# Where Do You Think We Are > Where Do You Think We Are?" is a 2004 Scrubs catchphrase spoken by J.D. to Dr. Cox when Cox discovers his best friend Ben has died, set in a cemetery—one of television's most devastating emotional beats. "Where Do You Think We Are?" is a catchphrase and reaction meme from the American sitcom *Scrubs*, originating from the devastating twist ending of the Season 3 episode "My Screw Up," which aired on February 24, 2004[2]. The line, spoken by J.D. to Dr. Cox at the moment Cox realizes his best friend Ben Sullivan is dead and they're standing in a cemetery, became one of television's most cited emotional gut punches and a go-to reference online for moments of painful realization. ## Origin The line comes from "My Screw Up," the 14th episode of *Scrubs*' third season, written by Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan and directed by Chris Koch[2]. The episode first aired on NBC on February 24, 2004. It featured Brendan Fraser's final appearance as Ben Sullivan, a recurring character who had previously appeared in the Season 1 episodes "My Occurrence" and "My Hero"[2]. The episode's twist was modeled after *The Sixth Sense*. Series creator Bill Lawrence confirmed in the Season 3 DVD special features that the storytelling structure was a deliberate homage to the Bruce Willis film, where the audience is led to believe a dead character is alive until the final reveal[2]. Just as Willis's character only interacts with a boy who can see ghosts, Dr. Cox is the only character who interacts with Ben after his death. A key detail: Ben declares early on that he'll carry his camera everywhere "until the day he dies," and after the patient's death, Ben no longer has his camera[2]. - **Platform:** NBC (*Scrubs* TV show), internet forums - **Creator:** Neil Goldman (writer), Garrett Donovan (writer), Unknown (community-created meme format from *Scrubs*) - **Date:** 2004 ## Overview The meme draws its power from the specific scene in *Scrubs* where Dr. Perry Cox, played by John C. McGinley, has been interacting with his best friend and brother-in-law Ben Sullivan (Brendan Fraser) throughout the episode, only to learn that Ben actually died earlier. When J.D. (Zach Braff) quietly asks "Where do you think we are?", Cox looks around and realizes he's not at his son Jack's birthday party but at Ben's funeral[2]. Online, the phrase is used as a reaction to situations where someone is in deep denial, oblivious to an obvious or painful truth, or about to experience a crushing realization. ## How It Spread The emotional weight of the scene made it a frequent topic in television discussion spaces. On 4chan's /tv/ board, the episode became part of a broader culture of TV-themed reaction images and spoof posters referencing iconic moments from beloved shows[1]. The line "Where do you think we are?" circulated as both a text-based reference and as screenshot captures of the cemetery reveal scene. The meme gained staying power partly because the episode kept accumulating critical recognition over the years. *Empire* placed *Scrubs* 19th on its 2008 list of "The 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time" and specifically cited "My Screw Up" as the show's best episode[2]. IGN ranked it third in their list of the 10 best *Scrubs* episodes[2]. In 2024, *Rolling Stone* included "My Screw Up" on its list of the 100 Greatest TV Episodes of All Time at number 92[2]. Each wave of recognition brought new audiences to the scene and fresh life to the meme. The format typically appears in Reddit threads, Twitter posts, and forum discussions whenever someone posts about denial, obliviousness, or a painful truth someone refuses to see. It also shows up in "saddest TV moments" compilations and tier lists, where it routinely ranks near the top. ## How to Use The meme works in a few common ways: 1. **Text reply:** When someone is clearly in denial or misreading a situation, reply with "Where do you think we are?" to imply they're missing the obvious painful truth. 2. **Screenshot reaction:** Post a still from the cemetery scene, often with the caption overlaid, as a reaction image when the emotional stakes of a conversation suddenly shift. 