Hello, everyone! Hope you’re doing well! Today, I’m excited to delve into the drama Pulse, which made its debut on Netflix as the platform’s inaugural original procedural medical series.
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Pulse launched on Netflix on April 3, 2025, featuring 10 gripping episodes, each lasting 45 minutes and carrying a TV-MA rating. Crafted by Zoe Robyn and produced by showrunner Carlton Cuse, this series stars Willa Fitzgerald and Colin Woodell as they navigate the intense realm of emergency medicine set in Miami.
The narrative centers around the personal and professional experiences of doctors and staff at a bustling trauma center in Miami. However, it transcends the typical medical procedural by exploring how a cohort of ER residents grapples with medical emergencies and personal conflicts amid a contentious allegation at their hospital, creating an atmosphere of tension that resonates throughout the series.
Danny Simms: A Resident in Turmoil
Willa Fitzgerald portrays Danny Simms, a multifaceted character balancing escalating relationship strains with the pressures of working in Miami’s emergency room. She becomes the focal point of the series’ primary conflict when she raises a serious allegation that fractures the hospital’s staff dynamics.
Fitzgerald’s interpretation of Danny is both layered and engaging. As showrunner Carlton Cuse notes, “Danny’s more complicated than she appears. In fact, she’s even more intricate,” and this complexity serves as a driving force behind much of the series’ emotional impact. Her character’s journey delves into issues of workplace harassment, power dynamics, and the personal toll of confronting authority in a high-stress medical setting.
Xander Phillips: The Accused and Its Aftermath
Colin Woodell plays Xander Phillips, another resident whose connection with Danny becomes the epicenter of the hospital’s main controversy. The series employs dual timelines—present day interspersed with flashbacks—to illustrate the fallout from Danny’s harassment allegation against Phillips.
Woodell’s portrayal delicately balances presenting a character who is both sympathetic and dubious. The series refrains from providing simple resolutions concerning guilt or innocence, instead concentrating on how the allegation impacts everyone involved, from fellow residents to hospital management.
The Tempest Inside and Out: Miami in Crisis
As a hurricane approaches Miami, turmoil also brews in the Maguire ER, where the serious allegation has created divisions among the residents. The show effectively uses the looming threat of the hurricane as a metaphor for the internal disarray affecting the hospital staff.
The Miami backdrop is more than just a setting; it is central to the show’s essence. The diverse cast mirrors the city’s multicultural makeup, and the high-pressure medical cases often reflect the unique challenges of practicing medicine in a major urban area prone to natural catastrophes.
Supporting Characters: A Hospital in Discord
The ensemble includes Jack Bannon, Jessie T. Usher, Daniela Nieves, Chelsea Muirhead, and Jessy Yates, all adding richness to their roles as residents, nurses, and hospital staff entangled in the ongoing crisis. These supporting characters are not merely extras; they each have personal stakes in the ramifications of Danny’s accusation.
The last five episodes, starting with Episode 6, “Homestead,” act as a turning point, providing several residents with a much-needed day off while revealing more about Danny and her sister Harper’s background.
Mixed Reviews on Netflix: A Complex Premiere
All ten episodes of Pulse became available on Netflix on April 3, 2025, but the series encountered difficulties in viewer reception. Some audiences view Pulse as unfortunate timing, arriving shortly after the critically acclaimed HBO medical drama The Pitt, which premiered on January 9, 2025. Regrettably, Netflix canceled the series after its first season on July 2, 2025, despite its ambitious storytelling and strong cast performances.
The series received a 6.5 rating on IMDb, indicating a mixed yet not entirely negative response. While certain critics commended the show for addressing challenging topics, others felt it struggled to establish its identity within the saturated medical drama genre.
For those who enjoy medical dramas dealing with pressing contemporary issues like workplace harassment and power dynamics, Pulse is a must-watch on Netflix. Although it may not have had the longevity of other medical series, it provides a thoughtful look at how personal conflicts can disrupt professional relationships in high-pressure settings.
Despite its cancellation, Pulse offers a captivating, albeit brief, examination of medical ethics and personal responsibility that fans of medical dramas should not overlook.
Series Overview:
Episode Count: 10 episodes
Platform: Netflix
Rating: 6.5/10 (IMDb)
Genre: Medical Drama, Workplace Drama
Main Characters: Willa Fitzgerald (Danny Simms), Colin Woodell (Xander Phillips), Justina Machado
Antagonist: The systemic issues within the hospital and the implications of the harassment claim