In what will be music to the ears of fan's of Grey's Anatomy, Netflix has released a new medical drama called Pulse - which, as the name suggests, is intended to get our heart's racing. But is it worth watching? The reviews are seemingly very divided.
What is Pulse about?
The series follows the staff of Maguire Medical Center in Miami as a storm races towards the hospital. But as the hospital goes into lockdown, the details about the doctor's personal lives are revealed, with the fellow doctors and nurses having lots of questions about the relationship between Dr. Danny Simms (Willa Fitzgerald) and her supervisor, chief resident of emergency medicine Dr. Xander Phillips (Colin Woodell).
'In Pulse, we get to enjoy the high-pressure, high-stakes environment in which the team works,' co-showrunner Carlton Cuse told Netfix's Tudum. 'But, fundamentally, the series starts with this nucleus of Danny and Xander’s relationship. Then we start to see all the relationships around that.' The series is currently in the top 10 on Netflix.
Is Pulse worth watching?
So far, so good. But the series is already dividing opinions on the internet, with some finding it more disappointing than they anticipated. A piece in Vulture slated the show, saying '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.'
Meanwhile, in the 'Skip It Or Stream It' column in Decider, Joel Keller concludes: 'SKIP IT. Pulse is one of the most generic medical dramas we’ve seen in some time, with characters who aren’t compelling and medical situations that are eye-rolling to watch.'
Online, the show is generating similar reactions. One user wrote on X 'three episodes into #PulseNetflix and both main leads and the relationship between them is infuriating and i’m not into it at all.' Another user wrote '#PulseNetflix acts like we've been watching it for years, and this is Season 10. Girl, who are these people, and why are they so dull?' A third agreed, writing 'Pulse on Netflix has potential but the main leads are boring and annoying. Their backstory is so ordinary. I want more of Chan. #PulseNetflix.' Another user wrote 'So #PulseNetflix drops today and I'm interested to see what people think. I thought it had a great angle about the complications of workplace romance in a hospital but... a little something was missing for me. #Pulse.'
However, others were more forgiving of the show. One X user compared it to Grey's Anatomy, writing Pulse is another grey's anatomy but on netflix.' Another user wrote 'I love to see Willa Fitzgerald in a new Netflix series (PULSE). She always brings her A-game.' A third wrote 'once it gets past a chaotic start, netflix's medical drama PULSE actually tells a pretty fascinating story about toxic workplace romances & the intersection of professional ambition and love.'
With the ten-part series now available to stream on Netflix, you can binge it all at once and see whether you agree with people's opinions on the show. And the squeamish, be warned - the medical scenes aren't for the faint hearted!