Scrubs: 10 Ways Carla Got Better & Better | ScreenRant
Alongside a slew of amazing characters and some genius writing, the so often accurate exploration of a doctor's life and the average day-to-day goings-on in a hospital is one of Scrubs' many highlights. However, doctors are not the entire focus, with nurses also getting highlighted consistently through the character of Carla Espinosa.
Carla can be difficult and, at times, intolerable throughout the show with her controlling, bossy nature, and lack of both growth and hilarity compared to other characters, however, in so many ways, she gets better and better as time goes on.
10 Meets Turk, Elliot, & J.D.
The pilot of Scrubs, "My First Day," is a pretty perfect pilot, and brilliantly introduces fans to the central seven characters of the show, with Turk and J.D. meeting Elliot, and all three subsequently meeting Carla.
She immediately hits it off with J.D. as a mother/big sister figure to him, and she and Turk have clear chemistry. There is then Elliot with whom Carla does not get on with at first. Each of the three of these characters adds so much to Carla's life in a variety of different ways.
9 Friendship With Elliot Blossoms
Speaking of her friendship with Elliot, the two butt heads for a good chunk of the first season, with them not getting on at all, and J.D. pretty much forcing them to spend time together around him and Turk.
Soon, though, their friendship blossoms and they manage to connect. While they have their fights, the two become best friends, and it makes both of them better people, giving them each a female best friend away from their male counterparts.
8 Deals With Turk & J.D.
One of the worst things about Carla is her treatment of J.D. in regards to Turk, kicking him out of his own apartment was nonsensical and cruel. However, putting up with them was impressive.
She may have verbally insulted them, but she never truly tried to interfere in their friendship in a massively intrusive way. Being able to come to terms with the type of relationship Turk and J.D. had was well done.
7 Gets Married
Speaking of Turk, without him, it is doubtful Carla would have had any real growth in the series, and one of the best things to ever happen to her comes in season three, after a lot of trouble when the two get married.
They are the most stable relationship of the show, yet still have massive issues they get through together, adding to the realism and brilliance of the show. Once they are married, there is no real doubt they will ever not be together and in love.
6 Has Children
The next step in their relationship after getting married was naturally children, something that would change their lives more than anything they could ever have imagined.
Their firstborn, Izzy, has major implications on their lives and sees Carla have to combat postpartum depression in quite a heart-wrenching manner. Fans never get the pleasure of meeting their second born, but we do know Carla became a full-time mother and was likely very happy as such.
5 Opened Up More
Carla is not a character who fans immediately get to explore below the surface level. While J.D., Turk, and Elliot make themselves and a lot of their personal lives clear, Carla is pretty distant for a while in that regard.
Over time, especially when she and Turk get more serious, fans start to understand Carla more and get to know her on a more personal level, rather than just the tough, bossy, sassy, mother-figure head nurse.
4 Tried To Make A Difference In The Hospital
There was no character who did not have some level of fear of Carla, with her asserting her dominance over everyone in the hospital, from interns to the maintenance staff to the Chief of Medicine himself.
With this fear and respect, Carla wielded, she attempted so much to make a change in the hospital. Whether it be working for a more female-friendly gym, more power over the nurse's schedules, or attempting to stamp out sexual harassment, Carla certainly was a catalyst for positive change.
3 Highlights The Work Of Nurses
The best thing about Carla's inclusion in the show was not necessarily her relationship with Turk, which was great, but rather how brilliantly she exemplified the role of nurses.
Having to deal with handfuls of patients, doing all the necessary procedures, juggling a hundred different things, being there for each patient's every need, and being criminally underappreciated, Carla brings real attention to how amazing nurses are.
2 Balanced Turk Out
Going back to the topic of Turk and Carla's relationship, it is hard to imagine where Turk would be without Carla, as she not only thoroughly improved and enriched his life but also kept him in check a bit.
Turk acted like a bit of a player at the start, and was immensely immature as well as buying into the jock ideology depicted by the surgeons. Carla kept Turk on track for a wildly successful career, as well as helped deal with his diabetes, and helped him focus his priorities on family life.
1 Got Balanced Out By Turk
On the flip side of that, Turk did the very same for Carla, although probably to a much less successful extent. The two kept each other in check, and with Turk, Carla became calmer, less bossy and manipulative, and ultimately happier.
Despite making a lot of missteps, Turk managed to de-stress Carla and make her a much more joyful person. He was there for her through everything from her mother's death to her postpartum depression, and he balanced her out while also managing to be there for her as a great husband lovingly.