dtle said:
Here's another reference that most people would not get. The dying son's name is Ray Bulger. That's also the name of the actor who played the Tin Man.
Actually, it's Ray Bolger, and he played Scarecrow.
I loved this episode. I agree that it wasn't the funniest episode, but I don't think they were going for that, necessarily. It was just exceptionally clever. This sort of thing really separates Scrubs from any other show (comedy, anyway) on television. I can't think of another one that would even do an epsiode like this, let alone pull it off so expertly.
I had to watch it twice to make sure I caught all the Wizard of Oz references, and I'm still not sure I did. My two favorites: Todd, on getting back from the zoo (sent there by Nurse Roberts at the request of Turk!), saying he saw "lions and tigers and bears" -- then, seeing a hot girl in the hallway -- "oh my!"; and Janitor, working on a door hinge with a screwdriver in his mouth, barely able to ask for "oil can! oil can!" -- just as the Tin Man did when Dorothy first encountered him. Oh OK, and Cox talking about the mop of straw-colored hair on Elliott's head, and of course she represented Scarecrow in this ep. Oh, and...
Nice direction by Zach Braff, by the way.