Pulse (2025 TV series)
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Pulse TV series.jpg
| caption =
| genre = Medical drama
| creator = Zoe Robyn
| showrunner = {{Plainlist|
- Zoe Robyn
- Carlton Cuse
}}
| based_on =
| starring = {{Plainlist|
- Willa Fitzgerald
- Colin Woodell
- Justina Machado
- Jack Bannon
- Jessie T. Usher
- Daniela Nieves
- Chelsea Muirhead
- Jessy Yates
}}
| opentheme =
| endtheme =
| composer = Torin Borrowdale
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 10
| list_episodes =
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
- Zoe Robyn
- Carlton Cuse
- Bradley Gardner
- Emma Forman
- Michael Klick
- Kate Dennis
}}
| producer =
| cinematography =
| camera =
| runtime =
| company = {{Plainlist|
- Letter Zed
- Genre Arts
- Busy B Entertainment
- MGM Television
}}
| network = Netflix
| released = {{Release date|2025|4|3}}
}}
Pulse is an American medical drama television series created by Zoe Robyn. It premiered on Netflix on April 3, 2025, as the first Netflix original English-language medical drama.{{Cite web |last=Tinubu |first=Aramide |date=2025-04-03 |title=Netflix’s Medical Drama ‘Pulse’ Is Nearly Dead On Arrival: TV Review |url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/pulse-review-netflix-1236358050/ |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=Variety |language=en-US |archive-date=April 13, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250413193948/https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/pulse-review-netflix-1236358050/ |url-status=live }} The series received mixed reviews. On July 2, 2025, the series was canceled after one season.
Synopsis
Pulse is a hospital drama series that follows the personal and professional lives of emergency and surgical residents at Maguire Hospital, a level-one trauma center in Miami during the race for Emergency Medicine Chief Resident. It shows the aftermath of a sexual harassment complaint while the city is hit with a hurricane and an influx of patients.{{cite web |title=PULSE |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/pulse-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdi5mjk0 |website=British Board of Film Classification |date=April 3, 2025 |access-date=April 5, 2025 |archive-date=April 25, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250425164019/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/pulse-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdi5mjk0 |url-status=live }}{{Citation |title=Pulse |date=2025-04-03 |type=Drama |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31407116/ |access-date=2025-04-13 |others=Willa Fitzgerald, Colin Woodell, Jack Bannon |publisher=Genre Arts, Letter Zed, Netflix Studios |archive-date=April 23, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250423124931/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31407116 |url-status=live }}
Cast
- Willa Fitzgerald as Danielle "Danny" Simms, a third-year resident in Emergency Medicine at Maguire Hospital in Miami, Harper's older sister. She has deep empathy but can be brash and impulsive. She had a romantic relationship with Xander, however, after a series of circumstances, they broke up, and she reported him to HR for sexual harassment.
- Colin Woodell as Xander Phillips, Chief Resident of Emergency Medicine at Maguire Hospital. He is from one of Miami's most powerful and wealthy medical families with an influential lineage. He had a romantic relationship with Danny, however, after a series of circumstances, they broke up and he was reported to HR by Danny for sexual harassment.
- Jessie T. Usher as Sam Elijah, a third-year Emergency Medicine Resident, Danny's best friend, who is ambitious and competitive
- Justina Machado as Natalia Cruz, Chair of Surgery and Emergency Medicine
- Jack Bannon as Tom Cole, a British Junior Surgical Resident
- Daniela Nieves as Camila Perez, a third-year medical student who is very optimistic, doing her trauma rotation at the hospital
- Chelsea Muirhead as Sophie Chan, a surgical intern, under Tom's training, who is willing to endure anything in her quest to become a surgeon
- Jessy Yates as Harper Simms, a second-year Emergency Medicine resident and Danny's younger sister
- Néstor Carbonell as Ruben Soriano, a senior general surgeon attending who is Tom's mentor and teacher
- Jessica Rothe as Cass Himmelstein, a senior ER nurse, daughter of a golf pro, who is dating Tom
- Arturo Del Puerto as Luis, the ER charge nurse who is beloved by his staff and he is equally protective
- Ash Santos as Nia Washington, an EMT who is injured in the hurricane
- Santiago Segura as Gabriel Moreno, an ER nurse
Episodes
{{Episode table |background=#F86834|overall= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 1
|Title = Abby
|DirectedBy = Kate Dennis
|WrittenBy = Zoe Robyn
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|4|3}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = B3DEF6
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 2
|Title = Alone Time
|DirectedBy = Kate Dennis
|WrittenBy = Zoe Robyn
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|4|3}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = B3DEF6
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 3
|Title = Power
|DirectedBy = Sarah Boyd
|WrittenBy = Helen Childress
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|4|3}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = B3DEF6
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 4
|Title = Treat ‘Em and Street ‘Em
|DirectedBy = Sarah Boyd
|WrittenBy = Shepard Boucher
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|4|3}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = B3DEF6
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 5
|Title = Nothing Personal
|DirectedBy = S.J. Main Muñoz
|WrittenBy = Johanna Lee
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|4|3}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = B3DEF6
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 6
|Title = Homestead
|DirectedBy = S.J. Main Muñoz
|WrittenBy = Ann Cherkis
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|4|3}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = B3DEF6
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 7
|Title = Choices
|DirectedBy = Wendey Stanzler
