'Pulse' Review: A Flatline in the World of Medical Dramas
- Je-Ree
- Apr 5
- 2 min read
Pulse is Netflix’s answer to the medical dramas that are taking TV by storm. From new medical dramas like Brilliant Minds, Doc, Watson and The Pitt grabbing viewers attention, it was only a matter of time before Netflix got in on the action. Pulse is a 10 episode drama that centers on the doctors at a Level One Trauma hospital in Miami, Florida.
The series tries really hard to set itself apart from other shows that viewers will instantly compare it to like, you’ve guessed it, Grey’s Anatomy. The writers even go as far as to throw a line in there about a medical student that has watched too much Grey’s Anatomy. Thou doth protest too much, Pulse.
Look, I tried to give the show a fair shot and remove all knowledge of previous medical dramas and it did not help. There was nothing new or exciting about the series. There is a hurricane (its Miami so expected) that is causing the emergency room to be overwhelmed with patients and the main character, Danielle also known as Danny is a senior resident who is promoted to Chief Resident after filing a sexual harassment complaint against her boss Xander but she really does like him, it is all very confusing. Due to the power outage caused by the storm, it is all hands on deck and Xander is called back into work and the staff treat him like the boss over Danny. Danny is just not strong enough to lead the series.
Danny and Xander’s boss and everyone’s boss is Natalie Cruz played by Justina Machado, who I love. Her character’s daughter is injured in a bus crash in the first episode and Danny does not tell her right away. Their dynamic while meant to be full of conflict and drama is a snooze.
The remaining characters also fall flat. No one is interesting enough for me to care. They also resemble the original Grey’s Anatomy interns. We have a British character named Tom who is very similar to Alex. The patient's problems, whether medical or otherwise, do not offer anything groundbreaking. While some seasoned actors are on the show, the acting from the not so seasoned actors bring their interactions down.
Overall, you can definitely skip Pulse. Let’s go back to the drawing board Netflix and get us a medical drama worth our time.
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