The Most Inaccurate Part About Pulse Isn’t Even the Medical Procedures
Netflix’s new medical drama Pulse is basically the streamer’s answer to Grey’s Anatomy, but with a greater awareness of the problems with the power imbalance of a resident dating the Chief Resident. The show, which has also drawn comparisons to the Max drama The Pitt, hinges on the relationship between Danny Simms (Willa Fitzgerald) and Xander Phillips (Colin Woodell), but there are other things that make it distinctive.
First, there’s the Miami setting, and the fact that as the show gets started, a hurricane is coming for Miami, and Maguire Medical Center is caught literally in the eye of the storm, just as the doctors are having to deal with the fallout of Danny reporting Dr. Phillips for sexual harassment. But as the hurricane comes and goes and many characters that feel like they indeed belong in the city of Miami come through the doors of the hospital, one of the many questions the show has elicited is whether Pulse is truly set in Miami.
So, where was Pulse filmed? Is it really shot in Miami? Or did Netflix use another location to simulate the Miami look?
Where was Pulse filmed & is it really shot in Miami?
As discussed, Pulse is set in Miami, with plenty of characters discussing the city, the food, and many particular places in Miami. There’s also a lot of Spanish spoken on the show, as expected for a show set in a city with a very high Latino population. And Pulse did indeed film in Miami, though not exclusively. Some of the show’s scenes were also filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
What scenes were filmed in Albuquerque? Mainly the interior hospital scenes, as the city provides competitive tax incentives that make it an attractive filming location. The rest of the scenes, which are recognizably Miami, were indeed filmed in Miami. Those include the Miami skyline and the beach. If you’re familiar with the city of Miami, you will also recognize Sunny Isles Beach, which prominently appears in many episodes, as well as Downtown Miami, particularly the area around the Miami River Condos.
As for the hospital, Jackson Memorial Hospital, one of the largest public hospitals in the United States, was the location for the outside shots of Maguire Medical Center, particularly the rooftop.
These locations all help give Pulse a sense of authenticity, alongside the presence of many Latinos in the cast. Natalie Cruz, the head of the ER, played by Justina Machado, speaks Spanish in many scenes, as does Daniela Nieves, who plays new intern Camila, and Arturo del Puerto, who plays Luis, the ER’s charge nurse. All of that means that Pulse, which is set in Miami and filmed in Miami, feels like it takes place in Miami, which is, overall, a really good thing.