|WrittenBy = Joshua Troke
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|4|3}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = B3DEF6
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 8
|Title = Retreat
|DirectedBy = Wendey Stanzler
|WrittenBy = Fran Kuperberg & Zoe Robyn
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|4|3}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = B3DEF6
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 9
|Title = The Last Shift
|DirectedBy = Carlton Cuse
|WrittenBy = Zoe Robyn & Carlton Cuse
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|4|3}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = B3DEF6
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 10
|Title = Kennedy
|DirectedBy = Carlton Cuse
|WrittenBy = Carlton Cuse
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|4|3}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = B3DEF6
}}
}}
Production
=Development=
In February 2024, it was announced Netflix had given a series order to Pulse created by Zoe Robyn, who would also serve as showrunner and executive producer alongside Carlton Cuse. On July 2, 2025, Netflix canceled the series after one season.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2025/07/pulse-the-residence-canceled-no-good-deed-netflix-1236441712/|title=Netflix Freshmen 'Pulse' & 'The Residence' Canceled, 'No Good Deed' On Indefinite Pause|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|date=July 2, 2025|access-date=July 2, 2025|archive-date=July 2, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250702211049/https://deadline.com/2025/07/pulse-the-residence-canceled-no-good-deed-netflix-1236441712/|url-status=live}}
=Casting=
Justina Machado was the first recurring cast member announced.{{cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|title=Netflix Orders First Medical Procedural ‘Pulse’; Justina Machado Cast In Series From Zoe Robyn & Carlton Cuse|url=https://deadline.com/2024/02/netflix-pulse-medical-procedural-justina-machado-zoe-robyn-carlton-cuse-1235842036/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=February 29, 2024|access-date=April 3, 2025}} In March 2024, it was announced Willa Fitzgerald and Colin Woodell had joined the series as the leads.{{cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|title=‘Pulse’: Willa Fitzgerald & Colin Woodell Set As The Leads In Netflix Medical Drama Series|url=https://deadline.com/2024/03/pulse-willa-fitzgerald-colin-woodell-netflix-medical-drama-series-1235858069/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=March 14, 2024|access-date=August 7, 2024|archive-date=March 14, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240314162206/https://deadline.com/2024/03/pulse-willa-fitzgerald-colin-woodell-netflix-medical-drama-series-1235858069/|url-status=live}} Later that month it was announced Jack Bannon, Jessie T. Usher, Daniela Nieves, Chelsea Muirhead, and Jessy Yates had been added to the cast.{{cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|title=Jack Bannon, Jessie T. Usher, Daniela Nieves Among 5 Cast In Netflix Medical Drama Series ‘Pulse’|url=https://deadline.com/2024/03/jack-bannon-jessie-t-usher-daniela-nieves-among-5-cast-in-netflix-medical-drama-series-pulse-1235870305/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=March 28, 2024|access-date=August 7, 2024}}
Release
The series premiered on Netflix on April 3, 2025.{{cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|title=‘Pulse’: Netflix Medical Drama Starring Willa Fitzgerald & Colin Woodell Gets Premiere Date, First-Look Photos|url=https://deadline.com/2025/02/pulse-netflix-medical-drama-premiere-date-photos-trailer-1236293235/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=February 18, 2025|access-date=February 18, 2025|archive-date=February 18, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250218180210/https://deadline.com/2025/02/pulse-netflix-medical-drama-premiere-date-photos-trailer-1236293235/|url-status=live}}
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Pulse has an approval rating of 48% based on 27 critics' reviews, with an average rating of 5/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Checking off all the trendy tropes of modern medical dramas with disorganized execution, Pulse has its finger on the genre's zeitgeist but pales in comparison to its contemporaries."{{Cite Rotten Tomatoes |id=pulse_2025 |type=tv |season=1 |access-date=April 25, 2025 |publisher_hide=y}} Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 48 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.{{Cite Metacritic |id=pulse-2025 |type=tv |season=1 |access-date=April 25, 2025 |publisher_hide=y}}
A review in Variety said, "Despite the sound acting, the poorly formatted narrative, an appalling depiction of sexual harassment and a few insufferable characters don’t exactly make for a pleasurable watch".{{Cite web |last=Tinubu |first=Aramide |date=2025-04-03 |title=Netflix’s Medical Drama ‘Pulse’ Is Nearly Dead On Arrival: TV Review |url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/pulse-review-netflix-1236358050/ |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=Variety |language=en-US |archive-date=April 13, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250413193948/https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/pulse-review-netflix-1236358050/ |url-status=live }} Time criticized the series' "underdeveloped" #MeToo-related storyline.{{Cite web |last=Levitt |first=Barry |date=2025-04-03 |title=How Pulse Mishandles Its Murky #MeToo Storyline |url=https://time.com/7274510/pulse-netflix-danny-simms-xander-phillips-metoo/ |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=TIME |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title}}
{{Netflix original ended series (2019–present)}}
{{Carlton Cuse}}
Category:2025 American television series debuts
Category:2025 American television series endings
Category:2020s American medical drama television series
Category:2020s American drama television series
Category:2020s American romance television series
Category:2020s romantic drama television series
Category:American romantic drama television series
Category:American English-language television shows
Category:Netflix television dramas