This post contains spoilers from Netflix's Pulse episode 3 from this point forward.
Hurricane Abby continues to rage on as Pulse episode 3 begins, and Danny stands outside the hospital and watches as a lamp post falls on a vehicle. The heavy lamp post crushes the front of the car and traps a man in the driver's seat. Danny grabs a boxcutter and some extra hands. As the men try to lift the lamp post, Danny slashes the tires, which decreases the car's height and allows them to get the man out.
Danny happens to enter the staff locker room to change at the same time Xander's changing, too. She catches a glance at him shirtless, and even though he asks if she wants him to leave, she keeps the peace. He hands over his chief resident badge and they agree to a truce. It's a far cry from nearly a year ago, as a flashback finds them spending time together at a hospital gala — a "fake date."
During their fake date, Danny meets Xander's mother Libby and admits that she doesn't want to put herself in the ring for chief resident. She thinks Elijah's the obvious choice and she has no shot. They also trade barbs about Xander's privilege to have the safety net of his parents' pull and money and Danny not having a mother. Oof, they get to know each other real fast.
Maguire almost loses full power
Luis speaks with operators over the radio to inquire about the ETA of the fuel for their generators. Unfortunately, some misinformation led to the fuel being rerouted elsewhere. There seems to be no hope. Without power, patients' lives are in danger. Danny spots Xander speaking with Cruz and Luis. After that, he puts in a call to his father to secure the fuel they need to regain power. The fuel trucks arrive. Xander helped save the day.
Xander worries that his fellow coworkers are taking sides between him and Danny, and Cole advises him to defend himself to make himself look better and protect his job as attending next year. Xander also asks Elijah if Danny has confided in him. She hasn't, and it's clear he's on her side. To tip the scales, Xander reveals that Danny wrote her essay for the chief resident job months ago, not just a couple weeks ago before the deadline. Hearing that she wanted the job changes Elijah's perception.
While helping Mike, the crush injury victim, and Anna, his girlfriend, Danny and Xander figure out the truth about their situation. Anna claims they were coming to the hospital for UTI medication, but she actually has myasthenia gravis. The doxycycline for the UTI could have worsened her condition, but she hasn't told Mike.
Xander reveals details about his relationship with Danny
Danny advocates for herself to learn a surgical procedure from Cole, and she helps saves Mike's leg. Cole's note for her after the procedure doesn't mean that he thought she did a bad job. Actually, it's just the opposite. (He's a pretty complicated guy as we're learning.)
After helping save Mike's life, they also have to fight to save Anna's life when she begins having an episode. Danny uses the "name four types of nuts" trick Xander used on her once upon a time on an intern before beginning the procedure. Tension's building in the room, leading to Danny revealing that Xander called his dad to get the fuel. The two openly argue in front of everyone.
The kicker? Xander announces that he and Danny were living together. You could hear a pin drop in that operating room. She denies that, but he insists she reported him because he told her he loved her and she couldn't handle it, throwing her mother's abandonment in her face. Everyone's in stunned silence as Xander storms out of the room. Well, he defended himself.
On the night of their fake date, Xander pushes Danny to believe in herself and go for chief resident. He also offers to mentor her. The fake date gets a little bit realer when they dance together up on the balcony away from the crowd. We're starting to see that Danny and Xander were a bit closer than we might have thought, but we still haven't learned the whole truth.
What else happened in Pulse episode 3:
- Camila takes care of a patient who has abdominal pain and doesn't want to ghost a guy she likes who hosted a hurricane party. After presenting tests to Sophie, Camila determines the patient has appendicitis. However, she left the hospital. Fearing her appendix burst, Sophie and Camila hit the streets to find her. They find her and save her life.
- Luis (Arturo Del Puerto), the show's best nurse (not to choose favorites), clocks that fact the Cass slept with Cole.
- Harper and Elijah seem to have a romantic connection.
- Sophie offhandedly told Camila that Cole has a thing for ponytails during their hurricane adventure. Later, she spots Camila sporting a ponytail to get into the tough doctor's good graces.
- Cruz starts calling the shots on Vero's care to the hesitance of her nurse. As the threat of losing all power nears, Cruz orders the nurse to stop the sedation so Vero can breathe on her own. The nurse refuses, and Cruz does it herself. Just as the power comes back on, Vero nearly doesn't make it.