubts about them. J.D. suggests that they are a perfect couple, though they have the same "fatal flaw" - their inability to commit. They realize that they can't turn back unless they "do something nuclear". The episode ends with J.D. and Elliot lying on a bed in the On-Call room, holding hands and leaning in for a kiss. The action remains unresolved.
[edit] Perry Cox
J.D. sees Dr. Cox as his mentor [14], and craves his praise and acknowledgment, which is rarely offered. As mentioned above, Dr. Cox generally refers to J.D. as "Newbie" or by a series of girls' names, a pastime he reserves especially for J.D. and which he takes very seriously. However, Cox made a promise to J.D.'s brother Dan, to be a man to look up to since Dan isn't admired by his little brother. J.D. also slept with Jordan, Dr. Cox's ex-wife, before he knew about their history together. J.D. also subsequently slept with Jordan's sister Danni. J.D. also underestimates Cox's understanding of him, since Cox is able to see right away any impending problem J.D. might have both professionally and personally.
As much as he doesn't admit it, it has been revealed that Cox respects J.D. as a doctor, heeds his advice, respects his opinion, and cares what he (J.D.) thinks of him (Cox). In the episode "My Fallen Idol," J.D. initially refuses to visit Cox at his apartment. He claims that he didn't approve of Cox showing up to work drunk, but later confesses to Cox that he still looked upon him as a hero,and that seeing him being so affected by his job scared him. This made him not want to go visit Cox initially. J.D tells Cox that he (Cox) is the kind of doctor he (J.D.) wants to be. The defining moment of their relationship occurs at the end of "My Fallen Idol" where Dr. Cox thanks J.D., calling him by his real name, and gives him a genuine pat on the back for helping him escape from severe depression. This also mirrors an earlier occurrence in "My Cake" where Dr. Cox helps J.D. deal with his father's passing.
J.D. has fantasies of Dr Cox as his surrogate father. J.D. also frequently tries to get 'special' moments with Dr Cox, such as expecting a hug when he officially becomes a doctor. Season 4 attending psychiatrist Dr Molly Clock advises J.D. that "Dr. Cox is a text-book closed-off alpha male. I mean, you can try forever, but you're never gonna get that hug that you really want." All J.D. ever gets is an awkward pat on the shoulder. However, he sometimes steals a sneak hug when Cox isn't expecting it.
In fact, it is often forgotten that in the opening scene of the final episode of the first season "My Last Day", Dr. Cox did in fact give J.D. an actual two-armed hug. However, it was a hug of sarcasm in false congratulations over J.D. becoming a resident the next day, and J.D. was either not ready for it or recognized it for what it was because he simply tensed up, and did not return it or revel in it as might be expect had it happened a few seasons later.
J.D. persists in his admiration and expressions of affection - however often he is rebuffed by Cox - because, as he once put it, "kites fly highest against the wind." Having already been told that Cox would keep him at arm's length, J.D. generally accepts this as a natural condition of their relationship. Occasionally though, J.D. is stung by Cox's slights, once asking him, "Why do you hate me when I show you nothing but love?!" In the episode "My New God," Cox asks J.D. to be Godfather to his son Jack. J.D. is clearly moved by the request, saying (while trying to hold back tears), "I... am honored." To which Dr. Cox replies, "I... am lying." While Cox walks away laughing, J.D. dabs the tears from his eyes and says that he doesn't "see how that's funny."
Ironically, although Cox attempts to keep J.D. out of his life wherever possible, J.D. still manages to attend most of the major events in Cox's life, such as brother-in-law/best friend Ben Sullivan's funeral, Cox's divorce party, and the baptism of his son, Jack. Unbeknown to Cox, J.D. is also the godfather of his daughter (a godfather-ship which Dr. Cox later prevents), Jennifer Dylan, (a name suggested by J.D. due to sharing his initials) as J.D. is the only person who congratulates Jordan for the baby personally.
In "My Words of Wisdom" Cox finally gives in and tells J.D. that he loves him and should have hugged him a long time ago, however this was in one of J.D.'s fantasies, in which he faked his own death for just that purpose. Cox, realizing this, snapped J.D.'s neck, causing a falling Newbie to proclaim, "Worth it." (Ironically, this took place at Nurse Roberts' funeral.)
[edit] Carla Espinosa
J.D. and Carla are good friends throughout the series, with Carla advising him and having an affectionate nickname for him, Bambi. But in "My Nickname", J.D. offends Carla as they go through a dynamic shift in their nurse-doctor relationship. J.D. and Carla once shared a kiss in season 4 - described as a "drunken accident" while J.D. was trying to cheer up Carla who was having marital conflict with Turk. Carla last called J.D. "Bambi" during the 4th season of Scrubs in the episode My Hypocritical Oath
In the episode "My Big Mouth," J.D. and Carla become even closer when Carla suspects Turk of liking another surgeon, Bonnie. Carla opens up to J.D. emotionally, but he betrays her by telling Turk she is a "big can of crazy," thus losing her trust (though ultimately he is forgiven).
Carla continues to act as a close confidant to J.D. and is often his most reliable source of advice. However, since Carla and Turk were married, the two have often become rivals for Turk's time and attention.
