Pulse, Netflix’s first English-language medical procedural, is set to arrive just a few weeks from now. The show, from Lost co-creator Carlton Cuse, is set inside Miami’s busiest Level 1 Trauma Center as a hurricane barrels toward it, and it’s arriving at a time when several of the major streamers have likewise released buzzworthy new medical dramas of their own (like The Pitt on Max, and Apple’s Berlin ER).
Medical dramas have long been a staple in TV, but with the big streamers jumping on the trend, it’s clear there’s a renewed interest. In fact, it’s not just streamers; there also continues to be new network fare along these lines, like St. Denis Medical from NBC. My theory is that these shows serve as a form of fantasy escape — because in real life, of course, healthcare is often a frustrating, bureaucratic nightmare filled with inefficiencies, waiting lists, and red tape. Medical dramas, on the other hand, depict healthcare as a place where lives are saved, professionals are heroes, and everything runs smoothly.
It’s a comforting portrayal that taps into our desire for order and competence, offering a hopeful reprieve from real-world challenges.
From Netflix’s official summary of the 10-episode Pulse, coming to the streamer on April 3: As a hurricane approaches the Miami hospital, “third-year resident Dr. Danny Simms (Willa Fitzgerald) is unexpectedly thrust into a promotion when beloved Chief Resident Dr. Xander Phillips (Colin Woodell) is suspended.
“Amid the worsening storm and an onslaught of trauma cases, the hospital goes into lockdown, and Danny and Phillips must find a way to work together — even as the bombshell details of a complicated and illicit romance between them begin to spill out. The rest of the ER is left to process the fallout of their relationship while balancing their own challenges, both personal and professional, as they work under the pressure of life-or-death stakes.”
What viewers might find different about Pulse is that the doctors here aren’t presented as the medical “superheroes” we’re accustomed to seeing in other similar dramas. “We wanted these characters to be real people who have to go through the relatable issues of working together in a pressure cooker,” Pulse co-showrunner and writer Zoe Robyn explains. “Relationships are forming and breaking apart on Pulse.”
As for the level of care shown in the series, “You don’t really want to be in the hospital,” Robyn continues. “But if you were in the hospital — this is the one you would want to be in. You want to be in the care of these people.”
Netflix’s release timing for Pulse not only capitalizes on the current resurgence of medical procedurals. With a spring release, it also fills a post-winter content gap, targeting viewers who crave fresh, episodic storytelling. I’m also particularly intrigued about and looking forward to this one, given the involvement of Cuse — he was one of the visionaries behind Lost, and his here involvement promises a series that blends high-stakes medical drama with the kind of intricate storytelling and suspense that can turn a TV show into a cultural phenomenon.
