You're likely here because you just finished that cliffhanger. It’s a specific kind of frustration, isn't it? You spend hours embedded in the high-stakes, caffeine-fueled world of a hospital drama, only to have the screen fade to black with a dozen loose ends flapping in the wind. Since the first season wrapped up on BET+ and other streaming platforms, the question of will there be season 2 of Pulse has become a constant hum in fan forums and comment sections.
Let's be real: the show isn't exactly Grey's Anatomy. It’s grittier. It feels more like a panic attack in a lab coat. Created by Thabo Rametsi and showcasing a powerhouse of South African talent, Pulse brought something different to the medical procedural genre. It traded the soapy romances for a survivalist, almost horror-like intensity. But as we sit here in 2026, the silence from the production houses is starting to feel a bit heavy.
The current status of the renewal
Right now, there hasn’t been an official "yes" or "no" from BET+ or the production teams in South Africa. That’s not always a death sentence. In the streaming world, "no news" often just means "we're checking the spreadsheets."
The show’s journey was unique from the jump. It was a massive collaboration, involving heavy hitters like Media Musketeers and Forlan Films. When you have multiple international partners, the greenlight process for a second season is less like a single switch and more like a complicated board meeting involving three different time zones. It’s a lot of moving parts. Honestly, the lack of an immediate cancellation is the best sign we have right now.
Shows like this often live or die by their international distribution. While it found a solid home on BET+ in the States, its performance on platforms like Showmax in Africa matters just as much. Streaming giants are notoriously tight-lipped about their specific "completion rates"—that’s the metric of how many people actually finished the season versus just clicking on the first episode. If those numbers are high, the chances for will there be season 2 of Pulse jump significantly.
📖 Related: Wrong Address: Why This Nigerian Drama Is Still Sparking Conversations
Why the story demands a comeback
If you watched the finale, you know it wasn't a "series finale." It was a "we have so much more to tell you" finale. The tension between the characters—particularly the power dynamics within the hospital—was just reaching a boiling point.
Medical dramas usually rely on a "case of the week" format. Pulse didn't do that. It was a serialized descent into chaos. We need to see the fallout of the choices made under pressure. We need to know if the moral compasses of our favorite doctors are permanently broken or just temporarily spinning.
Think about the character of Pris. Thabo Rametsi didn't just create a show; he created a pressure cooker. The psychological toll on the staff at the end of season one was immense. A second season wouldn't just be about new patients; it would be about the PTSD of the survivors. That's a story worth telling. It’s rare to see a show tackle the intersection of medical ethics and raw survival with such a dark lens.
The logistical hurdles
Production is expensive. High-end medical sets, specialized prosthetics for those gnarly surgeries, and a cast that is increasingly in demand—it all adds up. Since the first season aired, many of the lead actors have seen their stars rise. Coordinating those schedules is a nightmare.
👉 See also: Who was the voice of Yoda? The real story behind the Jedi Master
- Cast Availability: Tarryn Wyngaard and the rest of the ensemble have been busy.
- Budgeting: International co-productions require a delicate balance of tax credits and licensing fees.
- The "Wait and See" Approach: Sometimes streamers wait years to see if a show develops a "cult" following before ordering more.
What fans are saying on the ground
Social media is usually the first place a renewal leaks. Currently, the #PulseBET plus hashtag is a mix of people discovering the show for the first time and die-hard fans tagging the creators. There is a clear appetite for it.
I’ve seen theories ranging from a total reboot with a new hospital to a direct pick-up from the second the cameras stopped rolling. People are invested in these characters. They aren't just "TV doctors"; they feel like people you’d actually meet in a high-stress trauma ward. That authenticity is why the question of will there be season 2 of Pulse keeps resurfacing. It didn't feel like a plastic, Hollywood version of medicine. It felt sweaty. It felt real.
Comparing it to other regional hits
Look at shows like Blood & Water or Kings of Joburg. South African productions are having a massive global moment. These shows proved that stories set in Johannesburg or Cape Town can dominate the Top 10 lists in New York and London. Pulse fits perfectly into that "Global South" excellence.
If the producers can lean into that global appeal, they might find the leverage they need for a second season. The hunger for non-Western perspectives in familiar genres (like medical or crime) is at an all-time high.
✨ Don't miss: Not the Nine O'Clock News: Why the Satirical Giant Still Matters
The verdict on Season 2
Kinda bittersweet, right? We’re in a holding pattern. But here is the thing about the TV industry: passion projects usually find a way. Thabo Rametsi and the team behind Pulse clearly poured their souls into the first six episodes. It wasn't a "cash-in" show. It was a statement.
Usually, if a show is dead, the sets are struck and the actors move on publicly. We haven't seen a "final goodbye" post from the core team yet. That silence? It’s a glimmer of hope.
While we wait for the official word on will there be season 2 of Pulse, the best thing fans can do is keep the "noise" up. Streamers look at social engagement. They look at how many people are still talking about a show six months or a year later.
Steps you can take right now
- Rewatch the first season: Completion rates and "re-watch" stats are gold for streaming platforms.
- Engagement: Post your theories on X (formerly Twitter) or Reddit using the show's specific hashtags.
- Request it: Many streamers have "request a show" features buried in their help centers. Use them.
- Support the cast: Follow the actors and creators on their other projects to show there is a built-in audience for their work.
The medical world of Pulse is too rich and too terrifying to end so abruptly. Whether it arrives later this year or remains a one-season wonder that we talk about for years, its impact on the genre is undeniable. Keep your eyes on the official BET+ social media channels; that’s where the lightning will strike first. For now, we wait, we speculate, and we hope the doors of that hospital swing open at least one more time.