A personal chum of Zach Braff, Michael Weston has been seen engaging in rapport with Scrubs central actor in films such as Garden State and The Last Kiss, and his brief incorporation into the Scrubs cast in 2007 gave the shows sixth season a vital dose of intrigue and heart. Weston plays Brian Dancer in his cameo; a wounded American private suffering from short-term memory loss as a result of sustaining a head injury in the Iraq War. Brians presence in the hospital opens up a number of dynamics for the series to explore. In His Story IV, the staff are split as the issue of war and its politics cause a rift between the left- and right-wing doctors. Later, when it is revealed that Brians injuries are too severe for him to return to service, he attempts to commit suicide, prompting the central coterie of doctors to question both their own lives and their honesty with one another. This episode (My Fishbowl) is a particular highlight of the sixth season of Scrubs, with Brians storyline not only a sad and engaging arc in its own right, but also one which sheds further light on characters such as Elliot, whose relationship with Brian is rendered with a lightness of touch, culminating in one of Scrubs trademark heartwarming closing scenes, replete with R.E.M.'s 'Half a World Away'. Beyond the gentle undertow of melancholy at the heart of Brians story, theres also a chance for some great riffing between Braff and Weston, especially when the two make a deal surrounding Brians therapy and J.D.s infatuation with his therapist, Anne Chase. Its this seamless way that Brian is briefly integrated into the lives of the main players that makes him such an asset to the show, giving the series the reach to address new themes while re-examining its mainstay members. Best Line: I appreciate what youre trying to do, but none of you guys have any idea what its like to feel this hopeless in your life. Yknow, other than J.D.
Film and Literature student, keen bloggist, and aficionado of most things music, film, and TV. I've also been told I should stop quoting pop-culture as often as I do in everyday conversations.
