Pulse is Netflix's new medical drama show, which focuses on the Maguire Medical Center. It's home to the only Level 1 trauma center in Miami, built by Dr. Natalie Cruz (Justina Machado), who runs the emergency department. One morning, as a hurricane’s about to hit, the day shift residents, Dr. Tom Cole (Jack Bannon) and Dr. Sam Elijah (Jessie T. Usher), roll into work only to hear that their chief resident, Dr. Xander Phillips (Colin Woodell), has been put on leave because of a sexual harassment charge.
Meanwhile, Dr. Danielle "Danny" Simms (Willa Fitzgerald) gets woken up by her sister, Dr. Harper Simms (Jessy Yates), with the bombshell news that Danny’s the one who filed the harassment claim against Xander. Everyone assumes Sam’s going to take over as interim chief, but shocker: Dr. Cruz picks Danny instead. Dr. Ruben Soriano (Nestor Carbonell), the trauma surgeon, isn’t convinced she’s ready for the role, but for Cruz, it’s as much about the optics as it is about Danny’s skills.
Things get even more complicated because Danny and Xander have some serious history. They used to have a consensual relationship, which creates all kinds of awkward tension now that they’re forced to work together in such a high-stakes environment. With all that baggage, their professional interactions are way more complicated than they should be, adding a ton of drama and making things even more intense for everyone involved.
Outside of Danny and Xander, Pulse really struggles with being fresh or unique. It feels super predictable, with a lot of clichéd plotlines that you’ve seen in other medical dramas before. The characters don’t have much depth, and it’s hard to really connect with them or care about their story arcs.
The medical cases are interesting at first, but the personal drama often feels forced and distracts from what could be a more compelling hospital setting. The performances, especially from Willa Fitzgerald as Danny, are decent, but the lack of depth in the script really holds them back. The series struggles to balance personal and professional stakes, which makes it hard to get fully immersed. If you’re a fan of medical dramas and don’t mind some clichés, Pulse might still be worth checking out, but don’t expect anything groundbreaking.
