There’s a new hospital drama in town! And while there’s no shortage of medical shows on TV, it’s been a minute since one has warranted the comparison to Grey’s Anatomy. The Shondaland series is the longest-running medical show on TV and still going strong. But Netflix’s new foray into the genre, Pulse, is giving that early Grey’s soapy energy.
Pulse follows the residents of a top Miami trauma center and explores their stressful day jobs as well as their messy — and we mean messy — personal lives. Yes, multiple medical shows have come and gone since Grey’s first came on the scene in 2005. But Pulse is one of the first shows that has similar watercooler potential. You’re definitely going to have debates in your group chats about your favorite doctors and who you’re rooting for in the premiere season.
Of course, you can’t just say a show is the next potential Grey‘s. You have to prove it! Here are the reasons that Pulse will feel like we’re back in the Grey’s Anatomy golden era.
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1. Messy power dynamics
What’s a medical drama without some fraternization between colleagues? Like Grey’s, Pulse also comes with a taboo relationship between a senior doctor and a junior resident, but it’s a little more complicated. Don’t expect the romantic whimsy of Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo). Think more Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Burke (Isaiah Washington) after she performed all of those surgeries for him in the second season. There’s love and definite chemistry there in Pulse‘s central relationship. But boundaries are crossed, and the fallout is going to affect everyone at the hospital.
2. Pulse is steamy
You can’t have hot doctors dating each other and no steamy scenes. Pulse does avoid those scenes happening at the hospital, but there’s still spice and plenty of sexual tension to go around. And this is Netflix, so you’re going to get more than you would with a typical broadcast drama. Honestly, Shonda Rhimes would respect the effort here.
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3. Big disasters
Pulse kicks off in the middle of a hurricane. That means all hands on deck and multiple patients with varying degrees of life-threatening illnesses. Grey’s Anatomy has mastered the art of a disaster episode, so it’s a bold move for Pulse to start there. The Netflix series wants the viewer to know how high the stakes are and prove that these doctors know what they’re doing.
4. A tight group of residents
You can’t survive working at a top-tier trauma center without good friends. Just like Meredith had her crew of interns in the early days of Grey’s, Danny Sims (Willa Fitzgerald) has her tight group of residents on Pulse. Her tribe consists of her sister Harper (Jessy Yates), her best friend Elijah (Jessie T. Usher), and surgical resident Tom (Jack Bannon). The ebbs and flows of these friendships are also a crucial part of the first season, as Danny is promoted to senior resident after the suspension of their boss, Xander Phillips (Colin Woodell).
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5. Questionable medical ethics
Yes, blurring romantic relationships with work relationships is messy and complicated — the central theme of Pulse — but that’s not where the drama ends. There are multiple instances of potentially fireable offenses made by the medical staff of this hospital. That is nightmare fuel for any real doctor visits, but it is also an essential component of making an intriguing medical drama. It adds to the stakes for the doctors to not be perfect or for them to take chances that potentially save their patients’ lives. I would not want to see any of these doctors at a medical board exam, but it’s so fun to watch them on TV. It’s giving Izzie (Katherine Heigl) cutting Denny’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) LVAD wire, and we know that was truly peak TV.
6. Dysfunctional families
Meredith Grey began her tenure on Grey’s Anatomy in the shadow of her brilliant surgeon mother, who was also in the late stages of Alzheimer’s. Pulse’s central character, Danny, is also dealing with some tough issues at home. This time, it’s her dad that makes life a bit more difficult. But he’s a similar driving influence on Danny’s career choice — and her sister’s — as Meredith’s mother was for her. That dynamic in their strained relationship helps add layers to Danny’s character and explains her tendency to withdraw from those who want to be there for her. Basically, Danny is also a dark and twisty girl like Meredith, and it all comes from a rough home life.
Cr. Jeff Neumann/Netflix © 2024
While Pulse Season 1 and early Grey’s have a lot in common, there are also some stark differences. Pulse is about emergency room residents, and there are only two surgical residents on staff, whereas Grey’s Anatomy is about a group of surgical residents. There are still surgeries and emergencies, but the patients and cases are more about diagnostics and trauma response than surgical specialties. Pulse ventures into darker territory that Grey’s didn’t go for until a few seasons in. It’s going to polarize fans, but that’s all part of the fun!
Pulse Season 1 premieres April 3 on Netflix with all episodes available.
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