3. **Reference shorthand:** Simply mentioning the phrase in a discussion about sad TV moments or twist endings typically triggers a chain of emotional responses from people who recognize it. ## Cultural Impact "My Screw Up" earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series, one of the rare instances where a sitcom episode primarily remembered for making people cry received that level of recognition[2]. The episode's continued placement on best-of lists decades after airing, including *Rolling Stone*'s 2024 ranking[2], keeps the meme in active cultural circulation. The scene also created a lasting association between Brendan Fraser and emotionally wrecking television audiences, a connection that resurfaced years later during Fraser's career comeback. The episode's twist structure influenced how other TV dramas handled character death reveals, and "Where do you think we are?" became shorthand in writers' rooms for a gut-punch moment of realization. ## Fun Facts - Ben Sullivan was supposed to return as a ghost in the Season 5 episode "My Long Goodbye," but Brendan Fraser was unavailable because he was filming a movie. The character Jill Tracy appeared instead[2]. - Footage from "My Screw Up" was later reused in the episode "My Urologist," with Dr. Kim Briggs digitally edited into the scene (replacing Carla) to establish that she attended Ben's funeral[2]. - The episode's structure mirrors J.D.'s own experience in "My Occurrence," where J.D. imagines a fantasy sequence proving Ben's leukemia diagnosis was wrong before accepting the truth[2]. - Dr. Cox's line about being against attending "parties where the guest of honor has no idea of what's going on" is a double meaning. He thinks he's talking about Jack's birthday, but he's actually describing his own situation at Ben's funeral[2]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is "Where Do You Think We Are?"? It's a catchphrase meme from the TV show *Scrubs*, specifically from the Season 3 episode "My Screw Up" (2004), where J.D. asks Dr. Cox this question during a devastating twist reveal[2]. ### Where did "Where Do You Think We Are?" come from? The line originated in *Scrubs* Season 3, Episode 14, written by Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan, which aired on NBC on February 24, 2004[2]. ### What does "Where Do You Think We Are?" mean? In the show, it's the moment Dr. Cox realizes he's at a cemetery for his best friend's funeral, not at his son's birthday party. As a meme, it signals that someone is in denial about an obvious or painful reality[2]. **How do you use "Where Do You Think We Are?"** Reply with the phrase (or a screenshot from the scene) when someone is clearly oblivious to or in denial about what's actually happening around them[2]. ### Is "Where Do You Think We Are?" still popular? The meme is a classic that regularly resurfaces when people discuss sad TV moments. *Rolling Stone* ranked the episode 92nd among the 100 greatest TV episodes of all time in 2024, keeping it in the cultural conversation[2]. ### What happens in the "My Screw Up" episode? Ben Sullivan returns to visit, but dies offscreen while Dr. Cox is away. Cox's mind refuses to accept it, and he hallucinates Ben as alive for the rest of the episode until J.D. reveals they're at Ben's funeral, not Jack's birthday party[2]. ### Was the twist inspired by another movie? Yes. Creator Bill Lawrence confirmed on the Season 3 DVD that the episode is a deliberate homage to *The Sixth Sense*, using the same technique of hiding a character's death from the audience[2]. ### Did Brendan Fraser appear in other *Scrubs* episodes? Fraser played Ben Sullivan in three episodes total: "My Occurrence" and "My Hero" in Season 1, and "My Screw Up" in Season 3. He was supposed to appear in "My Long Goodbye" but was unavailable[2]. ### Did the episode win any awards? It received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series. It also placed on multiple best-of lists, including IGN's top 10 *Scrubs* episodes (ranked 3rd) and *Rolling Stone*'s 100 Greatest TV Episodes of All Time (ranked 92nd) in 2024[2]. ### How can you spot that Ben is dead during the episode? After the patient dies, Ben no longer carries his camera, which he said he'd keep with him "until the day he dies." Also, only Dr. Cox interacts with Ben after that point in the episode[2]. ## References 1. [/tv/ Spoof Posters | Internet. And other assorted flavors.]() 2. [You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?]() 3. [My Screw Up - Wikipedia]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/where-do-you-think-we-are Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library