Medical dramas are some of the most enduring shows on television. ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” has been on the screen for two decades, surpassing the long-running “ER.” HBO recently released “The Pitt” to critical acclaim, and now, Netflix is debuting its first original English-language hospital-based show, “Pulse.” Created by Zoe Robyn, “Pulse” follows a group of emergency and surgical residents at Maguire Hospital, a level-one trauma center in Miami. Like countless others in the genre, “Pulse” is a blend of illnesses and wounds paired with the sordid details of the doctors’ personal lives. However, despite the sound acting, a poorly formatted narrative, an appalling depiction of sexual harassment and a few insufferable characters don’t exactly make for a pleasurable watch.
“Pulse” opens as Hurricane Andy begins picking up steam in the beach-lined city. However, the winds and rains howling outside pale in comparison to the storms brewing within the walls of Maguire —particularly in the emergency room. Third-year resident Dr. Danny Simms (Willa Fitzgerald) is given an unexpected promotion after filing a sexual harassment claim against her boss, Chief Resident Dr. Xander Phillips (Colin Woodell). Though Xander is immediately suspended pending an investigation, the hospital lockdown amid the hurricane forces them to continue working through one last shift together, with Danny taking over the role of Chief.
As the patients roll in, Danny and Xander’s colleagues, which include Danny’s best friend, Dr. Sam Elijah (Jessie T. Usher), cocky surgical resident Dr. Tom Cole (Jack Bannon), surgical intern Dr. Sophie Chan (Chelsea Muirhead) and Dr. Harper Simms, a second-year emergency medicine resident and Danny’s younger sister are all left reeling from the fallout. Stunned and unsure of how to proceed without upsetting their former boss or new one, the pressure begins bubbling over in the ER and the operating rooms.
“Pulse” has two glaring issues. The first is the series’ structure. Medical dramas often allow audiences to find grounding in the characters and hospital layout before diving into a high-crisis episode. Likely in a push for originality, Robyn, co-showrunner Carlton Cuse (of “Lost” fame) and their writers went the opposite route. The show starts amid the eye of a storm. For the first half of the 10-episode debut season, the doctors grapple with the horrors the hurricane has wrought, all in one 24-hour shift. Not only is this completely disorienting, but viewers are also forced to scramble to determine who these people are, what departments they work in and their relationships with one another. Also, so much time is spent on the varied victims of the hurricane that the most intriguing medical procedures are saved for the latter (and more watchable) half of the season.
Because “Pulse” takes so long to give audiences overviews of each character, the residents appear to be fragments of people. Initially, only slivers of their true selves appear as the series flashes back and forth from the past to the present. Everyone — including Danny, who initially doesn’t seem up to her new role, Tom, who wields his ego like a weapon and Dr. Natalie Cruz (Justina Machado), the chair of surgery and emergency medicine — is aggravated and exhausted. The fragments revealed are so frustrating that anyone needing real medical attention should probably steer clear of Maguire.
The show’s second and more significant issue is its depiction of sexual harassment. When the audience is first introduced to Danny, she has just filed her complaint against Xander. Yet, the backstory of the pair’s working relationship and friendship is revealed in such a breadcrumbed manner that a feeling of manipulation swirls across the entire situation. There are no perfect victims, and inappropriate behavior, especially in the workplace, can be complicated and deeply upsetting. Still, the way it’s depicted in “Pulse” is bizarre, especially in a climate where women are being silenced and having their rights stripped away at every turn.
This is not to say “Pulse” is wholly unwatchable. Doctors and nurses seamlessly transition between English and Spanish, immersing viewers in this Miami-Dade County setting. Also, the final five hours of the series, beginning with Episode 6, “Homestead,” are a reset in some regards. Several residents indulge in a well-deserved day off, and additional details about Danny and her sister Harper’s upbringing are revealed. Moreover, the series also turns its spotlight on lesser-seen characters, including Camila Perez (Daniela Nieves), a third-year medical student whose optimism and sunny disposition are a huge bright spot among these morose medical professionals.
Still, even as the season ends and the full events of the past year come to light, audiences will likely feel increasingly aggravated and worn out by the personal dramas and the back-and-forth. Overall, “Pulse” has a few captivating moments that don’t last. Worse, it takes wading through hours of blood and chaos to get there.
“Pulse” is now streaming on Netflix.
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