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Warning: Spoilers ahead for the Scrubs revival finale, "My Celebration."To the relief and delight of Scrubs fans everywhere, Neil Flynn's Janitor is back. Although missing from most of the revival's first run of episodes, JD's (Zach Braff) nemesis made sure to make his presence known in the finale, "My Celebration." What's even better is that the episode softly walks back a huge mistake that was made in 2009, when the Janitor last crossed paths with Braff's character. Unlike Season 9, the Season 8 finale twist hasn't been retconned, but it has thankfully been ignored.
There's no question that the Janitor is a mysterious guy. However, what was undoubtedly the biggest thing fans wanted to know about him throughout Scrubs was his real name. He offered up many aliases, including Dr. Ján Ïtor, Roscoe, and even Neil Flynn - with the latter confirmed by the Janitor's in-universe role in 1993's The Fugitive. Even when he seemed to be sincere in 2009's "My Finale" and shared his real name with JD, fans doubted he was telling the truth. Creator Bill Lawrence has since confirmed that the Janitor was engaging in a rare moment of honesty, but the revival has softly bypassed the big reveal.
Neil Flynn's Janitor Isn't Referred to as Glenn Matthews in "My Celebration"
Yes, as much as we all try to ignore it, it's canonically true that the Janitor's real name is Glenn Matthews. Fans have tried and failed in the past to debunk this reveal, primarily citing the fact that Flynn's character is referred to as Tommy just seconds after he tells JD his name is Glenn. I would agree that the Janitor's penchant for dishonesty would present reasonable doubt in this scenario, but Lawrence has already ratified the Glenn Matthews reveal.
So, it would have been reasonable, if not logical, for JD to refer to Flynn's character as Glenn in "My Celebration." It would also have felt all kinds of weird, but technically correct. This isn't what happened, though. Just as JD struggled to remember the Janitor's real name in the Season 8 finale, Braff's character immediately reverts to calling the Janitor by the title he's more commonly known. It's a great choice by the writers, bringing the mystery of the Janitor's name into the revival era while allowing Lawrence's decision to reveal it intact.
"My Celebration" Expertly Mirrors the Original Plan for the Janitor
As Scrubs superfans know, the original plan for the Janitor back in 2001 was very different from what ended up happening as the show progressed. Bill Lawrence and company initially only allowed the Janitor to interact with JD. While some small moments contradict this intention, it's largely easy to see that this was the overall desire throughout the show's earlier episodes. This is because the Janitor was supposed to be little more than a figment of JD's imagination. Then, Flynn's character became such a hit with viewers that Scrubs gave him a more prominent role, dropping the idea of being imaginary.
The Janitor then went on to have great moments and storylines with every member of the Scrubs cast. So, although he is known to the others by the time of the revival, "My Celebration" pairs him almost exclusively with JD. Their little self-contained arc of the Janitor's impromptu inspection feels like a blatant tribute to Scrubs' formative installments. It's not an illusion that's broken until right at the end, when Darcy Michael's Maintenance Guy enters the fray and is revealed as the Janitor's supposed son. Still, as another janitor, it feels fitting that Scrubs would allow this Michael's character to be the one to break the illusion.
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Scrubs
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Comedy
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Release Date February 25, 2026
Network ABC
Directors Zach Braff
Cast
Writers Aaron Lee, Amy Pocha, Aseem Batra, Mathew Harawitz, Michael Hobert, Seth Cohen, Tim Hobert
Creator(s) Bill Lawrence
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