This post contains spoilers from Netflix's Pulse episode 4 from this point forward.
As Pulse episode 4 begins, Hurricane Abby has finally passed and left Miami with some sun. Danny enjoys a quite moment on the roof of the hospital. In spite of the episode 3 cliffhanger, Vero didn't die. She's still fighting for her life in critical condition, but she's stable. Cruz looks at her daughter with guilt as Soriano comforts her.
Danny jumps right into her next case as a helicopter brings an airlifted volunteer firefighter named Hank to the roof. He was hit with debris on the way out of a house fire and took in a lot of smoke. The hospital is now overflowing with patients with the hurricane gone. Danny leaves Hank in the hallway until he can get scans and a room opens. She's juggling a lot of patients and also dealing with the chatter about Xander's reveal.
Dr. Broussard (Charlayne Woodard), a senior attending from Kennedy, joins the staff to fill in and help relieve while understaffed. Obviously, since Xander transferred from Kennedy, Broussard knows him. She's tough on the team and their disorganization following the power outage. Broussard's philosophy for emergency care is to "treat 'em and street 'em." She's getting this team in line when they need it most.
Elijah cleared a room and didn't tell Danny, which is just one headache Danny's dealing with. Cole won't work with her on treating a stubborn patient and everyone needs something from her. When she finally tracks down Elijah, he's clearly mad at her. She presses him to ask her about living with Xander. She reveals that they were together for about a year. He asks if she was in love... she thought she was. He agrees to support her as her friend.
Danny's first death as chief resident
Danny was right about a patient's leg suffering from flesh-eating bacteria. He's afraid to go into surgery and doesn't want to lose his leg. Cole insists amputation is a last resort. Danny finally gets back to Hank, whose condition seems to be worsening in spite of his denials. She's distracted and he's disgruntled, and Broussard spots Danny getting aggressive with Hank to calm him down.
During the surgery, Soriano wants to amputate the patient's leg, but Cole pushes back to advocate for the patient. Before Soriano can reprimand him for speaking out of turn, Cole excuses himself from the procedure to help in the ER. Soriano heard Cole's concerns and was able to save the leg without amputation. Cole scores an invite to golf with Soriano and his wife, and he invites Cass to join him... or maybe she invites herself?
Unfortunately, Hank attempted to leave the hospital and he was found passed out in the parking lot. He can barely breathe and they're losing him. Broussard walks Danny through a difficult intubation, and even though that works, they spend 20 minutes trying to revive Hank. They can't get a pulse. Broussard calls the time of death. It's the first death on Danny's watch as the new chief resident.
When Harper tries to talk to her sister, admittedly pushing too hard for her to open up after losing a patient, Danny bites her head off about pushing her to report Xander to HR. Danny did go too far on Harper, but it's not totally unfounded. A flashback reveals Danny successfully helping Xander with a procedure he couldn't crack. She gets a champagne tap. Later, there's a bit of tension. His ego was bruised.
Xander still has secrets
Before leaving the hospital, Broussard chats with Cruz and tells her to send home Xander now that the hospital has gotten under control. She also tells Cruz to give Danny credit where credit is due. Better news for Cruz? Vero's able to breathe on her own again. Broussard takes Danny to the chief resident's office. She's surprised to learn she has the attending's respect. When she asks if Xander was transferred because of similar allegations, she doesn't answer.
The flashback to the night of Danny's champagne tap continues with Xander admitting that he can't focus around her and wants to be with her. He wants her to admit it too or he'll feel like a "creep." In real time, Xander enters Danny's new office to collect his things before he leaves. He maintains his innocence of sexual harassment, but Danny rebuts with Broussard's "confirmation" of the other women at Kennedy. "I wasn't special, I was just last." That's quite the bar to leave him with.
Oh, and the flashback? It continues with Xander kissing Danny and them having sex in her car. That seems to be the moment they crossed the line. Before Xander leaves the hospital, he tells her not to trust Broussard, who he runs into on the way out. There's a truth about his transfer that hasn't been revealed. He signed an NDA. What for? Broussard clearly has something on Xander that no one wants to get out.
What else happened in Pulse episode 4:
- Sophie takes offense to Camila putting her hair in a ponytail. She believes Camila used the information about Cole to get ahead, effectively using Sophie. Camila denies that that was her intention.
- Camila continues to try to be Sophie's friend and apologizes, but when she reveals a clerical error that entered her into the system as an intern, therefore able to write medication orders, Sophie revokes her access.
- Cole checks on Nia after her surgery and flirts with her. He tries to get to the origins of his "Cinnabon" nickname and decides it's because he's "rich and sweet." Cass seems to be a bit jealous.
- During another visit to Nia, Cole opens up about his life and feelings in a real vulnerable way. Oh, and Cinnabon actually means: "I know it's bad for me, but I still want to eat the whole thing." They kiss!
- Speaking of romance, Harper and Elijah's romantic connection continues to grow. This could get interesting if he's really in love with Danny.