’Pulse’s Colin Woodell on the Finale Twists and Hopes for Season 2

(Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Pulse.)

The Netflix medical drama Pulse is set in Miami’s busiest Level 1 Trauma Center, where third-year resident Dr. Danny Simms (Willa Fitzgerald) finds herself in the position of being considered for a promotion that is only possible because she’s responsible for Chief Resident Dr. Xander Phillips’ (Colin Woodell) suspension. With a pending hurricane looming, Danny and Phillips have to continue working together while the tension from their unresolved relationship issues is at an all-time high, leaving them both to reconsider decisions they’ve made in the past and what they’d like their future to be. By the end of the season, shake-ups and twists throw everything into upheaval, meaning that changes are a given if the series returns for Season 2.

During this one-on-one interview with Collider, Woodell discussed the appeal of Pulse, how he’d feel in the hands of these doctors if they were real, the challenge of convincingly sounding like a doctor compared to pulling off physical stunts for his previous series The Continental, the complicated dynamic between Phillips and Danny, his character’s emotional journey, figuring out this ensemble, and what his hopes are for a possible Season 2.

The Relationship Between Phillips and Danny Is What Drew Colin Woodell to ‘Pulse’

“I just felt like it was something I hadn’t seen before.”

Collider: What was it about this TV series that stood out for you when you read it? What made you want to be a part of this?

COLIN WOODELL: It was a combination of a few things. There was the unique impending hurricane that was about to hit, so there was an outside reckoning to be dealt with. What was really at the crux of it from an acting standpoint was the interpersonal relationships between the characters, especially Phillips and Danny, and the complexity of it. There’s really something special about exploring it within a hospital setting where these people are in these adrenalized positions, needing to save lives. They’re also just trying to be human and interact with one another and have feelings for each other. It was all of that layered into it, and I just felt like it was something I hadn’t seen before. I was pretty excited about it.

One of the things that I always find interesting about a medical show is thinking about, if this were a real hospital and these were the doctors you’d find there, how would you feel about putting your life in their hands?

WOODELL: That’s a great question. If you were to ask Colin to save a life, I don’t think he would do a great job. But Phillips, himself, I believe in. He’s got a lot to prove. He’s basically made it his life’s goal to feel worthy as a medical professional. What’s cool about this hospital, in particular, is that it’s one of the most competitive ones in Miami and these young doctors are trying so hard to prove themselves. Their performance is definitely being watched, so they take their job very seriously. My only experience I had in an ER, I had a kidney stone and this was a horrible day. It was Labor Day weekend and I got admitted into this hospital. I was watching these doctors, and this was while before I did any research on it. For them, it was just another day, and they were dealing with some crazy stuff that I was watching. I thought it was really cool to see how heroic these people are and how, every single day, they have to endure some unforeseen thing and handle it. It’s really a cool profession.

The last TV series that I saw you in was The Continental, which was heightened in its own way but very different from this world. Does a series like this take a different kind of stamina? Is it challenging to convincingly sound and look like a doctor?

WOODELL: Yes, absolutely. We also had medical professionals who supervised us to make sure that we looked legitimate. It was a little bit more pressure than I was expecting. The surprising thing about it, just in comparison to doing a lot of stunts, is that there’s a choreographed dance when you’re doing these scenes and they can sometimes take six, seven or eight hours to shoot them. There’s a lot of intense focus and you have to really remain in it. It’s healthy to have breaks and joke around every now and then, but you’re pretending to save a life, and that requires a very unique part of your brain to tap into. I would say I was actually more exhausted doing some of these medical scenes than I was doing any stunt choreography in The Continental. With stunts, you get to do a stunt rehearsal and sometimes you get weeks to prepare, so you can see and feel how it’s going to work. With this show, we got some rehearsal time to prepare, but we wouldn’t have who was going to be the eventual patient, so we were working with dummies. And then, you’re incorporating all these different nurses. All the little added elements of cameras and lights make it even more complicated. You definitely need to be prepared for anything.

‘Pulse’s Dr. Phillips Is Always Trying to Prove That He’s Worthy of His Own Success

“Phillips definitely has a bit of prodigal son syndrome.”

What does it mean to this doctor to be at this hospital? He’s already achieved a certain level in his career and he has the respect of his colleagues, but then you have everything that’s going on with Danny. What was it like to have both ends of that?

WOODELL: That’s what really made Phillips human. It’s a topic that we’re talking a lot about right now in the film industry. Nepotism is something that seems to be really on a lot of people’s minds. I can only imagine how challenging it may be to constantly be questioned, in terms of your work and whether or not you’ve earned where you’re at. Phillips definitely has a bit of prodigal son syndrome, where he’ll forever be in the shadow of his father, who we never get to meet in the show, but we hear so much about him. He comes from this illustrious, successful medical family, and he is probably always wondering whether he deserves to be where he’s at. That’s what made me relate to him. I feel like I’m always trying to prove myself and to feel worthy of the successes that I have. That’s at the crux of what he’s going through throughout the whole season. That doesn’t necessarily pertain to just professionally. In his relationships, he wonders if people actually like and respect him and care for him because of who he is, or if it’s because of his last name.

