Impulse (TV series)
Impulse is an American science fiction drama television series based on the 2013 Steven Gould novel Impulse. The novel was one of a series following Gould's novel Jumper. The series is a stand-alone spin-off to the 2008 film adaptation of the book.
The series premiered on June 6, 2018, on YouTube Premium. Lauren LeFranc, Doug Liman, David Bartis, and Gene Klein served as executive producers. LeFranc also acted as showrunner for the series. In July 2018, the series was renewed for a second season consisting of ten episodes, which premiered on October 16, 2019. The series was canceled in March 2020.
Premise
Impulse follows 16-year-old Henrietta "Henry" Coles who discovers she has the ability to teleport but has no control over her destination. The first time she realizes this, she is in a truck with her high school's basketball captain and star, Clay Boone, who tries to rape her. She has a seizure and teleports, in the course of which she inadvertently crushes much of his truck when her ability to teleport first manifests, leaving him a paraplegic. The show then explores Henry's feelings of fear regarding the assault, and the discovery that those feelings can trigger her ability to teleport.Cast and characters
Main
- Maddie Hasson as Henrietta "Henry" Coles, a teenage girl who possesses the ability to teleport, though has no control over her destination initially. She first realizes she has this capability while in the middle of being sexually assaulted. Her powers activate through emotional distress.
- * Carina Battrick portrays a younger Henry Coles in a supporting role.
- Sarah Desjardins as Jenna Faith Hope, Henry's soon-to-be stepsister and confidante. Initially cold and distant towards Henry, she becomes closer to her upon discovering that she was sexually assaulted.
- Enuka Okuma as Anna Hulce, a deputy sheriff in Reston, investigating the incident which left Clay Boone physically disabled for life via his legs
- Craig Arnold as Lucas Boone, a local mechanic, drug trafficker, and the eldest son of car and drug dealer Bill Boone
- Tanner Stine as Clay Boone, a star of the local basketball team and Bill Boone's youngest son. A classmate of Henry's, Clay develops an interest in her when she begins attending school.
- Keegan-Michael Key as Michael Pearce, a scientist at a gravitational wave detector
- Missi Pyle as Cleo Coles, Henry's mother. She is living with and dating Thomas Hope.
- Daniel Maslany as Townes Linderman, an autistic student at Reston High School who becomes close friends with Henry
- Callum Keith Rennie as Nikolai, a master teleporter who was responsible for abducting Henry's father, Simon, ten years ago
Recurring
- Matt Gordon as Thomas Hope, Jenna's father. He and Cleo Coles live together with their daughters.
- David James Elliott as Bill Boone, a local car dealer who also traffics in drugs. He is Lucas and Clay's father and Cleo Cole's boss.
- Genevieve Kang as Patty Yang, a cheerleader at Reston High School and Clay's ex-girlfriend
- Gabriel Darku as Zach Jaymes
- Will Chase as Simon, Henry's father
- Aidan Devine as Sheriff Dale
- Shawn Doyle as Jeremiah Miller
- Tara Rosling as Esther Miller
- Gordon Harper as Amos Miller
- Dylan Trowbridge as Matthew
- Angel Giuffria as Zoe, Townes' online girlfriend
- Keon Alexander as Dominick, a Francophone who also possesses the ability to teleport long distances
- Raphael Bergeron-Lapointe as Tristan, Dominick's six-year-old son
- Rohan Mead as Jason Munther
- Geoffrey Pounsett as Deputy Gabriel
- Paula Boudreau as Nurse Mary
- Michael Reventar as Luis Castillo
- Rachel Wilson as Iris
- Alex Paxton-Beesley as Sabine, Dominick's wife and Tristan's mother
- Steve Fifield as Eddie Max
- Catherine Burdon as Eileen Paige, the principal of Reston High School
- Christina Collins as Gale
- Jamal Brown as Quinn
- Julia Knope as Brenda Gasser
- Sam Kantor as Damian
- Kristian Bruun as Sheldon Gibson
- Sandra Flores as Mrs. Gerhard
- Duane Murray as Sam
- Lauren Collins as Meghan Linderman
- Amadeus Serafini as Josh
- Billy Otis as Gil
- Kevin Hanchard as Jack Weakley, a doctor who treats Henry after she suffers a seizure
- Elisa Moolecherry as Nora Barnes
- Michelle Nolden as Wendy Jacobson, Bill Boone's estranged ex-wife and Lucas and Clay's mother
- Shohreh Aghdashloo as Fatima, a teleporter who can also stop time
Guest
- David Alpay as Daniel
- Lois Smith as Deidre Jones
- Allison Hossack as Erica Wallace
- Danny Pudi as Beanie
- Zack Pearlman as Glasses
Production
Development
On December 15, 2016, YouTube commissioned a television pilot titled Impulse from a script by Jeffrey Lieber, with revisions by Gary Spinelli, loosely based on the novel by Steven Gould. It was to be produced by the production companies Hypnotic and Universal Cable Productions with Doug Liman, David Bartis, and Gene Klein of Hypnotic reported to be executive producers. Liman was also expected to direct the pilot as well.On June 27, 2017, YouTube gave the production a series order with a premiere tentatively set for 2018. On January 13, 2018, producer and writer Lauren LeFranc joined the series in the position of showrunner and executive producer. On May 10, 2018, YouTube Red released the first official trailer and set the series premiere for June 6, 2018.
On July 19, 2018, the series was renewed for a second season consisting of ten episodes, which premiered on October 16, 2019. On March 10, 2020, it was announced that the series had been canceled.