[edit] Kim Briggs
In My Urologist, J.D. discovered that Kim had actually already worked at Sacred Heart for five years, but had not seen her because she has worn a wedding ring, making her invisible to him. He quickly became interested in her, but was disappointed when she passed on a risky surgery to save her career. J.D. gained faith in her again when she performed the surgery, and J.D. soon asked her out. After a disastrous first date and a better second date on J.D.'s deck, J.D. went to her two and half weeks later for a third date. Kim revealed that she was pregnant and that the baby was his. It is also later revealed that Kim got pregnant without sex actually taking place (there was an "air strike on the outer surface"). They at first struggled to choose between keeping the baby or having an abortion, but decided to keep it after the birth of Turk and Carla's daughter. While J.D. and Kim found themselves a very compatible couple, she received a temporary job offer from a hospital in Tacoma, Washington. She left for Tacoma despite J.D.'s initial objections and they attempted to maintain a long distance relationship. When J.D. visited Tacoma for her first ultrasound, she told J.D. that she had a miscarriage and that she had decided to stay in Tacoma permanently. After re-evaluating their relationship, they broke up. At the end of "My Road to Nowhere", Kim is shown having an ultrasound, revealing that she lied to J.D. about the miscarriage as a way out of the relationship.
Kim returned in the episode "My Conventional Wisdom", when J.D. sees her at a surgeon's convention and finds out that she lied to him about the miscarriage and is very much pregnant. Despite Kim's pleas for him to stay and talk it over, J.D. leaves her at the convention and heads home. Kim, however, follows him and shows up at the hospital desperate to talk. In the episode "My Rabbit" J.D. and Kim discuss their baby issues despite J.D.'s apparent reluctance. He eventually forgave her, and they ended up becoming a couple again. They also decide to name their baby Sam (Sam Perry Gilligan Dorian), after J.D.'s dad, Dr. Cox, and Gilligan (the latter due to a bet he'd lost with Turk). In the next episode, "My Point of No Return" J.D. convinces her to leave behind her old job and apartment, and for her to move in with him, and get a job at Sacred Heart Hospital. She complies, and it seems their relationship is going well, until the end of the episode when J.D. begins to doubt his dedication to Kim, realising their relationship has progressed far too quickly and he may have made a huge mistake. Talking with Elliot, and possibly looking for a way out, the two begin to rekindle their feelings and lean in to kiss.
[edit] Interns and residents
His interns laugh at his jokes only because they are sucking up to him; he used to think that he was very funny, but eventually realized that they were only laughing for his benefit. He asked them to only laugh when a joke was actually funny, but changed his mind about this to make himself feel better.
In Season 5, Keith, one of the interns, has experienced particular character development since his first "appearance" behind the camera in the episode "My Intern's Eyes". From a position where he could not find the courage to talk to J.D., he quickly rose to prominence with his good looks, physique, and medical ability, making J.D. dislike him intensely first as an intern, then as a competitor when Elliot picked him as her intern booty call [15]. J.D. finally accepted Keith on the principle that Elliot really likes Keith, and as Elliot's close friend he should also accept him without prejudice. J.D. also had an intern that he nicknamed Cabbage. Cabbage was J.D.'s favorite intern and he especially loved Cabbage's ape impression. However, through the process of trying to get Keith fired he realized that Cabbage was actually a very bad doctor, and despite J.D.'s feelings for him he fired Cabbage, who ended up passing a deadly infection by accident to a soon-to-be released long-time patient. It seems that Cabbage landed on his feet, however, and was last seen working in a coffee shop named Coffeebucks, which was put into the hospital in "My Coffee".
[edit] Romantic involvements
Despite his quirks, J.D. has been able to have a number of romantic and/or sexual relationships with attractive women. However, a running theme in the show seems to be his inability to commit to any one relationship, usually due to his own self-destructive tendencies. He also has a tendency to date women with unisex names, and, much like Jerry Seinfeld, many times finds obscure or often meaningless reasons to break up with women. Aside from Elliot and Kim, some notable relationships are:
Jordan Sullivan - "My Bad" : J.D. slept with Jordan before he found out about her history with Cox. Although nothing more happened between them, it has affected plotlines later in the series (My Overkill and My Fifteen Seconds, for example.) Jordan claims that J.D. (or D.J. as she calls him) had nothing to do with why they had sex. Also in another episode where J.D. goes to Dr. Cox's apartment, one of Jordan's friends says something to J.D., he quickly replies, and she notes to Jordan "He's quick, how is he in bed?" Jordan replies only with "quicker."
Alex Hanson - "My Blind Date", "My Balancing Act", "My Drug Buddy": A social worker at the hospital, who J.D. met while she was in an MRI machine. J.D. dated her for two episodes, but broke up with her when he discovered that she was a drug addict just seconds before they did the no pants dance. Alex was played by actress Elizabeth Bogush.
