CBS' Carol's Second Act is very familiar for fans of Scrubs

The Hollywood Reporter

The Patricia Heaton medical comedy had so much potential. Instead, it's kind of a rehash of Scrubs, says Robyn Bahr. "When I first read that CBS was developing a vehicle for Heaton about a middle-aged woman who chooses to go back to medical school after completing her first career, I was struck by the sheer number of creative opportunities built into this conceit: the revelatory moment Carol decides to pursue the impossible; the mixed reactions from her friends and family; the Sturm und Drang of MCATs and medical school and Match Day; then finally, professional practice. I was excited to take this journey with her," says Bahr. "In hindsight, the fact that Carol's Second Act actually begins on the first day of our protagonist's medical residency — cutting out the slog of study and aiming straight for hospital-set antics — makes more sense given the network's staid programming. But by eliminating origin story, the show ends up doing a lot more telling than showing when it comes to Carol's unique background and seasoned social-emotional skill set. Based on the two episodes available to critics, I worry that each episode will follow the structural path of (1) Carol jumping headfirst into a patient problem, (2) Carol getting admonished by her much-younger boss for stepping out of line and (3) Carol saving the day anyway."

ALSO:

• Carol's Second Act's premise feels warmed over with its baby boomer vs. millennials premise: "The show, were it like its pleasant main character, would want to find a way to help everyone shine — or at least be fueled a bit more by curiosity than contempt," says Daniel D'Addario. "The challenge as it goes forward will be, now that Carol has proven her mettle in the pilot, to find stories to tell that move beyond Carol’s colleagues finding her annoying and strange."
• Carol's Second Act allows Heaton to collect her most reliable bits -- the funny mom, the wise mom, the wisecracking mom — and put the "Dr." in front of them
• Patricia Heaton on returning to the multi-camera sitcom world: "Being back in front of a studio audience after nine years is scary"