Hey, everyone! How’s it going? Today I’m here to review the drama Pulse, which premiered on Netflix as their first original procedural medical drama series.
Pulse premiered on Netflix on April 3, 2025, delivering 10 episodes of intense medical drama with 45-minute episodes rated TV-MA. Created by Zoe Robyn and featuring showrunner Carlton Cuse, this series stars Willa Fitzgerald and Colin Woodell as they navigate the high-pressure world of emergency medicine in Miami.
The series follows the personal and professional lives of doctors and staff at a busy Miami trauma center, but it’s much more than your typical medical procedural. The show explores how a group of ER residents navigate medical crises and personal drama amid a divisive allegation at their Miami hospital, creating a tense atmosphere that permeates every episode.
Danny Simms: A Resident Under Fire
Willa Fitzgerald stars as Danny Simms, a complex character who juggles mounting relationship tensions alongside the high stakes of working in an emergency room in Miami. Danny becomes the center of the show’s main conflict when she makes a serious allegation that creates rifts throughout the hospital staff.
Fitzgerald’s portrayal of Danny is nuanced and compelling. As showrunner Carlton Cuse explains, “Danny’s not as complicated as she looks. She’s even more complicated”, and this complexity drives much of the series’ emotional weight. Her character arc explores themes of workplace harassment, power dynamics, and the personal cost of speaking truth to power in a high-pressure medical environment.
Xander Phillips: The Accused and the Fallout
Colin Woodell plays Xander Phillips, a fellow resident whose relationship with Danny becomes the source of the hospital’s central controversy. The series uses dual timelines – the present day and flashbacks to the not-so-distant past – to chart the consequences of Danny’s harassment claim against Phillips.
Woodell’s performance walks a careful line, presenting a character who must be simultaneously sympathetic and questionable. The show doesn’t provide easy answers about guilt or innocence, instead focusing on how the allegation affects everyone around them, from fellow residents to hospital administration.
The Storm Outside and Within: Miami Under Pressure
As a hurricane bears down on Miami, things are equally stormy in the Maguire ER, where the serious allegation has opened rifts between the residents. The show cleverly uses the external threat of the hurricane as a metaphor for the internal chaos consuming the hospital staff.
The Miami setting isn’t just backdrop; it’s integral to the show’s identity. The diverse cast reflects the city’s multicultural population, and the high-stakes medical cases often tie into the unique challenges of practicing medicine in a major metropolitan area prone to natural disasters.
Supporting Cast: A Hospital Divided
The ensemble cast includes Jack Bannon, Jessie T. Usher, Daniela Nieves, Chelsea Muirhead, and Jessy Yates, each bringing depth to their roles as residents, nurses, and staff members caught in the middle of the hospital’s crisis. The supporting characters aren’t just background players; they each have their own stakes in the outcome of Danny’s allegation.
The final five episodes, beginning with Episode 6, “Homestead,” serve as a reset in some regards, with several residents indulging in a well-deserved day off while additional details about Danny and her sister Harper’s upbringing are revealed.
Mixed Reception on Netflix: A Complicated Launch
All ten episodes of Pulse released on Netflix on April 3, 2025, but the series has faced challenges with viewer reception. For some viewers, Pulse is simply a victim of bad timing, following closely after acclaimed HBO medical drama The Pitt, which landed January 9, 2025. Unfortunately, Netflix canceled the series after one season on July 2, 2025, despite the show’s ambitious storytelling and strong performances.
The series earned a 6.5 rating on IMDb, reflecting mixed but not entirely negative reception. While some critics praised the show’s willingness to tackle difficult subjects, others felt it didn’t quite find its footing in the crowded medical drama landscape.
If you love medical dramas that tackle serious contemporary issues like workplace harassment and power dynamics, Pulse is worth watching on Netflix. While it may not have achieved the longevity of other medical series, it offers a thoughtful examination of how personal conflicts can fracture professional relationships in high-pressure environments.
Despite its cancellation, Pulse delivers a compelling if brief exploration of medical ethics and personal accountability that medical drama fans shouldn’t miss.
Series Details:
Number of Episodes: 10 episodes
Platform: Netflix
Rating: 6.5/10 (IMDb)
Genre: Medical Drama, Workplace Drama
Protagonists: Willa Fitzgerald (Danny Simms), Colin Woodell (Xander Phillips), Justina Machado
Antagonist: The systemic issues within the hospital and the consequences of the harassment allegation