To be a doctor, you have to have a certain amount of arrogance to believe that you can save somebody’s life.

WOODELL: His performance is validating, but no matter what, it’s such a competitive field that people will still doubt you and pass judgment on who you are. You’re absolutely right, there is undeniable skill that has to go into this. Even it’s false at times, the confidence that these people have to carry themselves with is undeniable. It’s life or death, and these moments are so fleeting. You have to make a decision at a moment’s notice and that requires trust in yourself and your abilities, for sure.

How much does Danny rock him?

WOODELL: It’s interesting. We get to see a little bit of Phillips before he comes to Maguire, but I think he was at the top of his game. I think he was Chief Resident for a reason. He had earned it. His performance was undeniable, as a doctor, and his ability to lead was undeniable. And then, comes this person who knocks him off his feet and he, all of a sudden, is grappling with being able to be himself in front of this person, impress them, and also still perform as a medical professional. That was definitely more fun to explore than the parts where he was just smooth sailing. I can relate to that feeling when someone walks into a room that I want to impress and, all of a sudden, I’m second guessing everything that comes out of my mouth or every action that I take. She definitely had an effect on him, from the get-go.

Colin Woodell Wanted to Do Right by Women With His Character’s Journey in ‘Pulse’

“The thing that me and Willa (Fitzgerald) wanted to capture was the complexity, the flaws, and the nuance that goes into any relationship.”

It’s interesting because you initially see him as this villain because you wonder what he must have done to cause her to report him. But then, you start to learn things about what led to all of that. What was it like to find Phillips’ emotional journey through everything?

WOODELL: It was really hard for me. I wanted to do right by women for the sake of this story. I wanted to do right by men for the sake of the story. The thing that me and Willa (Fitzgerald) and our creators, Zoe (Robyn) and Carlton (Cuse), wanted to capture was the complexity, the flaws, and the nuance that goes into any relationship. It was really challenging for me because I wanted Phillips to take ownership, and yet I also understood that he needed to believe wholeheartedly in what he thought their relationship was. Putting my own feelings aside, which is always what you have to do as an actor, you have to advocate for your character. You also have to remove your own personal feelings about whatever the situation may be and just trust the writers because that was something that, as an actor exploring this topic, was actually probably the most frightening thing about this.

As his co-workers find out about what happened, we see how they judge him or even how they’ve been wrong in their judgments.

WOODELL: Yes, exactly, and that was really helpful. We can get the perspective of the two people who are involved with it, but it’s actually even more helpful to get the commentary from everyone else because you just see how vast and nuanced this type this topic can be. We don’t really fully know unless we’re the people who are involved in the situation, and even then, we still may have our own opinions about our actions.

What was it like to figure out how the puzzle pieces of this ensemble would work?

WOODELL: It was fun. We were very lucky. We shot in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is a great town, but after a while, you run out of things to do. We were spending a lot of time together to surpass our limits of being in a foreign place. The unspoken thing about doctors, and especially residents, is the competitive nature between all of them. They’re all competing with each other, but they still want to see each other succeed. We would have game nights or go bowling, and it was all fun and supportive, but there was always an undertone of competitive nature between all of us, and that’s what makes the show so much fun. We were always in each other’s corners, but we were also always wanting to one-up each other in different moments outside of work. That added to the playful competitiveness of our ensemble, and I think that comes across on screen.

Was there one of you that was the most competitive?

WOODELL: Oh, yes. There is one answer and one answer only, in my opinion, and I think everyone would agree. I don’t know if I can say it out loud, but there’s one person, in particular, who loves to win, for sure. I’ll leave it at that.

’Pulse’s Colin Woodell Hasn’t Lost Hope for Phillips and Danny in a Possible Season 2

“I was really crushed that Phillips and Danny didn’t end up together.”

By the end of the season, things have shaken up in a way that will affect everything and everyone in a possible second season. What are you most interested in seeing happen in a Season 2?

WOODELL: There’s so much more to explore. I was really crushed that Phillips and Danny didn’t end up together. However, at the same time, I can also see that they’re two individuals that still have a lot of work to do on themselves. If there’s a second season, I’m excited to see what it would look like to explore how there’s a relieved tension, but there is still tension. Elijah also has undeniable feelings for Danny. What could that look like between the three of them? And also, what new characters would come into the hospital? There’s a lot of opportunity for some fresh meat and new blood. I’m really curious to see what could happen.

Pulse is available to stream on Netflix. Check out the trailer: