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Did you watch the trailer for Netflix's Pulse and immediately get reminded of Grey's Anatomy? Well, you're not the only one. The new Netflix medical drama that came out on 3rd April 2025, reminds one of the first season of Grey's Anatomy.
Pulse is set in Maguire Hospital in Miami. The protagonist, Danielle, who goes by Danny, is a third-year resident at the Emergency Medicine department of the hospital. While Grey's Anatomy started with the characters as interns, here the characters are at different stages of their residency. Besides, Pulse has only two surgical residents, thus not focusing on surgery solely. These things do set the shows apart, but upon closer inspection, they are a lot alike.
In Pulse, there is a secret relationship between residents who are not equal professionally, a sexual harassment report to HR that gets someone fired, a hurricane where it's ''all hands on deck'' and messy relationships. Sound familiar to Grey's Anatomy fans? Let us elaborate.
Disclaimer: This article may contain the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.
Is Pulse Netflix's Grey's Anatomy?
The popularity of the ABC medical drama over the two decades has proved how much audiences love a good medical drama. However, it has to be interesting, steamy, and full of chaos to succeed. Pulse seems to have all of those qualities and is thus showing similarities to Grey's Anatomy. Let us tell you exactly how they are similar.
Relationships at Work
While no attendings are dating interns in the show, a senior resident did have a secret relationship with a junior resident. It is clear when Danny reports Xander for sexual harassment. This is how the show starts and while it does not start with a whirlwind romance like that of Derek and Meredith, Danny and Xander's relationship does improve in the later episodes.
It does have one of the classic 'staircase' scenes that is commonly seen in Grey's Anatomy episodes. It does remind one of Meredith and Derek's conversations in the staircases in between work. Pulse, much like Grey's, has kept the 'relationship between a senior and junior' at the central point of the show.
Messy Family Dynamics
Meredith, for a greater part of her life, was known as Ellis Grey's daughter. She had to live up to her mother's name, cope with the consequences of growing up with an absent mother, and then deal with Ellis' Alzheimers. Her father had left years before she became an intern at Seattle Grace, giving her a truly messy family dynamic.
For Danny, it is her father who has a heavy influence on her career. We see how she shares a complicated relationship with her father, which in turn complicates her relationships with others.
Disasters
If you have watched Grey's Anatomy, you have seen the numerous episodes that showed the staff of Grey Sloan Memorial working through disasters. Be it huge vehicle collisions, storms, blizzards, or a heat wave, the medical staff is ready to take on the day. Pulse has a similar storyline where a hurricane strikes on the day Danny is promoted to Chief Resident. We see a power cut, residents feeling anxious, and the entire staff trying to do their jobs.
There are similarities between the two shows here and there, but the Netflix drama is too new for us to say that this pattern will continue. Maybe showrunners Zoe Robyn and Carlton Cuse will change things if the show returns for a second season. It will be interesting to see Danny's journey after the events of season 1 and to take a deeper dive into the other characters.
Pulse stars Willa Fitzgerald as Danielle Simms, Colin Woodell as Xander Phillips, Jessy Yates as Harper Simms, and Danny's younger sister, Jessie T. Usher as Sam Elijah, and Justina Machado as Natalie Cruz in some of the main roles. The show was created by Zoe Robyn and executively produced by Zoe Robyn, Carlton Cuse, Bradley Gardner, Emma Forman, Michael Klick, and Kate Dennis.
It has received mostly positive reactions from the public as one of the very few medical dramas that are fun to watch. Many medical dramas have tried to do as well as Grey's Anatomy, but have failed. Pulse seems to have done better than most and will hopefully continue to do so in the future.
Pulse Season 1 is currently streaming on Netflix.
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