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Soapy medical procedural Pulse parties like it's 2005

The new Netflix series essentially poses the question: What if Meredith Grey had gone to HR about Derek Shepherd?

Soapy medical procedural Pulse parties like it's 2005

Netflix’s Pulse makes it clear, without an ounce of subtlety, that Dr. Danielle “Danny” Simms (a formidable Willa Fitzgerald) is having a terrible day right off the bat. Within 20 minutes of the premiere, it’s revealed that after filing a harassment complaint against her boss, she is temporarily promoted to his role as the Chief Resident and that most of her colleagues don’t trust her. Danny battles this rumor mill just as a hurricane batters Miami, power is cut, a school bus crashes, and one of the teens whom she has to operate on is the daughter of the beloved Chief Of Surgery. Pulse packs a jarring, overstuffed punch to lay out the hot mess Danny and her co-workers are in, with barely any breathing room to allow viewers to get to know or care for them. 

Thankfully, the show’s approach simmers down as it progresses. Once Pulse gets out of its own way, with no natural disasters in sight, a far more interesting TV series starts to emerge. Under the guise of a fast-paced procedural is a provocative dissection of toxic workplace romances and the intersection of ambition and love. The complicated, forbidden, and fucked-up relationship between Danny and her ex-boyfriend/ex-boss Xander Phillips (Colin Woodell) is Pulse’s addictive linchpin, even has the series hits ordinary genre beats like tough surgeries and emotional patients (whose stories conveniently tend to mirror doctors’ personal crises). 

Created by Zoe Robyn, who showruns alongside Emmy winner Carlton Cuse, Pulse has the glossy look and feel of Grey’s Anatomy. There’s even a similar adoration for breezy, frequent needle drops (in this case by the likes of Benson Boone, Black Pumas, MediumBuild, and The Marías). ABC’s long-running drama even gets name-checked as early as episode two. The Netflix original also arrives at a time when medical dramas are all the rage, from Max’s gritty The Pitt to recent network-TV debuts such as NBC’s sentimental Brilliant Minds, Fox’s Doc, and ABC’s zany Doctor Odyssey. Pulse’s unique schtick is that it essentially poses the question: What if Meredith Grey had gone to HR about Derek Shepherd? 

In this case, Danny reports Xander, who sticks around to help despite his suspension because of a staff shortage and an influx of patients. This rightfully evokes frustration from co-workers, who see them working side by side despite Danny’s complaint. While handling one emergency after another, their cryptic conversations and fights prove there are layers to this messed-up situation, which slowly come to light through flashbacks. (The sign that Pulse is jumping back in time is the sound of—what else?—a beating heart.) The internal storm both of them are weathering becomes far more fascinating than anything a hurricane could bring to this show. So it’s a relief the disaster wraps up halfway through the season’s 10-episode run. 

Moving past the hurricane allows the series’ writers to realistically tackle the fallout of a workplace affair. Pulse isn’t a “he said, she said” tale with a right and wrong side. No, this show offers a meatier study on the power dynamics between Danny and Xander, two individuals with their own fleshed-out inner lives. Their professional goals, terrible family backgrounds, and differing financial statuses impact their very real feelings for each other. Are they star-crossed lovers or recklessly giving in to lust? Is it worth crossing a boundary if it could destroy their careers? Who is trustworthy and who pays the bigger price? Pulse doesn’t have straightforward answers, but it smartly pushes viewers to think about what desire can lead to—all while the ER team treats a bunch of extreme cases. 

Another well-defined through-line is the impact of Danny and Xander’s decisions on their daily environment. Their relationship creates problems in a place where the stakes are already intense and life-or-death. Naturally, their back-and-forths affect patients and colleagues alike. Those colleagues include Danny’s stubborn sister, Dr. Harper (Jessy Yates); her best friend and direct competition, Dr. Elijah (Jessie T. Usher); Xander’s boss, Natalie Cruz (a potent but underused Justina Machado); and a roster of young interns, two of whom have a half-baked love story. 

Most of the supporting players in Pulse are underdeveloped, though, making it less of an ensemble drama than its counterparts. No one gets it worse than the nurses played by Jessica Rothe and Arturo Del Puerto. In fact, Rothe’s Cass is a mere prop for playboy surgeon Dr. Tom Cole (Jack Bannon). Her purpose is to teach him, a grown man, how to be a good person, which is borderline ridiculous yet watchable thanks to Bannon’s charm. Fitzgerald and Woodell anchor the show with steamy chemistry that burns through the screen. Danny and Xander’s push and pull is lifted from the early Greys magic of Meredith and Derek—that is, they’re problematic, sexy, and it’s hard to know if they’re worth rooting for. 

Pulse might not be interested in reinventing the wheel, but it gives the formula a slight upgrade. And while the show doesn’t always land, it nicely juggles soapy entertainment with relevant issues, making for a worthy Netflix investment as the streamer tries to carve a space in the medical-procedural landscape.  

Pulse premieres April 3 on Netflix  

 
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