Pulse offers the best of Grey's Anatomy – with a fresh energy
The Netflix medical drama will undoubtedly draw comparisons to Shonda Rhimes's juggernaut, but Pulse earns the right to be judged on its own merits.
It’s hard to watch a medical drama and not compare it to Grey’s Anatomy. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) defined the genre, after all, and there’s undeniably echoes of her in Dr Danny Simms, a third-year-medical student at the Maguire Medical Centre in Netflix’s Pulse.
Fronting the star-studded ensemble, Danny (Willa Fitzgerald) is smart, loyal and defiant, not to mention an exceptional doctor who finds herself entangled in a complicated situation with her chief resident, Xander Phillips (Colin Woodell).
So far, so Grey's. But while the power dynamic is similar to Meredith and Derek Shepherd’s (Patrick Dempsey), it’s laced with more nuance, and the show's leads are starkly different characters.
Most significantly, Danny is not a “pick me” girl like Meredith, a title given to her after she begged Derek to “pick me, choose me, love me”. Instead, Danny has always been apprehensive about being romantically involved with Xander, despite their undeniable chemistry, because she's conscious that it’s inappropriate given how it could impact her career.
Unable to appreciate Danny’s perspective, Xander keeps pushing, pursuing Danny until her fervent ‘no’ becomes a reluctant ‘yes’ as she’s backed into an impossible situation.
It's that particular portrayal of a workplace relationship between a senior doctor and junior student that puts Pulse light years ahead of Grey's, delivering a nuanced, complicated look into the subject.
Rather than conforming to the ‘Me Too’ narratives we typically see on-screen, the series carefully considers the conscious and unconscious biases that gender, wealth and status hold in the workplace and how operating in a male-dominated environment is an entirely different experience for women, as seen with Dr Cruz and Danny especially.
But similar to other titans in the genre, think Scrubs and ER, the show’s formula thrives on blending workplace romances and relationships with medical emergencies.
Whether it’s Cole’s (Jack Bannon) kiss with his flirty paramedic-turned-patient Nia (Ash Santos), Sophie’s (Chelsea Muirhead) slow-burn friendship with Camila (Daniela Nieves) or Harper (Jessy Yates) and Danny’s sisterly quarrels, there are plenty of storylines that draw you in, charting both drama and light relief.
At its core, the series is about those fractured, flawed relationships. Danny’s relationship with Harper is as significant as her romantic one with Xander, and it's the show's heart-warming emphasis on the power and love in friendships that enriches Pulse – while also feeling reminiscent of Meredith’s close-knit relationships with Christina (Sandra Oh), George (TR Knight) and Izzie (Katherine Heigl) in the early seasons of Grey’s.
But it's not just the staff dynamics which are spotlighted.
The decision to oscillate between Spanish and English seamlessly acknowledges the extensive Hispanic and Latino communities in Florida – all of which only strengthens the show's realism and elevates the connection felt between the hospital staff and their patients.
Most '90s and '00s medical dramas also presented a predominantly white-washed cast, while Pulse champions diversity to offer a far more realistic representation of society. Well, almost. Let’s not forget that everyone is still sensationally attractive, with Dr Sam Elijah (Jessie T Usher) and Xander filling in as perfect McDreamy and McSteamy substitutes.
Across its 10 parts, the series offers the best of Grey’s: a strong ensemble cast, gripping medical traumas, well-written characters, love triangles, relationship and friendship conflicts, and an exhausting look inside an overworked, overbooked hospital, but without the far-fetched storylines (George and Meredith - really?!), or lacing the series with shocking events among the ensemble. Instead, the life-or-death drama is left to the patients.
It's also refreshing that none of the characters are presented without fault, and the trainee doctors are certainly not depicted as life-saving heroes. Most of the medical students are sleep deprived and riddled with self-doubt and can only acknowledge a slither of their abilities towards the end of the season after fervent encouragement from their boss, Dr Cruz (Justina Machado).
It's a well-established formula, but Pulse brings a fresh energy, balancing its extensive components with relative ease. From a pandemic-style hospital lockdown, a devastating hurricane, workplace harassment and discrimination to friendships being strained by professional competition, there's plenty of conflict and disaster, but it never feels overstuffed.
And while it will inevitably be likened and compared to Grey’s, it also deserves to be appreciated in its own right – and marks an exciting beginning to a new potentially long-running medical drama.
Pulse is available to stream now on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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