J.D.'s father may only have only had a single episode in which to surface properly, but the protagonist's older brother Dan (Tom Cavanagh) gets to enjoy much more screen time. J.D.'s brotherly woes are treated as complex and multifaceted, as his own insecurities clash with those of his sibling, in ways which are not altogether obvious. Nevertheless, although the duo get to enjoy plenty of sparring in their time together, it may come as a surprise to learn that Dan only appears seven times in the series' oeuvre, which seems at odds with how memorable he is as a character. Played with a zippy intensity by Cavanagh, Dan is a perpetual wisecracker and all-around hedonist, and neatly enough, one of the things which makes him so likeable is the fact that he's kind of an asshole. His typical means of introduction involves demeaning his brother in some way, whether that be showing up out of the blue to spoil J.D.'s chances for romance, or giving him the mother of all pink bellies. Yet his saving grace is that his style of d-baggery is thoroughly recognisable; he's the quintessential older brother figure, never happier than when he is tormenting his younger sibling, yet always the first to rally to his side in a time of need. It's perhaps predictable that most of Dan's appearances in the series conclude with a moralising reunion between the two Dorians, but this doesn't stop them from working all the same. 'My Big Brother', 'My New Suit' and 'My Cake' are each lovely instalments which play on very real - and very convincingly depicted - issues, and the interplay between Braff and Cavanagh is nimble and considered enough to offer a convincing sibling relationship. Best Line: "What, a guy can't take three days off work, travel eight hundred miles on a bus with a double-layer fudge cake just to say, 'Hey, how're things?'"
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.
