In the aftermath of Jordan revealing the truth about Turk’s knowledge of Dr. Cox’s crush on Carla, Elliot’s ongoing feelings for J.D., and Jordan and J.D.’s one-night stand – J.D.’s world is falling apart. Unnerved by the repercussions of Jordan’s announcement, J.D. decides he must take action to salvage his relationships and those of his friends. J.D. confronts Elliot about their feelings for each other and does his best to appease Dr. Cox, although his reaction to the news is worse than J.D. had expected. Also, Carla and Turk are forced to deal with their trust issues. A performance of the hit “Overkill” by Colin Hay, previous member of the band Men at Work, highlights the episode.

As J.D., Elliot and Turk end their first year as interns, they try to help an elderly man get an operation despite a lack of insurance, which draws the ire of Dr. Kelso in the season finale. Meanwhile, when Dr. Cox and his ex-wife Jordan’s relationship reaches a breaking point, she drops a bombshell on the gang.

J.D. begins to think Dr. Cox may have feet of clay when his mentor seems unable to deal with his friend Ben’s potentially fatal illness. Meanwhile, Turk is upset at the news that he isn’t the best surgical intern on the team, but he’s even more frustrated when he finds out who is. Dr. Kelso asks Elliot to write a supposedly anonymous evaluation of him — but the joke’s on Carla when she volunteers to ghost-write.

J.D. sees the human side of his mentor when he has to deliver disturbing test results to Dr. Cox’ good friend and former brother-in-law, Ben Sullivan. Meanwhile, Elliot and Turk are both embarrassed by patient mix-ups.

When J.D. accidentally gets stuck with a needle that may have been infected with hepatitis, he starts to shy away from dealing with his sicker patients. Meanwhile, he and Elliot are forced to deal with four doctors who become ill while attending a local medical convention. Elsewhere, Turk pays a high price when he goes to Dr. Cox to help him get in shape.

J.D. gets a lesson in competitiveness when he asks for Turk’s support in persuading his patient to opt for medical treatment over surgery, and Elliot develops a crush on one of her patients, but her own fumbling, insecurity and bad timing are compounded by their similar traits. Meanwhile, Dr. Kelso finds Dr. Cox’s Achilles heel when he fires the nurse who makes Cox’s favorite cup of coffee.

While Elliott and Turk’s parents pay a visit to see them present at a medical conference, J.D.’s father Sam makes a surprise visit, leaving all three interns in a state of emotional distress as old parental behaviors come into play. Meanwhile, Carla gets the biggest shock of them all when she discovers she is exactly like Turk’s mother. John C. McGinley and Ken Jenkins also star.

J.D. suffers from guilt-induced insomnia after Carla points out that he avoided a terminally ill patient because the man was a difficult pill. Meanwhile, Dr. Cox’ ex-wife Jordan interferes in his new relationship with medical student Kristin and Turk and Elliot obsess over evidence that Dr. Kelso might be concealing a musical past.

A gleeful J.D. can’t wait to get his hands on a goofy new medical student so that he can make his life as miserable as he was early on — but his harsh words have an unintended effect on the mistake-prone young man. Meanwhile, another medical student draws Dr. Cox’ appreciative eye and Elliot is paired with the son of the hospital’s chief executive officer.

When a rampaging Dr. Cox suddenly shows up at his door in a strange funk, J.D. sees a possibility of a breakthrough in their relationship — until he learns that Cox loses control in almost an annual rite. Meanwhile, Turk elects to partner with Elliot on a research project so that he can maneuver her back with his buddy J.D., and Carla struggles to fulfill a comatose patient’s final request — playing heavy metal music in his room.