Lisa "the Gift Shop Girl" - "My Monster", "My New Old Friend": J.D. went on one unsuccessful date with her, then another that went even worse. Finally, he failed to show up for their third date, choosing to support Elliot instead. Lisa was played by actress Sarah Lancaster. J.D. later sends her family flowers, thinking that she is dead, when she is in fact married (J.D. cannot see women who wear wedding rings when they're married, although he can see unmarried people wearing wedding rings).
Jamie Moyer ("Tasty Coma Wife"/"T.C.W.") - "My T.C.W.", "My Interpretation", "My Drama Queen": J.D. and Jamie's attraction to each other was initially seen as wrong by J.D. because Jamie's husband was in a coma, but after his death they were able to begin seeing each other (It should be noted that they banged, very hard for that matter, at the funeral). They worked past a problem with drama (Jamie always needing it) in their relationship, but then Jamie disappeared from the show for an unknown reason. It was later explained that J.D. broke up with her for a "trivial reason." Jamie was played by actress Amy Smart.
Danni Sullivan - "My Advice to You" to "My Clean Break", and again in "My Choosiest Choice of All", "My Screw Up" and "My Fault": J.D. and Danni, Jordan's sister, bonded over their similarities and J.D. asked her out. J.D. began to panic about the relationship becoming too serious and considered dumping her, but was dumped by Danni because J.D. was not over Elliot. J.D. later got back together with Danni to get back at Elliot, but Danni had changed. Before she was pretending to be something J.D. wanted her to be, and J.D. and the "new" Danni did not get on well, so they broke up. Despite her apparent flakiness, Danni had enough insight to muse that "the one thing everybody knows about John Dorian is that he wants what he can't have," later proven true when, after winning Elliot from Sean, J.D. promptly breaks up with her. She also had a brief appearance in "My Screw Up" when her brother and Dr. Cox's best friend Ben, (Brendan Fraser) died. She would later get it on with the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld. Danni was played by actress Tara Reid.
Dr Molly Clock - "My Last Chance", "My Best Laid Plans": After Molly, a psychiatrist and close friend of Elliot, had been working at the hospital for sometime, she and J.D. (whom she called "Johnny", a nickname he's always hated) made out after a party. However, the relationship never went further because Molly wanted Elliot's approval to sleep with J.D., which Elliot refused to give. Molly later returned and J.D. went on a date with her, but left her to be with Kylie (ironically ending that relationship as well). Molly was played by actress Heather Graham.
Neena Broderick - "My Malpractical Decision", "My Female Trouble": Neena was a notorious malpractice lawyer who manipulated J.D. into treating her father, at risk of a lawsuit if a mistake was made, by flirting with him. When she began suing Turk, their relationship harmed J.D. and Turk's friendship. Neena was so controlling that J.D. had to enlist Jordan to help him break up with her. Neena was played by actress Julianna Margulies.
Kylie - "My Hypocritical Oath" to "My Best Laid Plans": J.D. met Kylie at the nightclub where she worked, but was disappointed to find that she had a boyfriend, whom she later dumped when she learned he had contracted an STD while cheating on her (the two had not slept together). J.D. and Kylie's first date was complicated when they got stuck in a SARS quarantine ("My Quarantine") at the hospital, yet still ended well. As a result of their busy schedules, they had to maintain their relationship with "appointment kisses." Kylie's refusal to sleep with J.D. drove him crazy, to the point that he almost cheated on her with Molly (see above). When J.D. told her, Kylie broke up with him. Kylie was played by actress Chrystee Pharris.
Julie Quinn - "My Half-Acre", "Her Story II": J.D. met Julie on a blind date, and they quickly realized how suited they were for each other, even working past J.D.'s tendencies to ruin romantic moments and break up with girls for trivial reasons (in this case, saying "that's so funny" instead of simply laughing at a joke). They quickly moved forward in their relationship, buying a half-acre plot together and building a deck. However, they broke up when J.D. finally made himself able to commit, but then found out that Julie wasn't ready for that. Julie was played by actress Mandy Moore, Zach Braff's then real-life girlfriend.
[edit] Trivia
J.D.'s name is based on Dr. Jonathan Doris, college friend of creator Bill Lawrence. Doris serves as medical advisor on the show.[16] There is a minor controversy over his actual first name. The series website lists his name as "John." However, he has introduced himself and been addressed as "Jonathan" on several occasions. He is almost always called "J.D." On the occasions that his first name is used, "John," "Jonathan," "Johnny," or "Jonny" are used interchangeably.
After reading his journal in "My Hero", the Janitor was able to tell him that his first kiss was Sarah Briggs. This was possibly a setup for Kim Briggs, the mother of J.D.'s unborn child.
He has a stuffed Yellow Labrador named Rowdy in his apartment, who was bought at a garage sale (by Turk).[17], In season 4 he was replaced by a similar (albeit slightly shorter) stuffed dog named Steven after Carla lost Rowdy. When Janitor found Rowdy, J.D. kept Steven, and Rowdy was returned to Turk.
In flashback scenes to his childhood, J.D. is played by Cody Estes
J.D. apparently has the ability to speak Turkish, although in My Day at the Races, he claims not to know another language. In "My Intern's Eyes", he is seen yelling at Omar who keeps stealing his pudding.