Carla Espinosa

Carla affectionately nicknames J.D. "Bambi" in season 1, and the nickname sticks. She claims that of all the interns she has worked with, J.D. is the only one whose approval she actually cares about, to the extent that she feigns an interest in black-and-white photography so he would think she is intelligent.[5] She is highly protective of J.D.; when Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley) tears into him in "My Nickname", she is quick to come to his defense and tell off the senior doctor. Unfortunately this leads Cox to publicly embarrass J.D. again, which in turn leads J.D. to blow up at Carla. This results in a heated (albeit brief) fight between the two.

Carla and J.D. are close friends; he even gossips with her "like one of the girls".[6] They even use Mardi Gras beads to signify their friendship and trust shared, almost like a friendship heart necklace.[7] Once J.D. and Carla share a drunken kiss, which leads to some tension between each other and Turk, though this is resolved soon afterward.[8]

In the series finale, a flashforward scene suggests that Carla and J.D. will be friends long into the future, and that Carla and Turk's daughter, Isabella, will get engaged to J.D.'s son Sam.[9]

Early in the series, Carla doesn't feel particularly close to Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke) but they later become best friends. Series creator Bill Lawrence has said on DVD commentaries that this mirrored Reyes' and Chalke's real-life relationship.

Though they are close, their relationship is not without friction; Carla sometimes resents Elliot's neurotic perfectionism and (unintended) condescension about her family background. Elliot in turn is often annoyed by Carla's bossiness. In "My Lucky Charm", the two get into a vicious "catfight" (much to the delight of the male employees) over what had started as a disagreement over plans of theirs that were flaked on by both Carla and Elliot.

Elliot is a bridesmaid at Carla and Turk's wedding. Before the ceremony, Carla says that she feels closer to Elliot than she does to her own sisters.[10] In "My Cold Shower", she fantasizes (along with all the other main characters) about marrying Elliot and comments that life would be simpler if she did.[11]

Dr. Perry Cox has always had a soft spot for Carla, as she is not afraid to stand up to him. Cox claims that Carla is the only one who 'gets him' and is often very protective of her. During the first season, it is revealed that Dr. Cox has feelings for Carla, but since she is with Turk, he does nothing about it.[12] Before Carla started going out with Turk, she and Cox went on a date together that did not end as he would have liked, but nevertheless strengthened their friendship.[13] Even though Cox detests Turk, he admits that the two of them belong together.[10] When Carla confesses how fearful she is of being a parent, Cox tells her that he knows she'll be a terrific mother.[14] Carla is godmother to Dr. Cox and Jordan's daughter, Jennifer Dylan.[15]