Sitcoms and Scrubs

As discussed in Wednesday's guest lecture, a sitcom commonly contains several important aspects. These include: a modified three act structure; the series either as a cumulative or seasonal text; and mini-resolutions. The first aspect, a modified three act structure, means simply that each individual episode is divided into three acts: the beginning, middle, and end. The second aspect, cumulative or seasonal text, refers to the storyline, and whether it is continuous from the first season through the last season, or whether this story line alters from season to season. Lastly, the mini resolutions refers to a certain solution being reached after every episode, similar to a moral lesson.
These mini-resloutions are often prevalent in countless sitcoms made throughout the history of television. They function within the sitcom genre by teaching the audience a lesson. With these resolutions, the episodes take on a greater meaning, and can be related to everyday society. The half hour to hour of television becomes more than some mindless comedic garbage, and instead becomes an applicable lesson of life. However, I am not saying that I learned about life by watching sitcoms on TV. I am merely saying that the episodes take on a greater meaning with these mini-resolutions, by connecting the storyline together neatly. Most of the time these mini-resolutions are cheery, and the characters gain a greater understanding of a topic broached in the episode. However, even in some sitcoms the resolutions are not always joyous. For example, in the sitcom "Scrubs" numerous episodes have ended on a somber note with a patient dying, or one of the protagonists coming to grips with the harsh consequences of life. "Scrubs" attempts to alter the audiences' pre-conceived notions of the sitcom genre, and mold it into a dramedy hybrid. In the resolution of the episode "My Fallen Idol" JD confronts Dr. Cox, and apologizes in a serious manner for acting rudely to him. JD admits to being frightened to confront the sick patients, and gives credit to Dr. Cox for being so brave. In this scene, the two share a serious moment, and the audience feels as though the story has more depth than just some silly slapstick comedy. The story becomes real and relatable.